prodigy
Sonsie Fan Boy
- Jun 20, 2013
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So, here we are, where no one thought we would be, no matter how optimistic the supporter or Tiger Tragic, nobody expected the Richmond Football Club to be in a Preliminary Final and be favourites to make its first Grand Final since 1982. Yes, that's right everyone, we are favourites to make the Grand Final. Just let that sink in...
I thought to myself, what do I want this preview to be? Do I want to be as impartial as possible, as many of the other great preview threads that preceded this one have been, or do I want to rile up the army and really bring to the forefront, the feeling of excitement and anticipation for the most important game in our recent history? The decision was easy in the end... Measured and impartial it is!
We will walk onto the hallowed turf of the Melbourne Cricket Ground against the "super team" created by the AFL, flooded with number one picks and insurmountable talent. Normally this would be an imposing test against this group of individuals, but this is the exact aspect of this game that will work in our favour. That is exactly what Greater Western Sydney are, a group of highly skilled individuals.
The Richmond Football Club is a team. A team built on a high-pressure game style that requires full buy-in from every member of the playing group.
We may not be the most gifted playing group, but what this group does have is heart, togetherness and momentum. In finals, this is just as, if not, more important than great skills.
Richmond has an ace up their sleeve though, and its nothing to do with the team, or tactics, it's us, the Tiger Army. If we roll up in strong numbers again, like we did against Geelong and get 90,000+ at the MCG it will go a long way to getting our boys the win.
A lot of us witnessed first hand the sheer aggression and volume of the roar during the Qualifying Final and although Geelong fans didn't show up in great numbers, undoubtedly the GWS fans will show up with less. There's every chance there will be more people in the MCC line again then there will be Giants fans. This translates to a cauldron-like atmosphere that will be extremely intimidating for any club, let alone an expansion club with a fan base still in its infancy.
HISTORY... What history?
To be honest, it's not even worth mentioning in the most part. However, I do think the recent history is relevant.
Earlier on in the season, during our run of close losses, we suffered arguably the most heart-wrenching of losses against the Giants. Fresh off after losing to Fremantle to another David Mundy kick after the siren, we were dealt another cruel blow with Bolton's goal being disallowed due to a contentious touched decision being made by the video umpire. To the Giants credit, they were able to finish us off when we couldn't finish our work early in the last quarter.
The reverse fixture at the MCG also saw the results reversed as well. Intermittent weather for the majority of the game could be an argument for the Giants, but the prevailing view was that we were much harder at the contest and dealt with the conditions a lot better than what the Giants did.
This time around, the early forecast is looking like a perfect day for footy, low 20's and clear skies.
KEY PLAYERS
Dustin Martin - Undoubtedly a lot of time will be put into Dusty and how to limit his influence on the game. He has proven to be untaggable and the contract talk all season has not affected his form in the slightest. It will be interesting to see who Leon Cameron sends to him, could they go with a negating player in the shape of Matt DeBoer or go the more aggressive head to head way of thinking with Stephen Coniglio? One to keep an eye out for.
Trent Cotchin - Played his most influential game as captain of this great club against Geelong. He played with aggression, grit and determination. He was a bit of a barometer, he set the standard with some early bone-crunching tackles and his teammates quickly followed suit. I don't see Leon Cameron sending someone to tag him, in general, there won't be much tagging going on in this game. I see this being very much being a captain v. captain battle and Ward can be very damaging and inspirational on his day. Will be an enthralling contest, that's for sure.
Josh Kelly - This bloke goes alright, which I'm sure many of you are aware. Will be one of the most damaging players the AFL will see in coming years. We need to pay him the respect he deserves, which makes me think we should play Prestia on him at the start to see if Prestia can hurt him offensively. Prestia has a good mix of inside and outside play, much like Kelly, but as Dion continues to build into this lineup, the more effective he becomes.
Toby Greene - Gun. An absolute freak, he may be a massive campaigner, but his quality cannot be denied. He has the elusiveness and the speed of a small forward, the endurance of a midfielder and the goal scoring power of a key forward. One of the most complete players in the game.
The obvious choice to go to Greene would be Dylan Grimes, who is clearly one of the most underrated defenders in the game at present. Has the speed to go with him, has the agility and athleticism to combat him at ground level and also in the air. Will be a big game for Dylan, but he is a proven performer and I am confident he can nullify Greene's output.
Honourable mentions need to go to Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, our small forwards, Steve Johnson, Phil Davis plus many others. Naturally, when you get to a Preliminary Final, there is quality on every line and intriguing potential matchups all over the ground. I wish I could mention them all.
ONES TO WATCH
Josh Caddy - Has really been hitting his straps as of late, even before his hamstring injury he was showing the Tiger faithful how important he was to our makeup, and his efforts against Geelong did not go unnoticed, one of his best games for the club. Has been wayward in front of goals, but if he cleans up that area of his game, he could turn out to be a real game breaker.
Brett Deledio - This fine specimen of manliness is coming back to his former home. Will be playing his 250th game against the club where he played 240 odd of those games. Knowing Deledio and what he is like, he will either thrive in this environment or go missing. Has been battling calf issues and achilles issues for the best part of two years but is starting to find some form as of late and as everyone here knows quite well, he has the ability to turn a game on its head from anywhere on the ground.
Personally, I won't be booing him, because of how much he gave to this club. Since he has come to GWS he hasn't really acted like a former Richmond player though and I wouldn't be surprised if I was one of the very few not booing him.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Cases can be made for either side in this one. When GWS play their best footy, they are comfortably the best in the league, no one can really disagree with that. They do have some key outs though in Jeremy Cameron and Shane Mumford, but they almost look better when they play with a smaller forward line.
Richmond has surprised everyone this year and they have been playing some great high-pressure footy, which, if played to the required level, will make it very hard for GWS to get any free-flowing football which they seem to rely on. The equation is simple really, bring the pressure and it makes it very hard to see anything other than a Tiger victory and a subsequent Grand Final berth.
PREDICTION
Richmond to win by 30 and to make the Grand Final and face the Adelaide Crows.
