Grimes set for re-match with CameronThe Age
30 Aug 2019Richmond defender Dylan Grimes says he didn't notice Brisbane forward Charlie Cameron's frustration with his close-checking defensive style.
When their teams faced off in round 23, Grimes kept the Lions forward to two goals, with Cameron appearing frustrated at times by the Tiger's physical approach.
"I didn't even know it was happening to be honest," Grimes said on Friday.
"I sensed that he was a bit frustrated - not at me or the umpires at any stage, but mainly their stifled ball movement, I guess that we were able to get going through our team defence.
"But I mean, finals, as I've said, it's a different beast, and it's going to be really high pressure and in terms of ball movement it's quick out there as well - it's likely to be a bit warmer ... a bit dryer.
"So yeah, I think it can be a completely different game and probably one that maybe suits that free-flowing game style that he might be looking for a bit more. But who knows, we'll see."
Cameron's influence was relatively limited against Richmond, with the small forward restricted to just seven disposals.
But Grimes credited that to a team defence, and stressed facing Cameron at the Gabba posed a fresh challenge.
"I don't think I really did a number on him to be honest, he still got a couple of goals," Grimes said.
"But I think we play a brand of defence and the match-up has been spoken about a little bit but yeah, there was times when Bachar [Houli] was playing on him and there was other defenders playing on him and vice versa.
"We play a very rotational-based system and we don't back in any one-v-one match-up. We never really go into any game with a one-v-one focus.
"Yeah, he's definitely a great player. And I learned first hand [if] you give him a couple of sniffs, he's able to capitalise but yeah, I think it'll be a big hit out up there on their home deck - big crowd for them as well. So, who knows what he might get up to."
The Tigers have had to readjust defensively this year with Alex Rance's injury-enforced absence but Grimes said he felt Richmond's defence was well-settled heading into finals.
"The back six - we've really felt like we've been building throughout the whole year really," he said.
"And it's sort of been a constant trajectory upwards, we've felt, and our connection's been getting tighter and tighter as we get more used to the change in personnel and that sort of thing.
"But the team's been relatively settled for the last six or eight weeks and that's helped as well."
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/grimes-set-for-re-match-with-cameron-20190830-p52mex.html
