Richmond v Melbourne a rivalry with legs Mike Sheahan
From: Herald Sun
June 21, 2011MELBOURNE entered this season as the most likely next big thing, Richmond as a future NBT, yet one, maybe even two years behind Melbourne.
When Saturday afternoon football finally returns to the MCG this week, Melbourne and Richmond will face each other in a tantalising match-up.
Both sit just outside the eight with five wins and a draw from 12 games, Melbourne holds a handy break in percentage terms, one of them probably will end up in the final eight.
It looks a genuine 50-50 contest, the most eagerly awaited encounter between these two since Round 15, 2006, when 60,086 saw Melbourne, third, beat Richmond, eighth, by 18 points.
It may not seem that long ago, yet Melbourne's best players that night were Russell Robertson, Matthew Whelan, James McDonald, Simon Godfrey, Brad Green, Daniel Ward and Nathan Carroll. Only Green endures in red and blue.
What's almost as exciting as the match is the anticipated battles within the battle.
Jack Watts and Tyrone Vickery from the 2008 draft, Jack Trengove and Dustin Martin from the 2009 draft, Tom Scully and Trent Cotchin in the midfield.
Mouth-watering prospects, all of them, with Martin the player with the box office appeal.
He is a jet. My initial thought was of Sam Kekovich in his early years at North Melbourne, when he was the most exciting youngster in the competition.
Yes, there's a dash of the powerful, irresistible Kekovich in Martin, but maybe he's more like Collingwood's 1990 premiership hero, the late Darren "Pants" Millane.
Like Kekovich and Millane, he stands 187cm and is as strong as a bull.
No wonder the Tigers entrusted him with the No. 4 guernsey worn by luminaries including Royce Hart and Geoff Raines after just one season.
He is a midfielder like Millane, a goalkicker like Kekovich (21 in 12 this year), a physically mature youngster with plenty of poise and a booming kick.
As the respective win-loss records suggest, the two teams are difficult to separate to this point.
The Tigers have wins over North Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions (twice), Fremantle and Essendon, and a draw with St Kilda; Melbourne's wins have come against Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Essendon and Fremantle, with a draw with Sydney.
On balance, Richmond has been marginally better, given the pre-season expectations of both.
What Melbourne has shown is a capacity to crush an opposition ... just as much as its propensity to be crushed.
It has an average winning margin of 63 points, the highest in the competition, and an average losing margin of 49. Six days after losing to Collingwood by 88 points, it beat Freo by 89 at the same venue.
Dean Bailey's biggest task is to narrow the gap between his team's best and worst.
No real damage done, though, in terms of finals.
Win six of the remaining 10 games and they're off to the finals. Maybe another five will be enough, for Freo and Essendon have the staggers.
Melbourne should be in the mix, too, having finished 12th last year with eight wins and a draw.
The Tigers finished 15th with six wins. They're honest and there's plenty to like about them.
They overpowered Brisbane on Saturday night after a torrid week, coming off a six-day break and a 10-hour bus trip back from Sydney.
No trouble to a group growing in confidence, disposing of the Lions by 31 points.
They're playing with confidence and purpose and they got the job done with just two goals from Jack Riewoldt.
Jack spat the dummy once or twice, but, bottom line, he again learned winning and losing isn't all about him. Martin kicked five, Vickery four.
Vickery and Melbourne's Watts have copped more than their share of criticism for their perceived slow development. Vickery recently turned 21, Watts is 20.
Both will be players. Actually they're earning their keep now, and they're going to get a lot better. As their teams are.
It will be a novel experience Saturday, an afternoon game at the G. Can't wait.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-v-melbourne-a-rivalry-with-legs/story-fn7shz1t-1226078775129