ROUND 10 - RICHMOND vs WEST COAST - SUBIACO OVAL (AWAY) 28.05.04 SUMMARY: Another week and another interstate trip to meet another opponent who is coming off a thrashing. Unfortunately for the Tigers this week they too come into this game after having had their pants pulled down around their ankles by Port Adelaide at AMII stadium last Saturday Night. There's not much you can say about our form other than we are consistently inconsistent. When we are up and about we are more than competitive. However, as has been the case for a number of years now, when we are off we are shockingly insipid. The fact that our loses average around the 8+ goal mark and our percentage is a pitiful 75% is deeply concerning. On top of our on-field woes, the Tigers have again been in the papers for all the wrong reasons. After Caroline Wilson's article in The Age about Richmond's sick finanical plight (the potential loss for the year could be up to $2,000,000, allegedly as a result of dramatic falls in corporate and merchadise revenue), our CEO Ian Campbell resigned. The only good news was that injured reigning Jack Dyer medalist Mark Coughlan has re-signed for the next 3 years. How all this affects the team this weekend will be interesting for a side whose mental toughness is often questioned. Richmond has oddly only made one change to the side that got absolutely flogged by 78 points last weekend with Kayne Pettifer given another chance at senior level at the expense of young Tom Roach. As I mentioned on the forum let's hope he is given time on the ball (across HB) instead of being starved in a forward pocket and subsquently dropped the following week as has happened in the past. Otherwise what's the point of bringing Kayne in. PAST ENCOUNTERS: Overall: 11-14 In the 00's: 4-1 At this venue: 1-8 Last Time: Round 9, 24.5.03. Away at Subiaco Oval. Richmond 5.1 6.5 10.5 11.6-72 West Coast 4.4 9.8 15.13 18.16-124 Attendance: 40,313 KEY MATCH-UPS: DEFENCE: Speaking of match-ups is pretty pointless if most of side doesn't give a stuff as happened last week so this summary is based on us actually having a fair dinkum dip at the footy and working as a team. The Eagles have struggled in their key backline and forward positions this year so have relied on their speedy and skillful small forwards for their scoring opportunities. The likes of Philip Matera, Sampi and Co. have shown in the past that they can break games open if given the supply and freedom to do so. Richmond's ability to shut down these types of quick agile players has been questionable in the past so although Hall and AK (please not Gas in his current form) should provide a good match-up for McDougall and Gas's brother, the tough askes will be placed on the shoulders of Newman, Chaffey and Fiora to curb the Eagles small forwards. MIDFIELD: The big worry for the Tigers especially on the wide expanses of Subiaco Oval. Cousins, Kerr, Fletcher and Judd are one of the best midfield combos in the AFL and as we found out last year they can tear a side to pieces on the back of decent supply from the ruck. This time around we at least will have one real ruckman and possibly two if Otto does play and the Eagles will be missing their influential ruckman Michael Gardiner. West Coast's form has definitely fallen away since he has been injured this year and they have had to rely on the workman-like performances of Cox with limited success. Richmond's midfield was absolutely smashed last week as our workrate and intensity at the ball was non-existent. Another 10+ goal hiding will be on the cards if we repeat that "effort". However if Brown, Johnson, Cambo, Krakouer, Tivendale and Bowden can win enough of the footy then we are a good show in this match. FORWARDS: It was pretty easy to see where we fell down last week. Port decided to play a extra defender in front of Richo and our blinked "Richo-conscious" players still decided to kick the footy in his direction. As good as Richo has been this year even he cannot beat three defenders at once. The question us Tiger supporters always ask is where are our other forwards when this situation occurs? Man for man we should have too much firepower for the Eagles up forward if we can get the ball forward with some system and urgency. Unfortunately you've got more chance of predicting this Saturday's Tattslotto numbers than predicting which Richmond side turns up this week. THIS WEEK'S TEAMS: RICHMOND B: Fleming D.Gaspar Newman HB: Chaffey Hall A.Kellaway C: Fiora Campbell Tivendale HF: Pettifer Schulz Krakouer F: Brown Richardson Hilton R: Ottens Johnson Bowden I/C: Hartigan, Hyde, Stafford, S.Fletcher IN: Pettifer OUT: Roach WEST COAST B: Wirrpunda Glass Nicoski HB: Embley Lynch Jones C: Braun Cousins Chambers HF: Chick T.Gaspar Judd F: Matera McDougall Sampi R: Cox Kerr C.Fletcher I/C: Staker, Waters, Butler, Seaby < BACK TO 2004 FIXTURE >