ROUND 7 - RICHMOND vs CARLTON - M.C.G. (Home) 05.05.05 SUMMARY: On the back of a stunning 56 point drubbing of reigning premiers Port Adelaide, the Tigers return to their true home ground, the M.C.G., for a traditional Saturday arvo clash against arch-rivals Carlton. After such a stirring and commanding display from midway through the second quarter to the end, the challenge for the Richmond side this week will be to continue on with the intensity, pressure and teamwork they showed last Sunday and as pre-game favourites for the first time ths year come away with an important win to go to 5-2. Despite some good performances at Coburg, the Tigers are not surprisingly unchanged Our opponents Carlton after storming to a preseason premiership in the Wizard Cup have had an uninspiring start to the real stuff. Narrow comeback wins against the bottom sides Essendon and Hawthorn, losses to the Kangaroos, Collingwood and Fremantle in Perth and a draw with Port Adelaide away. The one interesting fact is all their 6 matches so far this season have been close games with the biggest margin being 20 points in typical competitive fashion for a Pagan coached side. Their biggest win was just 6 points against the Hawks last Friday night. Carlton will once again be without suspended full forward Brendan Fevola and injured key defender Luke Livingston. Adding to their injury list last weekend was veteran midfielder Scott Camporeale, former Eagle Callum Chambers and back pocket Carrazzo but all three have been named in an unchanged line-up. PAST ENCOUNTERS: Overall: 80-112-2 In the 00's: 2-5 At the MCG: 33-24 Last Time: Round 13, 19.06.04. "Home" at Docklands. Richmond 2.2 5.3 13.5 14.9-93 Carlton 5.2 12.7 16.10 18.16-124 Multiple Goalkickers: Richmond - Richo 3, Krakouer 3, Ottens 2; Carlton - Fevola 8, Whitnall 3, Koutoufides 2. Attendance: 46,618 KEY STATS AND MATCH-UPS: DEFENCE: This week we face a Carlton forward line without their spearhead full forward Brendan Fevola (12 goals for the season) who had a night out against us last time with eight goals. However against the Hawks the Blues were able to find a suitable replacement in Waite (12) who booted five. With the inconsistent yet on his day a matchwinner in Lance Whitnall (10) at centre half forward, they can still with enough supply kick a healthy score (average 97 points per game) so our backline can't afford to let their guard down despite Fevola's absence. The Blues have also used resting ruckman Deluca (6) and fromer Freo forward T.Longmuir (3) up forward but so far this year both have made little impact. In terms of match-ups we should have the numbers to contain their key forwards. Hall at centre half back looks likely to get the job on Whitnall but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets Deluca, Gas gets Whitnall and AK stands Waite. At ground level Carlton main scoring dangers have come from the light yet very quick Eddie Betts, who with 10 goals so far this year has been able to pop up with successive crumbing goals at crucial times in a game, and reliable veteran half forward flanker Matthew Lappin (7). Newman is typically the first choice to stop the opposition's main small forward with Hartigan out of the side so he may take Betts with Chaffey or Bowden taking Lappin as both can follow Lappin up the ground as well as in the Blues forward line. If Betts is too quick for Newman as was Milne in the St Kilda game two weeks back then Chaffey may need to stick close to Betts. MIDFIELD: It is in the midfield where Carlton is its strongest. The Blues lead the competition in clearances from centre bounces and subsequently lead the AFL in scoring from breaks won out of the centre square. From matches I've seen them play this has enabled them to get on a roll and rattle on successive goals to either get back into a matchor win games after looking gone. They are also an above average side at winning contested footy although trail us in this department. Plus they are second in tackles laid in the AFL (although given they have won only 2.5 games this could also mean they are often second to the ball). Tiges are ranked 16th. With the Blues denied access to early draft picks for breaching the salary cap, Pagan since arriving at Carlton has added to the likes of Koutoufides, Camporeale (carrying a knee injury), Nick Stevens and Matthew Lappin a selection of "rejects" in ex-Pie Scotland, ex-Hawk Brett Johnson, ex-Bomber Bannister and ex-Eagle Chambers (also doubtful) to add depth. Add to reborn and in-form ex-Power ruckman French who is second in the AFL in total hitouts. After the mainstayers the Blues may lack the class of the top midfields in the AFL but they are ultra-competitive which is not surprising for a Pagan-coached side if they can get their hands on the footy. On the negative ledger the Blues are ranked last in total disposals and average 43 per game less than the Tigers do. They are also ranked 15th in total marks and average 34 less per game than Richmond. On Richmond's side, as we showed against Port last week, we have become a far better side at winning contested footy (ranked equal second) when we match our gameplan with the desired intensity and work ethic. We also can pile on quick goals. It will be our midfielders task this week through Cogs, Tuck, Johnson, Krakouer, Campbell, Deledio, Bowden, Tivs, etc to match Carlton's workrate and at least match them in winning and clearing the ball away. In doing so we need to target the Blues two main ballwinners in Kouta and Stevens. Both also lead Carlton's clearance stats. We have a few options. Cogs and Tuck may just go head to head; Tuck or even Bowden may be used in a ballwinning yet closer minding role on Kouta who is the greater danger of the two Blue midfielders. Alternatively if Chaffey is free we may try to shut one of them down completely using Chaffey - most likely Stevens in that case. In the ruck we will again try to stretch the opposition ruckmen with our three rotating big guys in Knobel (leads comp in hitouts to advantage), Stafford and Simmonds (who in a fine return to form totally dominated at centre bounces and around the ground last week). French is Carlton's main ruck option with Deluca and even Whitnall as moreso fill-ins. Our boys need to nullify French's influence while taking advantage of the periods in which he is resting. Last week was IMO the first time our ruck division made full use of their superiority in numbers. FORWARDS: The blues major weakness is their defence. They are not only ranked 15th in the comp conceding 106 points per match compared to our forward line which is ranked 6th (averaging 99 points) but their defence although honest lacks height and body stength against any of the leading big forwards of the AFL especially without the injured Luke Livingston. Richo (19 goals) and either Stafford or Simmonds one-on-one should be too strong for Thornton or Teague (interestingly Kouta is named at centre half back - a win for the Tiges if that happens) while I can't see Carrazzo (injured?), Wiggins or Cory McGrath if he comes in stopping Browny. Carlton's backline will once again have to rely on protection from their midfielders either through them controlling the central corridor (hence the need for us to not let that happen) or moreso as X pointed out through flooding then rebounding on the break (similar to what the Power did last week). If and when they do try to flood we need to ask we did last week from halfway through the second quarter and move the ball quickly and smartly into our forward 50. The last few meetings the Tiges have had with the Blues, Richmond has wasted this same forward line advantage via poor disposal and decision making resulting in defeats against even woeful Carlton teams. We mustn't disrespect them this time and expect things just to fall into place because they fall our way on the teamsheets. OVERALL: As WP said these games where we go in as favourites make you nervous as we've stuffed up so many times in the past decade it virtually became a habit. The key as in most games of footy is in the midfield where we need to at the very least match Carlton. If we do this then we should have far too many options elsewhere around the ground especially up forward for them to counter. If we are slack and complacent as a team in terms of working for each other, pressure and intensity at the footy and opponent with the footy then history will repeat itself and we will have wasted a golden opportunity to go 5-2. THIS WEEK'S TEAMS: RICHMOND B: Hall, Gaspar, Newman HB: Graham, Kellaway, Chaffey C: Bowden, Coughlan, Johnson HF: Tivendale, Richardson, Brown F: Krakouer, Simmonds, Deledio R: Knobel, Tuck, Campbell Int: Stafford, Pettifer, Tambling, Meyer Ins/Outs: NO CHANGE CARLTON B: Carrazzo, Thornton, Teague HB: Wiggins, Koutoufides, Houlihan C: Scotland, Stevens, Walker HF: Longmuir, Waite, Lappin F: Deluca, Whitnall, Betts R: French, Johnson, Camporeale Int: Bannister, Chambers, Simpson, Sporn < BACK >