Tigers give Suns five-goal start by playing home game at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairnsby: Greg Davis
The Courier-Mail
July 14, 2012GOLD Coast coach Guy McKenna says playing Richmond in Cairns - instead of the MCG - is worth five goals to the Suns tomorrow. The twilight clash at Cazaly's Stadium is a Tigers home game with Richmond in the middle of a three-year deal to take one match a season to Far North Queensland.
The Suns' last premiership victory was in the corresponding fixture last year when they stormed home in the tropical heat - and the aid of a howling wind - to win by 15 points.
The Tigers also lost their "home'' match in Darwin last year to Port Adelaide land were widely criticised for shifting home games. Richmond has subsequently axed the trip to the Northern Territory.
McKenna said Gold Coast was delighted to be meeting the Tigers in Cairns again instead of the home of football in the middle of winter.
"It's in our own backyard so we are happy to come up here.
"We are happy to play Richmond up here because if we had a choice between Cairns and the MCG with the Richmond faithful, I know we are probably five goals better off up here,'' he said before the Suns trained in stifling heat and humidity today.
"It's a great initiative by Richmond. I know they get howled down about it but to bring AFL football to our country zone, it's fantastic for us.
"When their contract expires (at the end of 2013), depending on what we want to do, we'd certainly be keen to pick it up.''
McKenna said last year's result woudl mean little to the Suns once the ball is bounced tomorrow, but he does expect the Tigers to be keen on exacting revenge.
"We understand Richmond will be smarting after last year's effort. We just need to go out and compete and do that for four quarters,'' he said.
"We've just got to keep doing what we do and consistently get after the contested footy and own the football and use it really well and as Malcolm Blight (Suns coaching mentor ) says often,'Kick more goals than them'.''
Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch didn't argue with McKenna's assessment.
"He's probably right,'' Leppitsch said. "The travel factor is always a couple of goals either way but we've got a job to do.''
Leppitsch said the Tigers would wait and see how defender Ben Griffiths pulled up from training today before deciding if he would play against the Suns. Griffiths was subbed off against Melbourne last week with a sore calf.
"We'll see how we go. We have to wait and see how he gets up,'' he said.
Griffiths did not complete the full session and spent most of his time talking to the coaches which would indicate he is in grave doubt for the game.
Leppitsch said the return of defender Kelvin Moore from a long-term hip injury was a boost for the Tigers. Moore did not play a single game in 2011 due to the hip injury.
"I didn't expect he'd play again to be perfectly honest. He had such a severe injury,'' he said.
"The way he has handled it has been so good and he's forced his way into the team.''
McKenna said young gun midfielder David Swallow would play a full game in his return from two months on the sidelines with a knee injury.
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