Batchelor back for St Kilda clashBy Kim Hagdorn
SportsNewsFirst
30 May 2012 RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick is certain to bolster his defensive division with a call to arms for Jake Batchelor in the AFL clash of the round against St Kilda.
Tigers’ management declared Batchelor available for selection early in lead up to the Saints showdown which shapes as an early elimination final on the giant Friday night stage.
The versatile back man was a last minute withdrawal from the Tigers stirring and surprising 10-goal demolition of premiership fancies last Saturday with a slight ankle problem.
Hardwick's Tigers have stormed into finals calculations with three wins at their last four engagements while the Saints have won threee of their past five games.
Richmond now has four wins to sit 12th and the Saints five victories and seventh spot and now a victory in Round 10 crucial to eventual finals hopes for 2012.
Batchelor, just 20, is a front-line candidate to take on Saints potential match-winning small forward Stephen Milne, or even new crumbing goal-sharks Ahmed Saad or Terry Milera.
Batchelor appears a certain starter for the vital clash with probably utility Addam Maric making way after playing as the Tigers substitute against the Hawks.
The Tigers unearthed a new handy defensive line alternative with a top performance from injury-prone young gun Ben Griffiths in curbing the Hawks potentially dangerous scoring machine.
Griffiths, 20, was a surprise choice defender with Batchelor’s late withdrawl and the Tigers backline also still operating without top back man Dylan Grimes and Kelvin Moore.
Batchelor’s flexibility offers Hardwick and his defensive advisors crucial flexibility to handle the effervescent new Saints forward scoring battery.
In-form key defensive star Alex Rance is certain to be handed the unenviable assignment to take on Saints colossus Nick Riewoldt, with Griffiths like to tackle efforts to curb big Justin Koschitzke when he lurks close to goal.
Another rapidly developing Tigers lock-down defender Steven Morris is likely to also take on important negating duties on either Saad or Milera.
Morris, 23, held Hawks small ball-gathering genius Cyril Rioli to 15 possessions and 2.3 last Saturday and appears certain to get another defensive run-with tagging task in the Tigers bid to limit Saints speed and scoring powers around goal.
http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2012/05/30/batchelor-back-for-st-kilda-clash/
