1. What 'external noise'?
Richmond had to come out firing. Had to. You don't lose by 88 points to Greater Western Sydney the previous week and not expect seven days full of fierce scrutiny to envelop you at Tigerland. Halfway through the first quarter things looked to be going pear shaped again, as the Magpies booted the first four goals of the contest. But, to their credit, the Tigers steadied to kick six of the next seven and took a six-point lead into the major break. Despite Collingwood controlling parts of the second half, Richmond kicked away late in the game to record a much-needed victory as it eased the pressure on under-fire coach Damien Hardwick.
2.Milestone Martin puts on another clinic
Dustin Martin has raced to 150 games. The star Tiger has missed just four games in his career on his way to becoming one of the biggest names in the game and has excelled because of his talent and durability. ‘Dusty’ has had a sensational season and he continued in that fashion against Collingwood. The 25-year-old led all comers on the ground with 18 disposals to half-time and finished the game full of running, amassing a game-high 34 disposals to lead the Tigers to victory. There is no doubt he should be a contender for this year's Brownlow medal.
3. Aish announces himself
Whenever you go to Collingwood on a lucrative long-term deal as a 20-year-old, you're always going to cop some heat if your performances aren't up to scratch. But, despite being dropped, former Lion James Aish never dropped his head and worked doubly hard to return to the team. The youngster has seen a considerable spike in his production in the last month and continued his sparkling form against the Tigers. Aish, who joined the Magpies in a complicated trade that landed the Lions draft points for their Academy graduates, Ryan Bastinac and a future second-round pick, had 18 disposals in one of his best games in the black and white. But it was his ability to unflinchingly mark the ball above his head (three contested marks), often with opponents bearing down, that stood out the most. Still only in his 44th game, the No.7 pick from the 2013 draft has plenty of scope for improvement.
4. The Magpies miss their main man
Collingwood has been so reliant on skipper Scott Pendlebury in tight games, but they had to do it without him down the stretch against the Tigers. Pendlebury succumbed to an injury to his left ankle in the final term, leaving the ground in the last 10 minutes of the game to ice the ankle in a tracksuit on the bench. Pendlebury's absence was notable as the Tigers kicked the final two goals to close out the match. The skipper's poise and experience was sorely missed in the dying stages as the Magpies dropped a game that should have been theirs for the taking.
5. Dimma's hidden gem shines
After the Tigers' round 11 loss to North Melbourne, which all but ended their finals hopes, coach Damien Hardwick said it was time to give the "promising" kids a go. True to his word, the embattled coach has done just that giving Jason Castagna, Liam McBean, Nathan Drummond, Jayden Short andAdam Marcon opportunities at AFL level. But it was one youngster – Oleg Markov – that shone brighter than any of his contemporaries against the Pies. Markov, selection No.50 in last year's NAB AFL Draft, displayed energy to take the game on and assuredness with the ball in his possession. Markov finished with 26 disposals (25 uncontested) and 12 marks to play a vital role in Richmond's win.
