1. Geelong's great escape
Down by 35 points at three-quarter time, Geelong threw caution to the wind. What happened next was just as hard to believe as the way the first half panned out. The Cats came from the clouds, reeling off six goals to one in the final term to pinch a four-point victory and keep themselves in the box seat for a top-four berth. The Cats thought they had done enough, up 10 points with two minutes remaining, but a Ty Vickery goal with just 25 seconds remaining gave the Tigers one last gasp. A free kick to Trent Cotchin saw him launch the ball deep inside 50 with Jack Riewoldt almost hauling in a remarkable pack mark. It wasn't to be however, as time expired and the Cats were able to breathe a humungous sigh of relief.
2. Geelong has serious issues on the eve of finals
Earlier in the season Geelong coach Chris Scott conceded his side had a problem beating bottom-eight sides. Those comments came after the Cats recorded consecutive losses to Collingwood in round nine and Carlton in round 10. It looked for all money like they would drop another game to a side out of finals contention, until their whirlwind comeback. However, there are some underlying problems the Cats need to sort out and quickly. A scoreline of 10.22, which they put up against the Tigers, is not going to get the job done in September. The Cats' efficiency in attack was woeful, despite their inside 50 dominance (66-39) To illustrate that point, the Cats went inside 50 13 times for four behinds at the start of the second term. In that same period, the Tigers went inside 50 four times for four goals. Chris Scott has some serious work to do.
3. Rance is the best defender in the game, by a long way
Richmond may have suffered an agonising loss, but there is no way you could blame star defender Alex Rance. As has been the case for much of this season, Rance was outstanding against the Cats. It's hard to remember the Tigers star losing a one-on-one contest during the game, as he totally nullified Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins, keeping him to one goal, four marks and 14 disposals. Rance's ability to keep his balance in contests and then maintain his composure when the ball hits the deck is peerless in the AFL. Despite the games he missed through suspension, there is little doubt he should be an All Australian for the third time at the end of the season.
4. Geelong's hold over the Tigers continues
Only the staunchest of Richmond supporters would have given their side a chance against Geelong. History, nor logic, was on the Tigers' side. They defied both of those principles for three quarters, but in the end Geelong's dominance over Richmond lived to fight another day. The Cats made it 12 wins in a row over the Tigers, extending their streak to 19 wins from 20 contests since 2001. The streak is Geelong's best since their 12 wins in a row they achieved against North Melbourne between 1962 and 1968. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Tigers who did everything right, bar close out the match.
5. The Brownlow Medal battle
In many eyes, Patrick Dangerfield and Dustin Martin have been the two standout players of 2016. Their numbers are eye-popping and the impact they've had on their teams has been just as significant. For the first three quarters, the individual match-up took a back seat to what was unfolding out in the middle. While Martin finished with a game-high 36 disposals, Dangerfield's ability to lift when he sensed his team had a sniff was just as impressive. The star Cat is the Brownlow Medal favourite for a reason and his final quarter against the Tigers, in which he gathered nine disposals, went a long way to cementing that view.
