It's my annual preview time, we've tolerated some horrid JLT Series games but now we get to the real stuff!
I recall last year's pre game talk and the Tigers were aiming to be a top four side while Carlton fans had just come off a wooden spoon year (and 3 NAB Challenge losses) with little expectation of a win.
Round 1 2016 pretty much confirmed though Richmond were in for a year of pain and Carlton actually had some tricks up their sleeve. Going into 2017 Richmond will be looking for improvement and probably the slightest chance of finals while Carlton is again focusing on improvement over wins and losses. My prediction is a sloppy affair culminating in a brave effort from the Blues while the Tigers (who are a little jittery about this match) will be happy enough with a win.
LAST TIME WE MET (R1 2016) TIGERS DEF BLUES 92-83
LINE UPS:
FB Plowman, Rowe, White
HB Docherty, Marchbank, Simpson
C Murphy, Gibbs, Petrevski Seton
HF Lamb, Weitering, Silvagni
FF Armfield, Casboult, Pickett
R Kreuzer, Cripps, ECurnow
IC Smedts, Thomas, Curnow, Wright
EMG Macreadie, Palmer, Kerridge
OUT: Jamison, Tuohy, Buckley, Graham, Boekhorst, Walker, Everitt, Phillips
IN: Marchbank, Smedts, Petrevski Seton, Pickett, Curnow, Silvagni, Armfield, Plowman
FB Grimes, Rance, McIntosh
HB Ellis, Astbury, Houli
C Caddy, Cotchin, Grigg
HF Edwards, Griffiths, Butler
FF Rioli, Riewoldt, Lloyd
R Nankervis, Martin, Prestia
IC Conca, Castagna, Hunt, Vlastuin
EMG Maric, Lambert, Miles
MATCH UPS AND GAME STYLE
Alex Rance - won the game for the Tigers last year, he's a one man show back there and I worry our inexperienced forwards will allow him to not only get to every contest and spoil but to rebound just as good. He's seriously their best weapon and destroyed us last year.
Sam Lloyd - *shudders* I remember, at least Lambert is gone. Nonetheless the Richmond smaller brigade will present a challenge to our newish look defense. I have Smedts on the bench and expect he'll rotate back and mid as Weitering goes back and forward.
Cripps, Murphy, Gibbs vs. Martin, Prestia, Cotchin: Going to be a tough battle - neither midfield works very well when they don't have it first so lucky for us we have Patty Cripps. Murphy and Gibbs usually take it up a notch come season proper so I'm expecting bigger things from them. As much as Prestia is the prized recruit I worry the most about Martin, do your thing Ed Curnow (though it would be nice to totally shut Cotchin or Prestia out for the lolz).
Casboult & Kerridge - Seems they're a necessary evil, heck Daisy might get a run too...all I ask is for them to somewhat resemble footballers and not be a massive headcase. Casboult has lost games for us against Richmond, I hope his dopey brain remembers it while he's trying to compute *WALK STRAIGHT* *DROP BALL STRAIGHT*
Ideally I'd have had Petrevski-Seton, Sheehan, Sumner and Macreadie in but I think they'll play a bit later in the early weeks. Sheehan instead of Smedts would give me a bit more comfort in the medium back defensive stuff while I'm yearning for the day I the kids push out some players who I can't bear to watch in the Navy Blue anymore.
Both teams play a similar Hawthorn branch of football though the Tigers are a bit more direct than us with more senior players. They're probably less well drilled than us and I think Bolton is far and away a better coach. For that reason I see it going close - Tigers by 4 points (Levi kick after the siren)
I recall last year's pre game talk and the Tigers were aiming to be a top four side while Carlton fans had just come off a wooden spoon year (and 3 NAB Challenge losses) with little expectation of a win.
Round 1 2016 pretty much confirmed though Richmond were in for a year of pain and Carlton actually had some tricks up their sleeve. Going into 2017 Richmond will be looking for improvement and probably the slightest chance of finals while Carlton is again focusing on improvement over wins and losses. My prediction is a sloppy affair culminating in a brave effort from the Blues while the Tigers (who are a little jittery about this match) will be happy enough with a win.
LAST TIME WE MET (R1 2016) TIGERS DEF BLUES 92-83
LINE UPS:
FB Plowman, Rowe, White
HB Docherty, Marchbank, Simpson
C Murphy, Gibbs, Petrevski Seton
HF Lamb, Weitering, Silvagni
FF Armfield, Casboult, Pickett
R Kreuzer, Cripps, ECurnow
IC Smedts, Thomas, Curnow, Wright
EMG Macreadie, Palmer, Kerridge
OUT: Jamison, Tuohy, Buckley, Graham, Boekhorst, Walker, Everitt, Phillips
IN: Marchbank, Smedts, Petrevski Seton, Pickett, Curnow, Silvagni, Armfield, Plowman
FB Grimes, Rance, McIntosh
HB Ellis, Astbury, Houli
C Caddy, Cotchin, Grigg
HF Edwards, Griffiths, Butler
FF Rioli, Riewoldt, Lloyd
R Nankervis, Martin, Prestia
IC Conca, Castagna, Hunt, Vlastuin
EMG Maric, Lambert, Miles
MATCH UPS AND GAME STYLE
Alex Rance - won the game for the Tigers last year, he's a one man show back there and I worry our inexperienced forwards will allow him to not only get to every contest and spoil but to rebound just as good. He's seriously their best weapon and destroyed us last year.
Sam Lloyd - *shudders* I remember, at least Lambert is gone. Nonetheless the Richmond smaller brigade will present a challenge to our newish look defense. I have Smedts on the bench and expect he'll rotate back and mid as Weitering goes back and forward.
Cripps, Murphy, Gibbs vs. Martin, Prestia, Cotchin: Going to be a tough battle - neither midfield works very well when they don't have it first so lucky for us we have Patty Cripps. Murphy and Gibbs usually take it up a notch come season proper so I'm expecting bigger things from them. As much as Prestia is the prized recruit I worry the most about Martin, do your thing Ed Curnow (though it would be nice to totally shut Cotchin or Prestia out for the lolz).
Casboult & Kerridge - Seems they're a necessary evil, heck Daisy might get a run too...all I ask is for them to somewhat resemble footballers and not be a massive headcase. Casboult has lost games for us against Richmond, I hope his dopey brain remembers it while he's trying to compute *WALK STRAIGHT* *DROP BALL STRAIGHT*
Ideally I'd have had Petrevski-Seton, Sheehan, Sumner and Macreadie in but I think they'll play a bit later in the early weeks. Sheehan instead of Smedts would give me a bit more comfort in the medium back defensive stuff while I'm yearning for the day I the kids push out some players who I can't bear to watch in the Navy Blue anymore.
Both teams play a similar Hawthorn branch of football though the Tigers are a bit more direct than us with more senior players. They're probably less well drilled than us and I think Bolton is far and away a better coach. For that reason I see it going close - Tigers by 4 points (Levi kick after the siren)
Last edited:
"Goddess" 
