Grockadoc
Brownlow Medallist
- Jul 25, 2008
- 25,234
- 48,148
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Other Teams
- Fighting Furies, Man Utd, Cavaliers
ROUND 1:
Carlton V Richmond
MCG
Thursday, 2 April 2015
7.20 pm AEST
Broadcast live on Fox Footy and Channel 7
2014 Season Review:
It was a season of mixed results for these two powerhouse Victorian Clubs; both of whom were trying to build on a successful 2013 campaign that saw both teams make the finals for the first time under their coaches and captains. The hopes and expectations of both supporter bases towards their teams were high, as they anticipated even further developments from their respective sides, and the expectations of greater things to come. For both sides, those expectations were evaporated after the first few weeks, with both sides suffering from injuries to key personnel. The Blues started off with a convincing loss to Port Adelaide by 33 points, whilst the Tigers tackled bogey side Gold Coast in Queensland and came up 18 points short. The following week, these two sides tackled one another for the first time since the Tigers disastrous 2013 Elimination Final, and managed to hold the fast finishing blues at bay, winning their first game of 2014 by 12 points.
Richmond's season started off slowly, winning just 2 games up until round 6, with wins against the Blues and the Lions, but a close loss to the Bulldogs, and a heavy loss to the Magpies. The Blues season, however, started off horribly, losing their first four games to the Power, the Tigers, an absolute demolition by the Bombers and a loss to the Demons. Their first win would come against the Western Bulldogs in round 5 with a 23 point victory.
The Tigers had the bye in Round 8, and headed into it with the terrible record of 2-5, whilst the blues fared slightly better with their bye in Round 9 with the record of 3-5, with another couple of wins against the Saints and the Eagles. The Tigers came out of their bye in round 9 with arguably their most disappointing loss, a tribute match dedicated to Club Legend and AFL hall of Fame member Tom Hafey, falling to the Paul Roos Demons. The backlash directed at the club after this latest loss, and their 2-6 record sparked an internal investigation from the club, and backlash from fans and the footballing public. Meanwhile, the Blues would come out of their round 9 bye, winning their second consecutive match, defeating Adelaide at the MCG to take their record to 4-5.
The fortunes of these two sides changed from that point. After the bye, the Tigers would eventually have a record of 3-10 and were percentage off the bottom of that ladder, and the Blues were not far ahead of the Tigers. However, the Tigers would then go on an undefeated streak that it had not experienced for 40 years, winning it's final 9 games of the season to finish in the 8, becoming the first team in VFL/AFL history to achieve this feat after being 3-10. The Blues however, were the opposite of the Tigers. They would win only 3 more matches for the year, losing 9 of their last 13 games, including a draw with Essendon in round 23.
Club Changes:
CARLTON:
IN:
Matthew Dick (Delisted Free Agent)
Kristian Jacksh (GWS)
Mark Whiley (GWS)
Liam Jones (Western Bulldogs)
Blaine Boekhorst (Pick 19, ND)
Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (Pick 28, ND)
Clem Smith (Pick 60, ND)
Jayden Foster (Pick 63, ND)
Jason Tutt (Pick 2, PSD)
Billy Gowers (Pick 6, RD)
Brad Walsh (Pick 24, RD)
Tom Fields (Pick 41, RD)
Fraser Russell (Pick 58, RD)*
OUT:
Jarrad Waite (North Melbourne)
Jeff Garlett (Melbourne)
Mitch Robinson (Brisbane)
Kane Lucas (West Coast)
Josh Bootsma (Delisted)
Jarryd Cachia (Delisted)
Andrew McInnes (Delisted)
Brock McLean (Delisted)
Tom Temay (Delisted)
Luke Reynolds (Delisted)
Heath Scotland (Retired)
Nick Duigan (Retired)
RICHMOND:
IN:
Taylor Hunt (Delisted Free Agent)
Corey Ellis (Pick 12, ND)
Connor Menadue (Pick 33, ND)
Nathan Drummond (Pick 52, ND)
Daniel Butler (Pick 67, ND)
Reece McKenzie (Pick 77, ND)
Jayden Short (Pick 11, RD)
Jason Castagna (Pick 29, RD)
Kane Lambert (Pick 46, RD)
Ivan Soldo (Pick 68, RD)*
Matthew Arnot delisted and rookied by the Tigers.
OUT:
Todd Banfield (Delisted)
Ben Darrou (Delisted)
Aaron Edwards (Delisted)
Brad Helbig (Delisted)
Orren Stephenson (Delisted)
Cadeyn Williams (Delisted)
Brett O'Hanlon (Delisted)
Jake King (Retired)
Daniel Jackson (Retired)
*denotes Category B rookies (Fraser Russell and Ivan Soldo
After their less than ideal 2014 seasons, both clubs made wholesale changes to their list, with the Blues 12 players, and the Tigers 9. While the Blues traded in some younger prospects who should be valuable to their side, the Tigers instead backed their list and recruiting departments in and focused on the National and Rookie Drafts..
The Blues were more active in the off season, trying to bring in established players. This landed the highly touted young utility Kristian Jacksh, and the bullish midfielder Mark Whiley from GWS as well as he much maligned, but enigmatic and strong marking key forward from the Western Bulldogs, Liam Jones as well as Matthew Dick from the Swans. When they focused on the draft, they picked up mature age Blaine Boekhorst with their first pick, at 19.With elite speed and endurance, and penetrating footskills, Boekhorst has an ability to play a multitude of roles and can impact on the scoreboard when playing through the midfield. They selected silky half back Dillon Viojo-Rainbow at Pick 28. What stands out about Viojo-Rainbow is his kicking skills. As the Blues played Bryce Gibbs across half back, the move to secure the silky, penetrating and accurate kick of Viojo-Rainbow may indicate the plans to have Gibbs become a more permanent Midfielder in the next couple of years. With their third pick, and 60 overall, they selected livewire Clem Smith, a hard at it, silky, strong bodied utility who can play as either a small forward, or as a defender. The Blues have a penchant for favouring the smaller types, and Smith is one who, despite his diminutive stature, is a physical presence where ever he plays and should he bring his fitness and kicking up to scratch, could be one to look out for in 2015. With their final pick, and 63 overall, they took the son of former Footscray player Peter as a project key position player. Foster is already a decent size. At 194 cm's and 91 kg's Foster already has enough of a frame to allow him to compete against more experienced players in the VFL, where will continue to develop as required.
The Tigers only introduced 1 player outside the drafts, securing former Geelong tagger and speedster Taylor Hunt as a Delisted free agent, as they look for a long term replacement for Daniel Jackson. The Tigers opted for more of a younger approach in their recruited and invested heavily into their draft. With their first pick, and 12 overall, they selected Corey Ellis. Ellis is a hybrid midfielder, who can play both inside and outside seamlessly, as well as swing forward or play on a half back line. This should compliment the Tigers talented on ball brigade nicely in years to come. With their second pick and 33 overall, Richmond selected livewire Connor Menadue. The slight framed junior teammate of Corey Ellis' has electrifying pace and silky skills. The Tigers had a notable absence of pace, especially with the loss of MAtt White in 2013, and recruited Menadue to rectify that. Able to play on a half back, wing or forward, Menadue has the rare combination of skill, speed, endurance and marking ability that make him potentially a dangerous player for the Tigers. With their 3rd selection and 52 overall, they picked up 19 year old Nathan Drummond who played several games for the Tigers in their VFL side in 2014. Hard at it, with great speed, athleticism and endurance, Drummond already has the fitness base and frame to play AFL football from round 1. He is unlikely to do so, but could feature heavily in the back half of 2015. With pick 67 overall, and their fourth selection in the draft the Tigers took the speedy and mercurial Daniel Butler. With speed and elite goal sense, this small/medium midfielder is a great mark for his size and can kick goals from anywhere. Add in his ability to transition into the forward line, and, the once barren small forward stocks for the Tigers is now looking very healthy. With their fifth and final selection in the nation draft, the Tigers took the son of Carlton player Warren McKenzie, Reece McKenzie at Pick 77. This powerful, explosive and strong marking key forward has all the physical traits to succeed at AFL level. His marking is absolutely elite, and he has explosive pace off the mark, allowing him to get seperation from his opponent and be hit up easier by the ball carrier. Has the potential to dominate at VFL level with his already impressive frame, and could find himself with a debut if injuries occur.
Leadup to the Game:
Both sides used the NAB Challenge series to try out different structures and implement different mechanics to the game plans, as well as exposing some off their younger, less experienced players and new draftees to the rigours and pace of AFL level football. Politics were playing into overdrive as well, as the coaches of both clubs tried playing mind games with the other, with Mick stating that he couldn't see any game Carlton could lose, and Dimma stating that this is the best and fittest he has seen the players at this time of year. Injuries to players Matthew Kruezer and Andrew Walker have hampered the Blues preparations for the upcoming season, whilst the Tigers have a few minor injuries to a couple of players, but for yher most aprt have enjoyed their healthiest pre-season list since the arrival of Damien Hardwwick as coach, something he believes will help the club continue to go forwards in 2015.
The NAB Cup provided us with a chance to look at how the sides might be shaping up towards Round 1, and from a Carlton perspective, they must be pleased with the work of new recruits Kristian Jaksch and Liam Jones who look to have a spot in the best 22 sown up, particularly Jones who is a ready made replacement for Jarrad Waite who departed as a free agent to the Kangaroos at the end of last season. Recruit Blaine Boekhorst showed enough to suggest he has a bright future ahead of him in the AFL and could find himself in line with a round 1 debut, possibly as a sub after his NAb Challenge campaign.
The Tigers used the first game of the NAB Challenge to see what their younger and more inexperienced players had to show. Taylor Hunt in particular was an outstanding performer for the Tigers right throughout the three games, and is surely a lock for the Tigers best 22 and a round 1 berth. Kane Lambert impressed enough to earn a rookie elevation and is also in line for a round 1 berth and his AFL debut after consistent performances throughout the three games, but it was Kamdyn McIntosh that was probably the biggest surprise of all. The smooth moving, solidly built 192 cm utility provided flair, pace and a willingness to win his own ball, and distribute it wisely in both of his games, even managing to kick a nice goal from 50 meters out on a 45 degree angle against the Kangaroos. Could find himself with an AFL debut.
Possible Round 1 Lineups:
FB: Simpson, Jamison, Jaksch
HB: Yarran, Rowe, Docherty
C: Thomas, Judd, Gibbs
HF: Everitt, Henderson, Boekhorst
FF: Jones, Casboult, Menzel
FOL: Warnock, Murphy, Cripps
INT: Carrazzo, Curnow, Bell, Tutt
B: Rance, Astbury, Batchelor
HB: Houli, Chaplin, Hunt
C: Ellis, Miles, Grigg
HF: Lennon, Riewoldt, Martin
F: Edwards, Griffiths, Morris
R: Maric, Cotchin, Deledio
INT: Lambert, Vlastuin, Lloyd, McIntosh/Conca/Gordon
Players to keep an eye on:
CARLTON:
Liam Jones:
The hard working, athletic, strong marking forward has often been a thorn in the Tigers defensive players sides whenever they played the Bulldogs. He is a player that has divided opinion across the footballing public, not just his team's supporters. A fresh start at the Blues where he will not be the number 1 focus looks like an inspired choice by not only the Blues, but Jones as well. Pairing the strong marking of Jones' with that of Casboult and Henderson, the Blues are now an Aerial threat inside their attacking fifty and have the firepower marking wise to make defensively weak teams accountable. Jones could be that link piece for the Blues with 30+ goals for them this season.
Patrick Cripps:
The strong bodied brute of a midfielder, taken with the clubs first pick in 2013 and managed to play 3 games for the Blues in his debut season. The bullocking midfielder is a physical presence and is very strong at winning clearances, using his 88 kg frame to knock opponents out of the contest in his hunger to get the ball. With the departure of hardman Mitch Robinson from the side, the Blues are now in need of another strong bodied player who can smash into contests to get the ball, and Cripps is the perfect replacement. Expect him to be a mainstay in the Blues midfield for most of the year.
Blaine Boekhorst:
The mature age first round recruit for the Blues showed some strong signs in the Blues NAB Challenge series and should find himself rewarded with his AFL debut. The speedy, silky West Australian is a penetrating kick of the football, and can break the lines with good pace and excellent lateral movement and can impact heavily on the scoreboard. Partnering with Dale Thomas, the Blues may have another excitement machine on their hands in the 21 year old Boekhorst.
RICHMOND:
Taylor Hunt:
The former shut down player from the Cats has had a positive start to his career at the Tigers. Showing great speed, and a willingness to attack the ball hard, and the player even harder, Hunt also has neat skills. With the retirement of Daniel Jackson, the Tigers were looking for a replacement of the hard bodied midfielder who can play a shutdown role, and also hurt the opposition the other way. They may have found the perfect repalcement in Hunt, who has shown he can kick a goal in his time at the Cats, and is renowned for his stopping and negating abilities. Falling out of favour at the Cats due to injury, a lifeline at the Tigers could be one of the missing link players the Tigers need to finally kick on.
Ben Griffiths:
Could this be the player the Tigers have missed since Richo hung up the boots? The 23 year old Griffiths has battled through obstacle after obstacle during his time at the Tigers. From injury, to lack of opportunity and finally, a stint in defence, the 200 cm, 102 kg Griffiths is strong, agile, athletic, has good hands both on the lead and contested and is a thumping kick of the football. With Tyrone Vickery seemingly falling further and further out of favour at the Tigers, who's experimentation with a three tall forward structure not having the desired effect. Griffiths seems to be the player the Tigers are banking on to really step up in 2015, and he needs to if the Tigers are to win their first final since 2001.
Kane Lambert:
The recently upgraded 23 year old has had a scintillating start to his career at the Tigers. During the NAB Challenge, Lambert showed he is more than capable playing as an inside midfielder and winning his own ball, or as an outside link up player who can hit targets and even kick goals. With the the Tgiers recent success rate at finding rookie gems, Lambert looks like another player who adds to the quality of the Tigers list, and seems a more than capable contributor to an already packed midfield.
The Key Matchups:
Jack Riewoldt V Michael Jamison:
The Tigers main focal point inside the forward 50. Riewoldt has tended to have a decent track record against the Blues, but has been largely ineffective in terms of scoreboard impact the past few outings against the Blues. Jamison is a quality defender, and is very good one on one. Jack has slimmed down a lot in the pre-season, and is moving a lot freer than he has in a very long time. Jack is virtually unstoppable when he gets a run at the football, but for years now, Jack hasn't utilised this to his potential, instead opting to go body on body, and due to his relatively small size for a Key Forward by AFL standards, doesn't win too many one on one's, and should he play that same style against Jamison, who is susceptible when playing on mobile opponents, he will have a very tough day at the office.
Kade Simpson V Brett Deledio:
These two are arguably their two sides playmakers. Simpson rebounding off of half back has long been one of the Blues preferred options of transitioning the ball from defence into attack with his pace, and effective kicking. The Tigers however, in 2014 moved the sublimely talented Deledio onto a half forward line to try and add some more firepower to their forward line and it worked. Wkth his pace, marking ability and skill, Deledio was a threat around goals, and made opposition players accountable for him, whilst also pushing up the ground to get involved through the midfield. Simpson is going to have to make Deledio accountable, as Deledio has the ability to tear a game apart with a handful of positions. Simpson needs to make Deledio pay on the rebound if he is to win the matchup, which should be an integral one for the team who wins.
Lachie Henderson V David Astbury
The strong marking Henderson has shown he is a very strong threat when placed inside forward 50. His size, strength and marking ability make him a fearsome matchup for anyone. He is exactly the type of player that has caused problems for Alex Rance, who prefers the mobile forwards, and not the monsters. that is where David Astbury comes in. The luckless 24 year old has had a torrid run of injuries, but showed some terrific signs in 2014, playing as the monster defender capable of shutting down the opposition power forwards. With scalps such as Tom Hawkins and Travis Cloke, Astbury is a more than capable defender, both aerially and on the lead.
Bryce Gibbs V Dustin Martin:
With Mick Malthouse moving Gibbs from half back, into the middle, Gibbs had a strong 2014 season. Dustin MArtin however, was the strike weapon of choice for Damien Hardwick, who had Dustin Martin isolated one out late in games, with Dustin Martin winning, or icing several games for the Tigers in their unbeaten 9 match streak. However, Martin has been pushed into the middle this year more than he has for a while. This is due to his increased endurance and consistency throughout the season. These two have the damage to really punish their opponents, so whoever can win this duel will give their team a slight edge in the closely matched midfields.
Robbie Warnock V Ivan Maric:
Arguably the most important match up to win in any game of football, the rucks provide their midfield team mates with first use of the ball, and with the midfield brigade closely matched, it will all come down to this to separate them. Both have had injury concerns over their careers, but both are more than handy ruckman. Warnock is slow and lumbering, and will most likely win the hitout count, but Maric is a ruckman who provides for his side all around the ground. If Maric can get a hold of Warnock and tire him out gradually, it may be the difference in the second half to give the Tigers that much needed relief and silver service.
Where each side can win the game:
Carlton:
Simply, the Tigers have, at times been exposed with quick transition play from half back, due to their defensive structure, and a habit of pushing numbers ahead of the contest. If the Blues runners such as Dale Thomas, Chris Yarran and Kade Simpson can expose their opponents going the other way, they can then in turn set their forwards up with enticing one on one contests, and, with the marking prowess of Levi Casboult, Lachie Henderson and Liam Jones, this has the potential to really damage the Tigers.
Another area the Tigers are prone to getting burned is in their structures for kicking in. Brett Deledio and Bachar Houli particularly like to play on to htemselves, run about 10 meters and kick long, 50 meters to a half forward flank/wing, and hope for a mark, or the ball to spill over the boundary line. By denying them space to play on, it reduces the momentum they can get into their kicks, drawing the contests closer towards Carlton's goal, and puts the Tigers defenders under pressure with potential repeat inside 50's, something they have struggled against in the past.
Richmond:
One of the Tigers biggest strengths is repeat inside 50's. The Blues backline has proven susceptible to these, particularly long ones towards the goalsquare. If the Tigers can set up their defensive structures for opposition kick in's properly, players such as Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio and Ben Griffths have the skills to really punish Carlton with long kicking at goal.
The Tigers biggest strength however, is their midfielders adaptability. Most of them are handy in the forward line and can really do some damage. With Dustin Martin playing more midfield in 2015, the Tigers have a strong preference of playing midfielders as forwards. This creates an awkward matchup, especially for players such as Deledio or Martin, who are quick and powerful, and require a player strong enough to beat them one on one, but quick enough to go with them on the lead.
The Tigers also get hold of the Blues through their attacking half backs, such as Houli, Vlastuin, McIntosh, Hunt and Deledio. The Blues forwards have been, at times criticised for being lazy and not pressuring their opponents enough. With the attacking capabilities of the Tigers defenders, the Blues forwards such as Boekhorst, Yarran and Menzel really need to work on not allowing them to have the attacking rebound they usually have, as well as manning up, as the Tigers love to switch the play up from half back, opening up the game allowing them to run and carry into the open space ahead. If the Tigers are allowed the time and space, the Blues will be under tremendous pressure, and possibly even find themselves on the end of a hiding.
Final Thoughts:
Again, this promises to be a fantastic contest against these two proud and historic clubs. The two lists are still going through a development phase, with the Tigers being a bit further along with theirs, compared to the Blues who have just started. As a result of all this, and the Tigers having a better spread of talent across the park, I feel the Tigers should start off 2015 with a win against Blues. Our structure and skills look sound, and our fitness levels look pretty good for this time of year as well as having a virtually fresh, uninjured list should be enough to see us win our first match of the season. We owe the Blues a couple of floggings, but I'm expecting to win in the area of 5 goals. Nothing too outrageous but enough for a comfortable victory against an opposition that is slowly rebuilding it's list and missing a couple of structurally important players.
Tip:
Richmond by 34 points.
How good is it to have the football back!
**** YEAH!
© This preview is copyrighted to Grockadoc, of the Richmond Tigers Bigfooty Board.
Last edited:
