Favourites Tigers in a rare place WA today
June 12, 2010 It's a rare status for Richmond this year but a tribute to the team's gradual improvement over the past month.
The Tigers will go into Sunday's clash with West Coast at the MCG as favourites - even though they are on the bottom of the AFL ladder.
Coach Damien Hardwick, though, is apparently unflattered. He says the team's short odds are irrelevant.
"I don't pay much attention to the bookmakers, but we go into every game thinking we can win," Hardwick said.
"We'll just go out there, play our game and hopefully come out on top."
Richmond broke their winless drought against Port Adelaide in round 10 but even though it is their sole win, Harwick said the players continue to be enthusiastic and improvements are being made incrementally.
"Granted we'd love some more wins but our competitive nature in our guys is starting to come to the forefront and they're dying to sing that (club) song again," he said.
"We've only sung it once this year but they're looking forward to hopefully singing it again this week.
"I think the enthusiasm of the group is outstanding and that's what happens when you have such a young group and West Coast are pretty much the same."
Hardick said that Richmond and West Coast were similar, in having developing player lists.
"I think it's going to be a very evenly matched game from that point of view," he said.
"We're both sides that are very much on the redevlopment phase so it will be a great game for both clubs to see where they're at."
Richmond will bring back Daniel Jackson and Daniel Connors for the match along with key forward Ben Griffiths for just his second senior game.
However midfielder Nathan Foley has been kept in cotton wool for another week or two as he recovers from an ankle problem.
Connors returns after serving an eight-match club-imposed ban for an alcohol-fuelled incident in a hotel after Richmond's round three game against Sydney at the SCG.
Hardwick said forward Josh Kennedy was the most vital part of the Eagles' attack and the club had concentrated on trying to defuse his influence.
"Kennedy's been in stellar form and I think half of his goals have come in the first quarter, so we'll be very much focused in that area," Hardwick said.
"I think he's kicked 30-odd goals this year and a couple of a bags of five, so he's a guy we'll be having a keen eye on," he said.
http://www.watoday.com.au/afl/afl-news/favourites-tigers-in-a-rare-place-20100612-y45g.html
