Richmond vs Fremantle - Round 21

[one-eyed]

The AFL site is tipping Freo by 3 goals ...

Preview: Fremantle v Richmond
By Nathan Schmook and Paul Daffey
Tue 14 Aug, 2012

WHERE AND WHEN: Patersons Stadium, Saturday August 18, 2.40pm
LAST TIME: Richmond 9.12 (66) lost to Fremantle 12.6 (78), round 11, 2012 at the MCG
 
Fremantle was admirable but just not good enough against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium, with its 28-point loss ending a five-game winning run. The team's finals hopes remain alive, but this is a must-win game against Richmond. The Tigers, who beat the Western Bulldogs by 70 points in round 20, have a strong midfield group in good form and won't be easy prey.     

THE FOUR POINTS

FREMANTLE
1. Ruckman Aaron Sandilands is on the cusp of returning from injury, posing an interesting selection dilemma for Ross Lyon. In the eight games ruckman Jon Griffin has played without Sandilands, Fremantle has a clearance differential of -2. In the seven games Sandilands has played without Griffin, the team has a differential of -24. Lyon has a stated aim to play both ruckmen as a duo, which has only happened once this season, against West Coast in round nine (Sandilands was injured in the opening minutes against Richmond in round 11). Will it be a success at the business end of the season?

2. An almost weekly dilemma for Lyon is who to send run-with specialist Ryan Crowley to - the inside distributor or the outside runner? Against Adelaide, Crowley went to clearance specialist Scott Thompson and was effective. However, Patrick Dangerfield got off the chain and was a match-winner. The Tigers boast two potential targets for Crowley this week - in-form Brownlow Medal fancy Trent Cotchin and Brett Deledio. In round 11, Crowley held Deledio to 15 possessions in a pivotal match-up.   

3. Lyon was openly disappointed with his defenders against Adelaide, with the Crows scoring 34 times from 49 forward entries. Zac Dawson was caught out of position a number of times against Taylor Walker, while Michael Johnson was thrust into a key role after Alex Silvagni was withdrawn with illness. Luke McPharlin is a big inclusion this week to take on Jack Riewoldt, who kicked five goals last week, and Fremantle will hope his return from suspension lifts those around him.   

4. Captain Matthew Pavlich was well held by young Adelaide defender Daniel Talia, but his form graph suggests he'll be quick to bounce back. The Coleman Medal leader this week equals West Coast champion Glen Jakovich's record of 276 games as the most by a WA-based player. He is set to break the record against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium in round 22. Lyon has compared the durable Pavlich to Fitzroy 'superboot' Bernie Quinlan, who won a Brownlow Medal at 30 and played until he was 35.     

RICHMOND
1. After infamously losing three consecutive games by less than a goal, the Tigers have shown excellent form over the past fortnight and go into this match in ripping nick. Their victims over the past two weeks have been the Brisbane Lions (48 points) and Western Bulldogs (70 points). In seeking to banish the disappointment of a season in which they’ve lost eight games by 21 points or less, they've played with passion and purpose — and even poise — over the past fortnight, and they'll be keen at atone for the 12-point loss to Fremantle in round 11. A small injury list helps their cause.
 
2. The footy world is discovering what Richmond fans have known for a long time: that midfielder Trent Cotchin is one of the best players in the competition. Cotchin earned rave reviews for his 35-disposal performance against the Bulldogs; the thing is, he's played like that for much of the season. As Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said after the match, he'd have to be a chance for the Brownlow Medal. Hardwick more than once this season has likened Cotchin to Chris Judd in that he's equally good inside and outside. At 22, the footy world is at Cotchin's feet. His likely opponent this Saturday is Ryan Crowley.
 
3. By kicking five goals against the Bulldogs, Riewoldt became the fifth player in the Tigers' history to kick 50 or more goals in three consecutive seasons. The others are Jack Titus, Dick Harris, Michael Roach and Kevin Bartlett. Riewoldt's tallies since 2010 have been 78, 62, and 54 and counting. With three games to go, it seems likely that he'll move past last year's tally. He might even move past Pavlich, the competition's leading goalkicker, who's on 57 goals. The battle between the two spearheads will provide a tantalising subplot for Saturday's game.
 
4. Richmond fans have fond memories of at least one particular match against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium. It was round four, 2008. After playing as a key forward for his entire career, Matthew Richardson was sent to a wing, and so began an amazing odyssey that, at 33, almost netted him a Brownlow Medal. Richardson had 25 disposals and kicked four goals as Richmond defeated Fremantle by 64 points. He continued to play on a wing for most of the season, culminating in the extraordinary Brownlow count in which most of those present were willing on a Richo victory. He finished equal third behind the Bulldogs' Adam Cooney and Simon Black of the Lions.

AFL.com.au prediction: Fremantle by 18 points

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/144600/default.aspx

[Tigershark]

In:   16 clones of chimp
Out:  everyone except Cotch, Lids, Jack, Morris, dusty and Rance

More Mullet pal

I stand corrected.  15 clones of chimp

[Coach]

McG?

[Phil Mrakov]

McG?

in: brad 'handball out the back' miller

[Coach]

McG can't handball for poo. Bring back Milzy

[Eat_em_Alive]

McG can't handball for poo. Bring back Milzy

Yep can do a great one through the back 

[one-eyed]

Tigers chase upset win over Freo
Steve Butler in Melbourne
The West Australian
August 15, 2012

Claiming Fremantle's scalp at Patersons Stadium on Saturday would put some "icing on the cake" as Richmond continue to pursue what appears an elusive finals berth.

Forward Jake King said yesterday that Richmond were targeting an upset result against the Dockers to not only seek redemption for a round-11 loss at the MCG, but also to hamper the WA team's hopes of a finals finish while keeping their own flickering.

Suspended for the June game after tripping St Kilda's Stephen Milne, King said the match would also provide him with a chance for personal payback to his team for having been absent in what could ultimately prove a crucial defeat.

The Tigers remain two wins behind Fremantle in the race for eighth position and victory would keep alive their slim hopes of a first finals finish under coach Damien Hardwick.

King said the loss to the Dockers was one of a frustrating handful of close defeats which have conspired against his team.

"So this week we get the opportunity to play them over there on their big stage and hopefully we get the four points this time," he said.

"I had to watch that one and it wasn't very enjoyable to watch. It was frustrating, but now I have the chance to do something about it with the other boys.

"You want to make amends and you want to do the right thing by the fans and by Damien and everyone else at the club.

"What better way to pay it back than finish off strongly and beat Freo over there because they're going to be a tough side.

"To get a win over there would actually be a big boost for all the playing group.

"I think it would be a little bit of icing on the cake."

King said the Richmond players had met midway through the season and pledged to play like their season was still alive right to the end of the home-and-away rounds.

Victories over Fremantle, Essendon and Port Adelaide in their last three matches would put them on 12 wins for the season, but could still leave them short of eighth position.

"For us now, it's a matter of playing out the rest of the year," he said.

"We need a lot of things to go our way to make finals, so the only thing we can do is play week by week and make sure that we get the four points."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/14553691/tigers-chase-upset-win-over-freo/

[one-eyed]

Crowley will go hunting a top Tiger
Mark Duffield
The West Australian
August 16, 2012

Fremantle midfielder Nat Fyfe has backed in-form tagger Ryan Crowley to quell the influence of whichever Richmond star coach Ross Lyon sends him to at Patersons Stadium on Saturday, whether it is Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio or Dustin Martin.

And Fyfe is confident he will be playing alongside Crowley and plans to test his injured ankle today in a bid to prove his fitness.

Fyfe injured the ankle when he trod on a suitcase in his hotel room in Adelaide last Saturday.

He paid tribute to Crowley, who had "the perfect build for most of the midfield types he plays on".

Crowley has re-emerged as one of the best run-with players in the competition. Last Saturday he held prolific Crow Scott Thompson to 16 possessions, only to see the Dockers get torched by Patrick Dangerfield and Matthew Wright.

Some weeks it was a coach's "toss of the coin" to see who Crowley went to, and that could be the case against the Tigers, Fyfe said.

"Last week it would have been the Dangerfield or Thompson one," Fyfe said. "Richmond have obviously got a really potent midfield with Cotchin and Martin playing some great footy.

"He (Crowley) is really important for us. It is one less player that us midfielders have to worry about.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/14564506/crowley-will-go-hunting-a-top-tiger/

[one-eyed]

Bartlett likes new look of Dockers
Steve Butler in Melbourne
The West Australian
August 16, 2012

A now very watchable Fremantle will beat Richmond at Patersons Stadium on Saturday and charge into the finals, according to Tigers legend Kevin Bartlett.

The 403-game great created headlines in May when he declared the Dockers "unwatchable" after West Coast restricted them to their lowest home-ground score in 18 years in a western derby thumping.

But Bartlett, who was at AAMI Stadium for Fremantle's loss to Adelaide last Saturday, said changes in personnel and a better handle on coach Ross Lyon's game structure had turned around the Dockers' on-field fortunes.

He believed the improvement would prove too much for Richmond to handle, especially after already losing to Fremantle this season by 12 points at the MCG in round 11.

Bartlett said he had used the "unwatchable" tag on the Dockers because Lyon had coached to blunt the opposition while he was still putting his best team together in his first season.

"I said they were unwatchable and they weren't enjoyable to watch, but I didn't say it wasn't the right way to coach," Bartlett said yesterday.

"I think Ross Lyon is a fabulous coach and obviously he was coaching an undermanned side in those days and was going about trying to play a shutdown style of game to see if he could pinch four points.

"I can understand that.

"But I saw Fremantle against Adelaide and they played pretty good football against a good side.

"As they've got their better players back, I think they've been playing some really attractive, attacking footy and they're pretty good to watch at the moment.

"In a tough game, they will more than likely get the points over the Tigers. And if they beat the Tigers then I think they'll make the finals."

Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich mauled Richmond defender Alex Rance with a six-goal haul in the round-11 win, but Bartlett said the young Tiger should be backed in for a chance at redemption.

"Pavlich played an absolute blinder that day," Bartlett said.

"But Rance will probably play on him again and he's had a very good season for the Tigers.

"I think that was probably the first time he got carved up for the season.

"He is one of their most improved players and Pavlich is an absolute star and a champion and he's been one of the greats of the game.

"So it's nothing to be embarrassed about if he carves you up one day. But he'd probably like the opportunity to get another crack at him to see if he can right the ledger."

While Bartlett gave Fremantle the edge over Richmond, he was certain the Tigers would soon grow into a force.

"The Tigers will certainly test Freo," he said. "They're not just playing young kids or just giving people games, Richmond want to finish the year on a high note to try and give themselves some sort of leg in for next year.

"It's always a tough game over there whether you're playing Freo or the West Coast Eagles, but the Tigers have made massive improvement. They probably should be in the finals, but they dropped games they should have won.

"It's tragic that they dropped those games and when the crunch came they made a few silly decisions. But I would think most Richmond supporters would suggest they are on the right track."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/afl/14564513/bartlett-likes-new-look-of-dockers/

[WA Tiger]

Whoever Crowley is on they must beat him, we also need to have a blocking payer for the hunted player, someone who will cut the tag off, get in between Crowley and his opponent.

Maybe King or Conca.

[dwaino]

Conca has a broken toe.

[1965]

Whoever Crowley is on they must beat him, we also need to have a blocking payer for the hunted player, someone who will cut the tag off, get in between Crowley and his opponent.

Maybe King or Conca.

Conca?

You have been down the mines for too long?

 

[WA Tiger]

Only Conca as a suggestion, make some suggestions then, Morris, Helbig?.....who?

[Loui Tufga]

Oh Dear

[1965]

Only Conca as a suggestion, make some suggestions then, Morris, Helbig?.....who?

Tuck