Tigers forecast dirty day for DockersSteve Butler Melbourne
The West Australian
June 7, 2012Richmond utility player Daniel Jackson has claimed that the cold and wet conditions forecast for the MCG on Saturday will be an added bonus for the improving Tigers in their bid to beat Fremantle.
While the Dockers have had wintry training conditions at home in the lead-up to the match, the prediction for Melbourne on Saturday is for a temperature at least 5C below anything in Perth this week.
"They've been playing some good footy," Jackson said, referring to Fremantle, on Melbourne radio station SEN.
"I know they've had a few games that they might have been a little bit unhappy about, but they're a pretty tough side.
"Our advantage has been cold, cold, cold and wet down here this week, so maybe we can use that and they'll be used to the warmer weather over there.
"If we can win this one, we go up to GWS and they've been playing some good footy as well. But if we can go into the bye at 7-5, that's fantastic.
"Everyone knew, including us, that we had a tough start to the year with the draw, and we battled away admirably in a few games.
"But it was getting to the point where we were getting sick of those admirable losses.
"We put it on the line and said, 'right, we've got to start winning some hard games', and the last few weeks we've managed to come up with the goods."
Richmond are chasing their third successive finals contender scalp after grand wins against Hawthorn and St Kilda. Fremantle will be out to avoid a four-match losing streak.
Jackson said the work ethic of WA recruit Alex Rance, a key performer in defence, was reflective of the team's rock-solid values.
"He's just got the work ethic of a champion, he trains as hard as anyone," Jackson said.
"I suppose now every time you have a look at him go near the ball, you close your eyes because you fear he's going to hurt someone, he's that courageous as well.
"That courage out on the field and that desire to be the best back man in our team and to train hard is now coming to fruition and showing results."
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