Game Day Round 20 Melbourne v Ricmond, MCG, Sunday 30 July 3:20pm

[Dory_77]

Sunday arvo footy, feels like home.

After a couple of close calls against interstate sides at home, lets pray this is more comfortable. Richmond aren't setting the world on fire at the moment; they scraped past the Hawks last week, but could still be a tricky matchup. We battled against them last time and needed a late JVR cameo to pull away. Our attack is starting to look more fluid, but the defence has been shaky (not helped by some lacklustre pressure up the field).

Key things I want to see are Kozzy continuing his form from last week, and a more competitive forward line in the air with Petty down there to help JVR. Max not shitting the bed against some VFL-scrubber in the ruck would be lovely too, but I'll believe that when I see it.

 

[Scythe94]

All of a sudden, today is a massive opportunity with the sides above us faltering. Which of course, makes me nervous.

Richmond are bad though, so if we're serious, we really should be winning this.

 

[Crimson Azure]

Thi is a ‘should’ game, we normally don’t do should.

 

[Jamurp]

Heading in later, feeling pretty confident.

 

[RudyBlue]

One professional demoralisation pls

 

[Crimson Azure]

One professional demoralisation pls

We excel at that…

 

[Mijhaa]

Hoping Sparrow being out doesn’t impact the stoppages too much - feels like we are pretty thin at the coal face now.

 

[Simon_Says]

Anyone else coming today? Ill be there if you want a beer

 

[Dancing Potato]

One professional demoralisation pls

YOU CAN COUNT ON US

 

[schmuttt]

One professional demoralisation pls

‘Richmond have shocked the AFL world with a 150 point belting of premiership fancies Melbourne to continue what has been a bizarre weekend of football’

 

[Tulip]

All of a sudden, today is a massive opportunity with the sides above us faltering. Which of course, makes me nervous.

Richmond are bad though, so if we're serious, we really should be winning this.

They’re really not. I wish people would look beyond ladder positions, they’re not an accurate indicator of how good a team is this season. Richmond are a classic middling side, on track for about 12 wins. They’ll be emboldened by a big come back last week and seeing teams ahead of them falter this weekend. We’re a better side, but there will be 45k of their supporters at the ground alone willing them on to finish the rd in the 8. This is not a straight forward game.

 

[mrmonkey]

Thi is a ‘should’ game, we normally don’t do should.

It's probably closer to a 50/50 game than the others, maybe in hindsight gws rolling the dogs isn't a big upset. I would describe Richmond as plucky, we should get the job done but they have shown they can pile on goals quickly. Really would want the game done by 3 quarter time.

 

[KickLongTackleHard]

We’ll win, Max to have another big day.

 

[Scythe94]

They’re really not. I wish people would look beyond ladder positions, they’re not an accurate indicator of how good a team is this season. Richmond are a classic middling side, on track for about 12 wins. They’ll be emboldened by a big come back last week and seeing teams ahead of them falter this weekend. We’re a better side, but there will be 45k of their supporters at the ground alone willing them on to finish the rd in the 8. This is not a straight forward game.

Might have to agree to disagree on this one. IMO, they're wildly overrated and are on the verge of bottoming out badly.

They could get us on their day, sure, but they're doing nothing for the next few years.

 

[Tulip]

Might have to agree to disagree on this one. IMO, they're wildly overrated and are on the verge of bottoming out badly.

They could get us on their day, sure, but they're doing nothing for the next few years.

I don’t disagree that they’re close to bottoming out, but they’ve still got the veterans playing reasonable footy across the ground. Taranto is elite and Bolton is a match winner.

 

[Scythe94]

I don’t disagree that they’re close to bottoming out, but they’ve still got the veterans playing reasonable footy across the ground. Taranto is elite and Bolton is a match winner.

Agree on Bolton who's a star, don't overly agree on Taranto.

Taranto is kicking at 43.7% for the year – an historically low number which has him ranked 539th out of 550 eligible players in the league. One of the worst butchers I've ever seen.

 

[Dory_77]

Taranto is often a butcher but has the odd game where everything clicks, he dominates, uses it well and jags a couple himself. A bit overrated but he's capable of being a matchwinner on his day

 

[Scythe94]

Taranto is often a butcher but has the odd game where everything clicks, he dominates, uses it well and jags a couple himself. A bit overrated but he's capable of being a matchwinner on his day

Absolutely – his big games are often massive. I just can't class a player as 'elite' when the ball ends up with the opposition more often than his teammates when he kicks it (especially when it's a player who kicks more than he handballs).

 

[Scythe94]

We give Trac s**t for being a massive butcher (which he often is), yet even he is going at more than 12% better than Taranto, despite often attempting ridiculously hard kicks.

Taranto is one of the few guys I've seen that can regularly miss an open teammate from 15 metres away.

Anyway, when he goes at 90% from his 40 touches today, I'll take the blame

 

[DemonZombie_001]

Absolutely – his big games are often massive. I just can't class a player as 'elite' when the ball ends up with the opposition more often than his teammates when he kicks it (especially when it's a player who kicks more than he handballs).

I am not a fan of Hopper either.

I just don't get why they (Richmond) would pick up both and put them on long term contracts. And then you have Commentators saying they have secured their midfield stocks for years to come. Unless the sole role for both players is to be an inside mid and hand ball straight away to someone else this is a big loss. Giants have come out way ahead.

And consider how well Richmond did to get some great picks in 2022, which they traded for them (two first rounders a second rounder and this years first rounder pick).

Prestia -> daylight -> those guys.

Tigers by 50+ Taranto and Hopper join BOG most likely.

 

[schmuttt]

Taranto is a gun but I still don't reckon they needed Hopper, he is just an average AFL mid.

 

[Clink]

I'm nervous

 

[Scythe94]

I swear Koz wins the first clearance every single week he starts in the middle

 

[Scythe94]

Great start, Koz

 

[netslave]

Koz looks lively