_RT_
Hall of Famer
- Sep 17, 2006
- 44,973
- 84,052
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Other Teams
- Furies Premiers 2010
This week we head into the annual ANZAC Eve game against a Melbourne side who will be looking to rebound from a shock loss to Essendon in Gather Round last weekend.
As far as our side in concerned we're not really going to get much help outside Short possibly returning, while the Demons are likley to be bolstered by the returns of Gawn Brown Lever and Hibberd if they all get through training this week
Possible Line Ups
Richmond
In Short Out M.Rioli Clarke
Melbourne
In Gawn Brown Hibberd Lever
Out Spargo Jordan Van Rooyen McVee McDonald
B: Baker Balta Grimes
F: Neal-Bulen Brown Fritsch
HB: D.Rioli Young Vlastuin
HF: Sparrow Gawn Petracca
C: McIntosh Prestia Pickett
C: Langdon Oliver Hunter
HF: Bolton Sonsie Cumberland
HB: Rivers Lever Brayshaw
F: Ryan Martin Riewoldt
B: Petty May Hibberd
R: Miller Taranto Hopper
R: Grundy Viney Pickett
INT: Short Cotchin Ralphsmith Mansell
INT: Chandler Tomlinson Bowey Melksham
As you can see by the possible line ups above we're in for a tough battle Monday night to come away with the 4 points.
Our forward line is going to need Jack Martin & Cumberland to have big games if we're going to be able to score enough points to put the pressure on the Demons. With May Lever and Petty they have 3 quality tall defenders with Lever and May particularly strong in terms of intercept marking. With Jack our only proven KPF option the Dees could entrust Petty to man him up and scheme either or both Lever & May to become free to intercept by working off of Miller & Ryan when they are forward. I'd expect the Dees to look at using Hibberd to be aware of Martin as he drifts back into F50 if he pushes up to become an extra midfielder after the bounce, however if I'm Hardwick I'm asking Martin to stay inside F50 as much as possible and look at scoring through him to try and counter the Demons looking at setting up the loose defender to intercept, which would then allow Bolton Sonsie and Cumberland to push further up the ground.
Down back our back 6 who were made to look ordinary by an undermanned Swans forward line are going to have their hands full with the Demons forwards who get back Gawn & Brown who will provide yet another challenge for Balta and Young to quell, add to this a mobile threat in Fritsch who could have a Papley type of game if Grimes/Vlastuin are still struggling to hit their best form. On the flipside Rioli & Baker should continue on with their impressive start to the season by providing plenty of rebound run & carry.
Now to the biggest battle that will impact the game. The 2 midfields are, on paper, stacked with stars with us having Taranto Hopper Prestia Cotchin Bolton Pickett & McIntosh against Oliver Petracca Viney Hunter Langdon & Kozzie. As has been discussed on this board our midfield mix is off and outside Taranto & Hopper most of our mids have struggled to consistently impact games. Meanwhile the Dees are humming along in the middle and with Gawn and Grundy tandem back in the ruck against Miller & Ryan our midfielders are going to have to be up for the fight to at least try and break even with the Demons mids or it could get very ugly very quickly.
As much as I'd like to say Richmond can win, I don't believe we will, as I believe Melbourne will be too strong across the midfield and down back that they'll limit us to about 8-10 goals for the game, while scoring 12-15 themselves. If we had Lynch and Nankervis I'd have the game much closer and probably even give us a sneaky chance. that is how important both of them are to our structure and scheme.
For mine what I really want to see is that we put in a stronger 4 quarter performance than we did against Sydney. I also want to see the continued development from the likes of Young Cumberland Sonsie Ralphsmith Ryan Mansell & Miller. None of them need to dominate the game, but give us signs that they can be options for us moving forward.
As far as our side in concerned we're not really going to get much help outside Short possibly returning, while the Demons are likley to be bolstered by the returns of Gawn Brown Lever and Hibberd if they all get through training this week
Possible Line Ups
Richmond
In Short Out M.Rioli Clarke
Melbourne
In Gawn Brown Hibberd Lever
Out Spargo Jordan Van Rooyen McVee McDonald
B: Baker Balta Grimes
F: Neal-Bulen Brown Fritsch
HB: D.Rioli Young Vlastuin
HF: Sparrow Gawn Petracca
C: McIntosh Prestia Pickett
C: Langdon Oliver Hunter
HF: Bolton Sonsie Cumberland
HB: Rivers Lever Brayshaw
F: Ryan Martin Riewoldt
B: Petty May Hibberd
R: Miller Taranto Hopper
R: Grundy Viney Pickett
INT: Short Cotchin Ralphsmith Mansell
INT: Chandler Tomlinson Bowey Melksham
As you can see by the possible line ups above we're in for a tough battle Monday night to come away with the 4 points.
Our forward line is going to need Jack Martin & Cumberland to have big games if we're going to be able to score enough points to put the pressure on the Demons. With May Lever and Petty they have 3 quality tall defenders with Lever and May particularly strong in terms of intercept marking. With Jack our only proven KPF option the Dees could entrust Petty to man him up and scheme either or both Lever & May to become free to intercept by working off of Miller & Ryan when they are forward. I'd expect the Dees to look at using Hibberd to be aware of Martin as he drifts back into F50 if he pushes up to become an extra midfielder after the bounce, however if I'm Hardwick I'm asking Martin to stay inside F50 as much as possible and look at scoring through him to try and counter the Demons looking at setting up the loose defender to intercept, which would then allow Bolton Sonsie and Cumberland to push further up the ground.
Down back our back 6 who were made to look ordinary by an undermanned Swans forward line are going to have their hands full with the Demons forwards who get back Gawn & Brown who will provide yet another challenge for Balta and Young to quell, add to this a mobile threat in Fritsch who could have a Papley type of game if Grimes/Vlastuin are still struggling to hit their best form. On the flipside Rioli & Baker should continue on with their impressive start to the season by providing plenty of rebound run & carry.
Now to the biggest battle that will impact the game. The 2 midfields are, on paper, stacked with stars with us having Taranto Hopper Prestia Cotchin Bolton Pickett & McIntosh against Oliver Petracca Viney Hunter Langdon & Kozzie. As has been discussed on this board our midfield mix is off and outside Taranto & Hopper most of our mids have struggled to consistently impact games. Meanwhile the Dees are humming along in the middle and with Gawn and Grundy tandem back in the ruck against Miller & Ryan our midfielders are going to have to be up for the fight to at least try and break even with the Demons mids or it could get very ugly very quickly.
As much as I'd like to say Richmond can win, I don't believe we will, as I believe Melbourne will be too strong across the midfield and down back that they'll limit us to about 8-10 goals for the game, while scoring 12-15 themselves. If we had Lynch and Nankervis I'd have the game much closer and probably even give us a sneaky chance. that is how important both of them are to our structure and scheme.
For mine what I really want to see is that we put in a stronger 4 quarter performance than we did against Sydney. I also want to see the continued development from the likes of Young Cumberland Sonsie Ralphsmith Ryan Mansell & Miller. None of them need to dominate the game, but give us signs that they can be options for us moving forward.
