This Saturday's game is your classic 8-pointer with both sides on 22 points and out of the top 8 on %. Melbourne is building this up as "the biggest game of the year".
The betfair bookies have us slight favourites: Richmond $1.77 to Melbourne $1.91
Melbourne Demons turn up heat for Richmond Tigers Courtney Walsh
From: The Australian
June 20, 2011 THE MCG will be rattling on Saturday in what, for some, will be a trip down memory lane.
A match of importance on a Saturday afternoon at the home of football - how quaint.
Melbourne versus Richmond with, for the first time in a while, much at stake. Traditional inner-city rivals, once so powerful, both showing signs of a resurgence.
Richmond, so gritty in overcoming Brisbane on its third interstate trip in succession. Melbourne, ruthless in thrashing Fremantle 22.17 (149) to 8.12 (60), though admittedly the Dockers are vastly undermanned.
Barring Essendon upsetting Hawthorn on Friday night, the victor will be in the eight. It is a long time since that has been the case for either this far into a season.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/melbourne-demons-turn-up-heat-for-richmond-tigers/story-e6frg7mf-1226078125077"We have got a big game next week, probably the biggest game of the year, against Richmond, so we want to get everything right and get ourselves up for next week," Scully said.
"Richmond are in great form.
"It's a real challenge for us; we love playing Richmond, and we are really amped to get up for next week."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/melbournes-tom-scully-plays-it-cool-on-where-his-future-lies/story-e6frf9jf-1226078103193