- May 25, 2013
- 4,714
- 15,278
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Other Teams
- Boston Celtics
Round 22 2015:
Essendon vs Richmond
MCG
Saturday 29th August, 7:20PM AEST
Broadcasted live on Channel 7, Fox Sports
Past Five Encounters:
Round 9 2015, Richmond 10.12.72 d Essendon 8.11.59 at the MCG
Round 20 2014, Richmond14.11.95 d Essendon 11.11.77 at the MCG
Round 11 2014, Essendon15.14.104 d Richmond 7.12.54 at the MCG
Round 23 2013, Richmond 15.14.104 d Essendon 9.11.65 at the MCG
Round 9 2013, Essendon13.13.91 d Richmond 9.8.62 at the MCG
Last Time They Met - Dreamtime at the 'G 2015:
The time had come for the annual Dreamtime at the 'G match, with both teams delicately poised at 4 wins and 4 losses and looking to secure a win to keep their finals hopes alive in 2015. The Tigers had come off 2 impressive victories on the trot againt Collingwood at home and Port on the road; while the Bombers had lost 3 of their past 5 and were slipping down the ladder.
As per usual, a massive crowd of almost 84,000 piled in to watch these two famous clubs go to battle, with the added bonus of Dustin Fletcher's remarkable 400th game at the ripe age of 40.
The first quarter of the match saw the Tigers jump out of the blocks, with star captain Trent Cotchin giving the Tigers 2 of their 3 goals to lead at quarter time by 10 points. As the second quarter began, Richmond would go on to kick the next 2, but junk-time goals to Jake Melksham and a goal on the siren from Joe Daniher would keep the Bombers within 11 points and within striking distance going into the main break.
The 2nd half commenced and it would be Essendon who controlled the majority of the term, pegging the Tigers back to just one point midway through and looking likely to overrun Richmond; yet a goal with just minutes left from young gun Kamdyn McIntosh gave the Tigers just what they needed going into the final change.
A fairly dull and lifeless contest was brought to life during the third quarter; Essendon supporters could sense the occasion and wanted to see a win for cult hero Dustin Fletcher on his milestone game. The match was wonderfully set up for a grandstand finish but fortunately for the Tigers faithful they stepped up when needed. Goals from Shaun Grigg, Steven Morris, and promising first-round draft pick Corey Ellis saw the Tigers break away from the Bombers tight grip they held for 3 quarters, and record a hard fought but well earnt 13 point victory in front of 83,804.
A fitting end to the match took place as Dustin Fletcher was chaired off the ground by his teammates, as Bombers and Tigers players alike applauded him off the field.
Richmond 3.2 5.6 7.10 10.12 (72)
Essendon 1.4 3.7 6.8 8.11 (59)
GOALS
Richmond: Cotchin 2, Grigg 2, C.Ellis, Griffiths, Martin, McIntosh, Morris, Riewoldt
Essendon: Colyer 2, Daniher 2, Carlisle, Chapman, Merrett, Watson
BEST
Richmond: B.Ellis, Martin, Cotchin, Edwards, Deledio, Grigg
Essendon: Goddard, Heppell, Hibberd, Carlisle, Colyer, Z. Merrett
The Ladder After Round 21:
Richmond's Season So Far:
5th Place - 13 Wins - 7 Losses - 120.22%
The Tigers have resurrected their season since round 6 against North Melbourne. Being at that game, I couldn't believe some of the skill errors and overall stupidity our team was producing. There was no thought in the way we were playing, it was go go go instead of thinking things through. Our season looked shot already, our coach was about to be microwaved and most of us on here were sick of "Typical Richmond" and their fall from grace after successive finals campaigns.
Coming into round 7 against an in-form Collingwood side we always struggled against was nothing short of daunting. The game started horribly for us but to the team's credit, we fought back and found a way to win with such a young and inexperienced side. That win, I believe, was the absolute turning point for us in 2015. We went on to crush Port Adelaide, grind Essendon and destroy an undefeated Fremantle side in that 4 week block. We went from 2-4 to 6-4, we were back in the hunt, and a completely different team. It certainly caught me and many others by surprise.
After the West Coast game, we have seen a fairly inconsistent Tigers outfit, with an unlucky loss to Fremantle and a poor performance against the Crows. Apart from those 2 games we have been very good since that time; including demolitions against Gold Coast and Collingwood. The team has definitely matured since 2014, we seem to have more confidence in our ability, which I think is largely due to the 9 game winning streak we went on last year. This team has the capability to go deep into September, but with two games left in the Home & Away season we must cement our place in the top 6 to have that opportunity come finals.
A top 4 finish is still on the cards if results go our way, but our main focus has to be to just keep winning, and if we get the double chance then it will be because we deserve to be there. The competition is so close this year that one win or loss can shuffle multiple positions on the ladder. Every week teams are going in and out of the top 4 and top 8, so winning our final 2 games is an absolute must; although I must admit it is a great feeling to be playing finals for the third year in a row.
Pictured: It's all smiles at Tigerland in 2015.
Essendon's Season So Far:
15th Place - 5 Wins - 15 Losses - 73.07%
What can I say, Essendon's season has been nothing short of disastrous. We all know what has been happening with the whole drug saga, and yes it is taking its toll; but for a team that played finals just last year the performances they have dished up have been diabolical, and down right embarrassing.
Their year actually started on a relatively positive note, with a close shave loss to the Swans and an outstanding win against Hawthorn. They were 3-2 heading into round 6, but from then on literally everything fell apart. Since round 10 they have suffered big defeats of 50, 69, 87, 110 and 112 points respectively.
The loss to Adelaide was the final straw for Essendon; something had to give. After almost 3 years of pain the Bombers golden child James Hird was finally gone from Essendon. Their most recent performance against Gold Coast was decent, with them going down by just 2 points. Nothing seems to have gone right for them this season, and they can't wait for it to end. We really need to kick them while they're down as they are extremely vulnerable, our boys will be hungry for another big win.
Pictured: It's all smiles at Bomberland in 2015.
Potential Lineup For The Match:
B: Batchelor, Rance, Newman
HB: Houli, Chaplin, Vlastuin
C: Ellis, Grigg, McIntosh
HF: Martin, Vickery, Edwards
F: Deledio, Riewoldt, Lloyd
Foll: Hampson, Cotchin, Miles
Interchange: Lambert, Hunt, Lennon, Conca (Sub)
In: Conca, Hampson
Out: Morris, Maric
Other Possible Inclusions: Grimes? Knights, McBean
Every single player played their role and played it well against Collingwood; so I find it really hard to have to take out Morris who played an excellent game, but I just feel he is not in our best 22 come finals. Maric comes out for a rest before finals after a nasty blow to the nose and simply to freshen up, we need him firing if we are to continue winning in September. The side seems to be settling in comfortably together and we're finding our groove at the right time of year. Grimes and Conca are definitely within our best 22, so these two need to be in the team come finals time.
Taylor Hunt's disposal and decision making at times is still very questionable, but he has had a very solid first year at Richmond so he deserves to keep his spot at the moment. If you win by 80+ points twice in two weeks you're doing something right, and we should be rewarding our current side with games after great performances. Our bottom 6-8 players have improved out of sight in 2015; Grigg, Hunt, Lennon, Newman, Lambert, Lloyd etc. are all having massive contributions to our 2015 turnaround; it really is exciting times for Richmond and there is big competition for spots at Punt Road.
Where Richmond Can Win This Game:
+
=
It's no coincidence that since Anthony Miles has arrived at Tigerland we have seen a significant turnaround in form; winning 66% of our matches since he debuted for us. Miles is the definition of a contested king, winning on average almost 6 clearances per game for us, with 111 for the year so far. When he plays, we generally win. Miles is a huge barometer for Richmond, he is constantly in and under packs and dishing it out to our better ball users in the midfield. Miles is one of the biggest draft steels in recent memory, and will be a vital player for Richmond in years to come.
Having Miles playing in the middle allows us to free up superstars Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin into the forward line, which of course makes us such a dangerous team inside 50. With Miles and Cotchin winning the clearances for us, we can let Deledio and Martin do their work inside our forward 50. I believe this is the thing we can exploit against Essendon, their midfield is depleted severely so if we can take advantage of that factor we can put a huge score on the board by giving our forwards plenty of supply. It seems during 2015 80+ points against the Bombers is more than enough, I believe we have enough firepower up forward to kick well over 100 points for the third week in a row.
Final Thoughts:
2015 has been a horror season for Essendon, one players and supporters alike would love to end. Richmond as of right now are a significantly better team with much, much better chemistry. I expect another big win on the cards, but of course being a Tigers fan I'll just take the win to guarantee us a third consecutive finals birth. Can the Tigers win big 3 weeks in a row? Considering the current state of the two teams, I will say yes. Something big is building at Punt Road, the Tigers are on the march towards September.
My Expert Tip:
Richmond by 76 points.
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