AFL site is tipping the Pies by 32 points.
Preview: Collingwood v RichmondBy Jennifer Witham and Paul Daffey
afl.com.au
Tue 03 Apr, 2012WHERE AND WHEN: MCG, Saturday April 7, 7.40pm
LAST TIME: Collingwood 24.17 (161) d Richmond 13.12 (90), round four, 2011, at the MCG
Both clubs will be looking to rebound after round-one losses. The Magpies fell away in the final quarter against Hawthorn on Friday evening and lost by 22 points, and the Tigers dropped off the pace against Carlton and went down by 44 the night before. Richmond has not beaten Collingwood since round 19, 2007, with the Magpies on a four-match winning streak.
Collingwood1. The Pies were horribly inaccurate against Hawthorn early on, with Travis Cloke, Chris Dawes, Darren Jolly and Alex Fasolo contributing to the 2.7 score at the first break. After one game there's no reason to panic, but it did allow the Hawks to remain in the game despite the Pies' midfield dominance and will be something Nathan Buckley won't be keen to see repeated.
2. Dawes will play his 50th AFL game this week. His career started after arriving at Collingwood in the wake a knee reconstruction in his final year of under-18s, and he didn't reach the milestone last year because of a broken knuckle. It will be interesting to see where he plays this week after former coach Mick Malthouse cast doubt on his ability to fill a part-time role in the ruck. If Cameron Wood comes in after playing VFL last week, it's likely Dawes will remain closer to goal.
3. How many regular Pies will return? Chris Tarrant, Dayne Beams, Ben Johnson and Wood all played in the VFL on the weekend and got through without incident after injury-plagued pre-seasons, while Alan Didak didn't appear anywhere but trained strongly last week and appeared on the verge of playing. Then there's Nick Maxwell, whose commitment to mending his injured ankle has been well documented. According to Dale Thomas, he's closer to playing this week than he was against the Hawks.
4. Speaking of Thomas, he's one of a few senior players who will be looking to make more of an impression this week. The usually flashy midfielder was very quiet against the Hawks, with just one possession in the first quarter and only five in the second to end with 19 and two goals. Harry O'Brien was also down on form and appeared rattled after half-time following opponent Cyril Rioli's second quarter that will be talked about for the rest of the year.
Richmond1. The Tigers have two big questions confronting them regarding the Collingwood team. The first is who to play on Cloke. Jayden Post has played at centre half-back during the pre-season and against Carlton in round one but he is a project player and his form doesn't inspire confidence that he could handle Cloke. The most likely choice is Alex Rance, who has the mobility and strength to match the Collingwood star. Rance might, however, feel a bit lost away from the comfort of the last line of defence.
2. The second is who to play on Scott Pendlebury after the uncanny midfielder's brilliant performance against Hawthorn in round one. The most likely candidate is Daniel Jackson, who usually gets the main tagging role. A choice out of left field might be Jake King, who could be told to ignore his own game and harass Pendlebury at every turn. Then there's Dane Swan ….
3. Since arriving from Essendon before the 2011 season, Bachar Houli has given consistent, no-fuss performances that made him one of the first picked in the team. His kicking and running link play from half-back have been especially impressive. Houli this week plays his 50th AFL game. He played 26 games with Essendon before playing every match with the Tiger last season and then the first game this season against Carlton.
4. Tyrone Vickery had two kicks and one handball against Carlton and took one mark. Surely, he must improve this week against Collingwood, especially given the Magpies' problems with their undermanned defence. Vickery finished fifth in Richmond's best and fairest last season. This week he must show why.
AFL.com.au prediction: Collingwood by 32 pointshttp://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/132203/default.aspx