No Jack - The huge disruption that could help or hinder RichmondThe impact Jack Riewoldt’s eye injury will have on Richmond’s forward line structureJuly 28, 2017
Sarah Olle
FOX SPORTSFOR the first time this season Richmond will line up without Jack Riewoldt, exposing the club’s vertically challenged forward line.
And opinions are mixed as to whether the Coleman Medal winner’s absence will help or hinder the Tigers.
Either way, the training mishap that lead to the bleeding behind Riewoldt’s eye has triggered a situation that has left Damien Hardwick without a recognised tall forward for Saturday night’s clash against Gold Coast.
Young ruckman Ivan Soldo has been named in the forward line, a necessity for structure.
First-year player Shai Bolton has also been brought into the squad and will rotate through a forward line that includes Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and Dan Butler.
It’s a forward line gifted with pace and immense tackling pressure.
But former St Kilda and North Melbourne veteran Nick Dal Santo suggested the Tigers’ smalls may suffer with less opportunity to crumb.
“It’s a huge disruption,” Dal Santo said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“I think the way they’ve set up that forward line — which has been semi-successful, I still have some concerns with how it will hold up at the pointy end — if you go into a game knowing they’ve only got one tall ... do you go into it licking your lips from a structure point of view?”
Triple premiership Hawk Brian Lake had a different take on the situation, however, saying he found it easier to play on more structured sides because they were more predictable.
“When you played against Geelong and Tom Hawkins you knew the ball was going to funnelled through him all of the time,” Lake said.
“And when you came up against sides that didn’t have the structure of a full forward ... the ball could go to anyone. It makes it less predictable.
“I knew 30 per cent of the ball was going to go to Tom Hawkins so there was a fair chance if the ball would go near him.”
Lake said the absence of Riewoldt would provide the Richmond smalls with a “really good opportunity” to work on their craft.
What’s more, he also said the conditions at Metricon Stadium would suit the agile and mobile mosquito fleet.
“This has been a couple of years in the making for the Tigers,” Lake said.
“They wanted a more flexible forward line. And that’s what they’ve got.
“Up on the Gold Coast it’s tough conditions. The ball gets a little bit slippery through sweat and moisture on the ground.
“You don’t see tall forwards dominate (in those conditions).”
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