Tigers say they can handle hype of huge Dreamtime game against Essendon AAP
From: Herald Sun
May 18, 2012RICHMOND wants to show it can handle the hype in front of a possible 90,000-strong crowd for Saturday night's Dreamtime clash against Essendon.
The match is the highlight of the league's Indigenous Round and will attract a crowd of more than 80,000.
The MCG has announced the match is now fully ticketed with no general admission seats left, so the crowd could top the 86,932 that watched the Bombers fall just short of Collingwood on Anzac Day.
The Tigers are coming off several weeks of encouraging form, most recently an upset win against Sydney.
But Richmond have been notorious for not meeting expectations when their vast and impatient army of supporters starts stirring.
While they won last year's Dreamtime match, most recently they came up short before 72,000 fans in Round 1 against Carlton.
"Richmond, they say, are the sleeping giants, so we've just got to make sure we bring the crowd alive and especially against Essendon," Richmond utility Shane Edwards said today.
"We have to make sure our fans get on top.
"If we want to achieve a top-eight finish, we'll have to beat sides like Essendon, who are right up there.
"The atmosphere, we can't get over-awed - last year, we didn't, but in Round 1 we may have.
"We really have to adapt."
Edwards said the 44-point loss to the Blues had not been a total disaster, given they had taken plenty out of the game.
"There was a lot of hype, but also they're a really good team, so we learnt a lot - especially the way their midfield runs, stuff like that," he said.
"You can only learn from losses to really good teams."
The Tigers will try to blunt Essendon's pace and not let them have too many uncontested marks.
That means paying close attention to small forwards Leroy Jetta and Alwyn Davey, who are reaping dividends for a pre-season emphasis on their defensive pressure.
"Our role in the team is to put pressure on the guys who are trying to run it out - we have (Bachar) Houli this week, (Chris) Newman," Jetta said.
"Last year we struggled a bit in that area, getting scored against pretty easily, so it's definitely been a focus point over the pre-season and we've been going pretty well so far."
While the Bombers will start favourites, Richmond frequently troubles them and Jetta expects a tight duel.
"They match up really well against us - last year, they smashed us," he said.
"They had a great win last week and I guess if we play the way we want to play, it's going to be a great game."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/tigers-say-they-can-handle-hype-of-huge-dreamtime-game-against-essendon/story-e6frf9jf-1226359208831
