After the siren: Come on Tigers, make us believeafl.com.au
7 August 2017DEAR Richmond,
Well done on beating the Hawks on Sunday. It wasn't pretty, but at this stage of the year, you bank the four points, pray nobody else gets hurt and move on to next week. On that basis, it was mission accomplished.
And what a week it will be. Geelong at Geelong. A true Saturday afternoon spectacular. Forget about moving the game, even though you'd get double the crowd at the MCG. The Cats have earned some big games at home. They (and we!) have poured enough money into the Palace on Moorabool Street to make it so.
All you need do now is overcome some history. And some history it is. You haven't beaten Geelong in your last 12 attempts. It all started with that 157-point annihilation in 2007 and continued on from there. But you've turned over your entire list since then and indeed the only Richmond player to have been on a winning team at Simonds Stadium is your very own Josh Caddy.
You blunted the Hawks on Sunday with your pressure around the ball and then your outside run. And you had 28 scoring shots on day when Jack Riewoldt was again watching from the stands.
Jack will be back next week and the Catters will be vulnerable. They're venturing into uncharted waters here with Joel Selwood out of the side until at least the finals because of a leg injury. When was the last time they played such a big game without him? They're also coming off their worst defeat at home in 10 years. Ten years!
Surely this is the week for Dustin Martin to run amok and seal the Brownlow once and for all in front of the ineligible Paddy Dangerfield and all his minions. You bat deeper in the midfield and you have the small forwards to put the frighteners into the Cats.
All roads will lead to Geelong this Saturday.
So, here's the deal Tigers. Speaking on behalf of the neutrals, looking for a team to follow this September, we would like it to be you. We would love it to be you. But we're not sure if we're ready to lend you our hearts just yet. Beat Geelong this Saturday, however, and perhaps we will be.
Yours in footy,
The After the Siren Nation
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-06/after-the-siren-come-on-tigers-make-us-believe
