ROUND 11 - RICHMOND vs KANGAROOS - TELSTRA DOME (AWAY) 04.06.04 SUMMARY: After two miserable and ultimately unsuccessful weeks interstate, the Tigers return to Melbourne to face the Kangaroos at the Telstra Dome this Saturday night for our third straight away game (thank you AFL!). Fortunately for Richmond, North don't have any announced retirements unlike recent pat meetings. The past couple of games have once again demonstrated the skill, decision making and lack of attack at the ball weaknesses in the current Richmond side and until these deficiencies are rectified the Tigers will lose more than they win. The Kangaroos after a promising start earlier on in the season have crashed out of form themselves winning only one of their past six matches. The fall-off seems to have occurred due a drop-off in consistency from their normally reliable senior premiership players such as Brent Harvey and Anthony Stevens who have carried North while their side rebuilds after their glory days in the 90s. Their middle tier players have also gone missing on far too many occasions. Both teams have had their hardness questioned in the press so for what the game may lack from it being a clash between two bottom eight sides it should (never no with the Tigers) be at least a bruising affair especially early on. Richmond have made three changes for this clash. Fiora after being a late withdrawal last week returns along with Rodan and promoted Rookie Kelvin Moore for his first senior game of footy. At their expense goes A.Kellaway with a broken collarbone with Fletcher and Marsh omitted. For the Roos, Archer is under a cloud after suffering a mysterious arm infection during the week. PAST ENCOUNTERS: Overall: 79-60-1 In the 00's: 2-4 At this venue: 1-2 At Night: 4-12 Last Time: Round 11, 6.6.03. Away at Telstra Dome (Docklands). Richmond 4.2 8.6 10.9 13.11-89 Kangaroos 3.4 8.5 10.12 13.14-92 Attendance: 43,200 KEY MATCH-UPS: DEFENCE: The loss of AK will put a hole in the Tiger backline for the next eight weeks which will require filling from the likes of youngster Jay Schulz with Ty Zantuck out of favour at the moment. In the Kangas named line-up they have stacked their forward line with talls - Rocca, McKernan, Hale and Petrie - to try and stretch us for height although the mobility and form of a couple of them are questionable. Leigh Brown who has down well this year can also be chucked forward. With Gas still finding his AFL feet after his knee reco we only have Ray Hall as a reliable tall defender which is a problem. We will really need our midfield to step up on Saturday night along with Gas, Schulz and possibly from one out of left field in Kelvin Moore who has been playing FB for Coburg in the VFL to at least provide a contest and a fist in against their direct opponents. As we found out once again last week in Perth with Phil Matera, we seem to struggle to hold nippy small forwards. Wells is in that category for North so is one we need to watch out for. I have no idea why Danny started Chaffey on Matera last week but he finally got the right match-up with Newman. Newman should be first choice for these roles plus he can follow Wells into the midfield. MIDFIELD: North, as they're in a transitional period, have a mixture of their few remaining premiership players (Simpson, Grant, Stevens, King and Harvey) plus a few young up and coming youngsters such as Harris and Wells. Their captain Adam Simpson is in brilliant form consistently knocking up possessions at will. The Roos still on their day have plenty of class to tear an opposition midfield to shreads (as many a Tiger supprter would be all too familiar with over the past decade) and they love to generate their run and attacks from behind the centreline linking their midfielders with the likes of Makepeace and Grant off half-back. However this has only been in spurts this year and Simpson has had to carry too much of the workload recently hence their losing streak as other sides have worked out the way they play. Collingwood last week through their attack on the ball and denying the Roos free men dried up North's ability to run and carry the ball forward. We similarly need to do this at ground level to win. Something that we've only been able to do in two of our last 8 quarters and a sign of how badly we are missing Coughlan's ballgetting ability. In the ruck we should have first use with Otto and Stafford up against Porter and the struggling McKernan so it'll be up to the likes of Johnson, Cambo, Brown, Krakouer and Rodan (most likely on his last chance) to read and hit the footy hard to take advantage of the taps. FORWARDS: The nightmare position of the AFL is to be a Tiger forward. We had numerous chances to take a good lead into half-time last week against the Eagles but blew them through inept disposal and decision making entering our forward line. At the moment we are too one-dimensional and too reliant on Richo to kick a bag. If Tiger supporters haven't said this once they've said it a million times - why with Richo, Otto and co up forward wouldn't you get the footy into the forward as quickly as possible? After all this time still no answers from the coaching box or players! Like last week our forward on paper should be too strong for North's defence but if we continually cough up the ball or kick to outnumbered teammates then that means stuff all. THIS WEEK'S TEAMS: RICHMOND B: Newman Gaspar Schulz HB: Campbell Hall Fiora C: Chaffey Brown Bowden HF: Hilton Stafford Tivendale F: Richardson Pettifer Moore R: Ottens Johnson Krakouer I/C: Hartigan, Hyde, Fleming, Rodan IN: Fiora, Moore, Rodan OUT: A.Kellaway (shoulder), Fletcher, Marsh KANGAROOS B: Sansbury Watt Firrito HB: Makepeace Colbert Archer C: Grant Simpson Motlop HF: King Petrie McKernan F: Hale Rocca Wells R: Brown Rawlings Harris I/C: Harvey, Stevens, Harding, Porter < BACK >