A grim-faced Richmond AFL coach Damien Hardwick described Saturday's upset loss to Carlton as a kick in the backside and insisted skipper Trent Cotchin and star forward Jack Riewoldt had not suffered any serious injuries.
Cotchin was held to just 14 possessions by tagger Ed Curnow as the Blues triumphed 16.10 (106) to 14.12 (96) despite trailing by five goals at quarter-time.
Tigers fans, so jubilant a week ago as the club scored their 13th win for the season to confirm their place in the finals for the first time since 2001, started departing before the final siren at the MCG on Saturday as the Blues held on by scoring three goals to two in the final term.
Cotchin was knocked over in a heavy bump from Carlton's Tom Bell just before halftime and appeared to struggle to move freely in the second half.
Riewoldt (two goals) landed awkwardly in a marking attempt at the eight-minute mark of the final term and looked proppy late in the game.
Carlton were just five points down at halftime and slipped ahead by three points at the final change in a spirited performance that puts the Blues on a 10-10 record, still two wins behind eighth-placed Port Adelaide.
Hardwick said Carlton's six-goal second term was the game's turning point.
"Carlton came out and they hit us incredibly hard after that quarter-time break," he said.
"It's certainly a good kick in the backside.
"We certainly thought we were in better shape than what we played today."
Hardwick said Curnow did a good job on Cotchin.
"He (Cotchin) got a fair clunk in the leg in the second quarter (but) he's ok. He just didn't have a great day," Hardwick said.
Ricky Petterd has a suspected hamstring strain, but Hardwick is confident Riewoldt will be fit for next Sunday's clash with Greater Western Sydney.
"I think so. I think he just hyper-extended it, so he (Riewoldt) is ok," Hardwick said.
Brett Deledio and Daniel Jackson were good contributors for the Tigers while onballers Mitch Robinson, Brock McLean, Bryce Gibbs, Kade Simpson and Marc Murphy helped the Blues score a 44-36 win in the stoppages count.
McLean, with three goals in the second term, helped spark Carlton's comeback while big Levi Casboult and Lachie Henderson with three goals each also played important roles.
Dustin Martin had a quiet game after knocking back a lucrative deal from the Tigers mid-week.
The Blues host arch rivals Essendon at the MCG next Saturday night and face Port at AAMI Stadium in the last round in what is potentially a shootout for eighth spot.
We'll start worrying about Essendon before we start worrying about the last game. It's going to be a big game next week against Essendon," Blues' coach Mick Malthouse said.
