Ladder implications

Fremantle’s loss to Richmond not only left it another four points behind top four sides Hawthorn, Essendon and Sydney, it brought the sixth-placed Tigers to within two points of Ross Lyon’s fifth-placed side. The Hawks appear off and gone – Freo would need the 2012 runner-ups to lose three games in the run home and win every game itself to finish above them. The Bombers are now six points clear of Freo, while Sydney is a game and significant percentage ahead. Adelaide’s upset of Geelong kept the distance between Freo and the Cats at a game-and-a-half.

Mzungu’s three in the third

Fremantle was well down for contributors against Richmond on Sunday, but one player who did his bit was Tendai Mzungu. The dreadlocked midfielder bobbed up with three third-quarter goals that kept the side in the game.

Momentum gone

Fremantle had just kicked a goal late in the third quarter to bring it to within 15 points of Richmond. With just nine seconds remaining in the term and a stoppage inside the Tigers’ attacking 50, commentator Jason Dunstall stated that the only way Richmond could score was if Freo gave away a free kick. That’s exactly what Stephen Hill did, handing best-on-ground Trent Cotchin a momentum-altering goal after the siren. ‘Hilly’ was visibly disappointed, but he could consider himself a little unlucky. Replays showed he had grabbed Cotchin by the jumper number, not his head. The action forced the classy Tiger midfielder’s head to snap back sharply.

Tigers make the stoppages count

The defining statistic from Sunday’s game was the scores from stoppages. Richmond generated 5.6 from the 82 stoppages opposed to Fremantle’s three behinds.

Sloppy turnovers

Both teams scored 47 points from turnovers, but it was the manner of Richmond’s scores that wouldn’t have pleased Ross Lyon. Lee Spurr was guilty of this costly turnover in the first quarter that presented Jack Riewoldt with a goal on a platter.