Tiger midfield to blame: Lucas / Contested footy Richmond's downfall (SEN)

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Prestia's return could be timely with Scott Lucas saying the Tigers' midfield was at fault for the Tigers' losing streak.

The former Bomber said the statistics were damning for the Tigers' onball brigade after losing three straight games, including Sunday's heartbreaking after-the-siren loss to Fremantle.

After starting 5-0, the Tigers have since lost to Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and the Dockers, winning just three of 12 quarters in that stretch.

Lucas said captain Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin and co needed to lift their game.

“Their midfield is killing them,” Lucas told SEN’s The Run Home.

“Between the arcs they have been no good.

“If you look at the midfield zone over the past three weeks they rank 18th for disposal differential and uncontested possession differential, and 12th for contested possession differential.”

It doesn't get any easier for Richmond with a trip to Spotless Stadium for a date with GWS on Saturday.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-daily-live-rolling-footy-news-from-around-australia/news-story/93c6e329924c18154f1079611018a400

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Contested footy Richmond's downfall

By SEN
18 May 2017

If you don’t win the ball, you don’t win the game.

That is the conclusion that Champion Data’s Glenn Luff has revealed when analysing Richmond’s poor month of footy.

While talking on SEN’s Pure Footy, Luff said that a major drop in contested ball differential in the last month has been a heavy contributor to their recent form slump.

“In the first month, their contested ball differential was +11, in the second month they’re at -11, showing a -22 turnaround in four weeks,” Lhe said.

He revealed that their 5-0 start to the season was a direct result of their ability to be more direct and forcing turnovers inside their forward 50, but he said the contested ball is the difference between the Tigers ultimately winning or losing.

“(Richmond) got away with it against Melbourne, they were able to absorb their inside 50’s against and then played their game in the last 40 minutes and got away with it, but since then they’ve just played bad quarters,” Luff said.

“You can’t survive averaging 90 less disposals than the opposition, and that’s what’s happened in the last three weeks.”

Richmond are hoping to turn their form around this Saturday afternoon as they face GWS at Spotless Stadium.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/05/18/contested-footy-richmonds-downfall/