Richmond vs Sydney @ Etihad, Round 15, 2018

[one-eyed]

SUPER ROUND

Round 15

Richmond v Sydney Swans

Thursday 28 June, 7.20pm

4.30pm Gate 5 Opens
4.40pm Ant Man screening starts
5.30pm – Intermission/Gate opening time
7.30pm – Match starts

Gates open 5.30pm

    Free General Admission for Kids under 15.
    Auskick and Junior members – 2 free tickets
    $2 Chips
    $3 Pies

https://etihadstadium.com.au/event/richmond-v-sydney-swans-2018/

[one-eyed]

The AFL website is tipping us to win by a couple of kicks.


Match preview: Richmond v Sydney

Jennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
Jun 25, 2018 2:45PM


SUMMARY

Both teams enter this clash fresh off the bye and leading the competition at first and second on the ladder. The Tigers expect to regain David Astbury but Dion Prestia and Bachar Houli are less certain to return, while the Swans could have Sam Reid and Lewis Melican available. The Tigers are packing an attacking punch at the moment with Jack Riewoldt fifth in the race for the Coleman Medal and Josh Caddy narrowly behind him at eighth. For the Swans, Lance Franklin has booted at least one goal in every game he's played this season to rank third in the Coleman, and his duel with Alex Rance will go a long way to determining the outcome. The Tigers will also look for continued drive off half-back from Nick Vlastuin and the much-improved Jayden Short, while the Swans will be hoping for another strong showing from youngsters Oliver Florent, Ben Ronke and Tom McCartin.

WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Thursday, June 28, 7.20pm AEST

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
R13, 2017, Sydney 12.8 (80) d Richmond 10.11 (71) at the MCG
R23, 2016, Sydney 25.14 (164) d Richmond 7.9 (51) at the SCG
R8, 2016, Richmond 14.17 (101) d Sydney 15.10 (100) at the MCG
R13, 2015, Richmond 14.11 (95) d Sydney 11.11 (77) at the SCG
R23, 2014, Richmond 10.8 (68) d Sydney 9.11 (65) at ANZ Stadium

THE SIX POINTS

1. The Swans stole the contest when these sides last met in round 13, 2017. The Tigers led by 36 points in the second quarter before conceding nine goals to three in the second half to go down by nine.

2. The Tigers' strong attack is reflected in their stats; they rank second for inside 50s and marks inside 50 in the competition. In comparison, the Swans are 10th and eighth in the same categories.

3. However, the Swans have won the last two clashes between the sides, which ended the Tigers' run of three straight victories between 2014-16. Four of the last five have been decided by three goals or fewer.

4. They're nearly even when it comes to contested possessions this season. The Swans are seventh with an average of 147.7 per game while the Tigers are eighth with 147.3.

5. But, no team has finished games better than the premiers. They've won 10 of 13 final quarters and are +155 in that term. The Swans have also performed well late in games and are +71 for fourth quarters.

6. It's the type of big-stage, top-of-the-table clash that will suit a refreshed Jack Higgins. The passionate Tiger has been on an upward curve in the Official AFL Player Ratings, brought to you by Schick, but fans will be keen for him to improve his first-year player ranking of 13th in the second half of the season. 

IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR…
Alex Rance. It'll be another marquee match up with Franklin, who kicked just one goal against the Tigers last year – with Rance best on ground – but booted bags of five and seven against them in 2016. If Astbury doesn't get up, Rance will have an even bigger job on his hands with Buddy no doubt keen to atone for last season's performance.

PREDICTION: Richmond by 11 points

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-25/match-preview-richmond-v-sydney

[one-eyed]

Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt says Sydney are flying under the radar

June 27, 2018
Matt Balmer
FOX SPORTS

RICHMOND premiership forward Jack Riewoldt says the Tigers’ clash with Sydney on Thursday night is “mouth-watering.”

The top of the table clash sees both Richmond and Sydney battle it out for top spot, with both teams sitting with a 10-3 win-loss record.

Thursday night’s spectacle will be a finals like preview with Riewoldt saying the big match will suit the Tigers’ big game players.

“This is what you play footy for,” Riewoldt said on AFL 360.

“The only game on a Thursday night to lead off a pretty good round of footy, and we’re playing against a side that is probably the in-form side of the competition at the moment.

“I think we play a brand of footy that is suited to finals, which is that contested tackle pressure, get it forward, win the crucial one-on-ones.

“It’s certainly a mouth-watering battle for us and for our contested players they really thrive on that.”

The Tigers will play their only home game at Etihad Stadium for the season with the forward joking they “would’ve got 90,000 if it was at the ‘G.”

It will be the Tigers’ second top of the table clash for the season, having been involved in a clash with West Coast back in Round 9 — which they lost by 47 points.

Riewoldt says that being out of Melbourne means the Swans have flown under the radar, despite winning their last six matches.

“They go under the radar and they started really poorly last year and they might’ve lost their first six games last year, and then they were right there at the end of the year in the hunt of it,” Riewoldt said.

“They do go under the radar and they stay out of sight, out of mind. But they are certainly the yardstick in terms of you know what they are going to bring.”

Riewoldt believes the return of small forward Daniel Rioli has improved the team dramatically.

“We’ll probably get a couple of players back over the next fortnight which will help out,” Riewoldt said.

“Getting Rioli back a few weeks ago was a really big plus for us, sometimes people sort of see Rioli and if you look at the total output he might have, maybe 10-12 touches,

“Our small forwards — generally one misses out every week and to get him back and he comes in and has nine tackles, and some really big bits of play that you look back and go ‘oh we missed that’.”

Riewoldt also suggested the battle between Richmond defender Alex Rance and Swans forward Lance Franklin isn’t a battle to miss.

“Arguably the greatest forward to have played the game in the last 20 years to play arguably the greatest back to have played the game in the last 20 years, it’s going to be one hell of a battle.”

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-2018-richmond-premiership-star-jack-riewoldt-says-sydney-are-flying-under-the-radar/news-story/a1a02306d56104f6e507b8b3066938a9

[one-eyed]

Intriguing ruck battle in AFL blockbuster

Rob Forsaith
ESPN
28 June 2018

Lance Franklin and Alex Rance's showdown is the main event but a pivotal duel between Callum Sinclair and Toby Nankervis forms part of an intriguing undercard at Etihad Stadium.

Rivals around the country will be watching on Thursday night when Richmond and Sydney, ranked first and second on the ladder and most premiership betting markets, meet in an AFL finals dress rehearsal.

There are subplots aplenty, starting with the opening bounce.

Former teammates Sinclair and Nankervis will square off after successfully relaunching their careers at a second club.

Sinclair lost the 2015 grand final with West Coast then shifted to Sydney, harbouring high hopes he would leap out of Nic Naitanui's shadow and become the Swans' first-choice ruckman.

Instead, Sinclair underwent surgery in 2016 to remove a fragment of floating cartilage in his knee.

Sinclair was back training come finals but lacked match fitness. Nankervis, Kurt Tippett and Sam Naismith were preferred at various points of the finals.

Nankervis was an emergency for the 2016 grand final. Desperate to become an AFL regular, he left the Swans and requested a trade to Richmond.

It proved a win-win for both parties.

Nankervis was a revelation in 2017. He nailed down the No.1 ruck spot, tripled his tally of career games and helped pilot the Tigers to a drought-breaking premiership.

"He's like another midfielder in there ... he's a fantastic player and a fantastic person. He's been a godsend for our footy club," Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said earlier this season.

Sinclair's 2017 could also be viewed as a success - he played 19 games, including two finals - but competition for spots remained fierce.

The 28-year-old has since become arguably Sydney's most indispensable player, relishing the extra responsibility created by Naismith's season-ending knee injury and Tippett's retirement in January.

Sinclair has already collected 35 votes in the AFL Coaches Association player of the year award.

That's the same number as Richmond's reigning Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin - and more than any other Swan.

"I like to think that I've improved and I've become a lot more of a consistent player this year," Sinclair said last week.

http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/23926046/intriguing-ruck-battle-afl-blockbuster

[one-eyed]

FINAL INTERCHANGES

Richmond: Brandon Ellis, Jack Higgins, Reece Conca, Jack Graham

Sydney: James Rose, Dan Hannebery, Harry Cunningham, Kieren Jack

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-28/final-teams-richmond-v-sydney

[mightytiges]

Two key areas tonight:

1) The obvious: Winner of the contested footy and tackle count will most likely be the winner of the game.

2) Our forward pressure vs their counterattack game: The Swans are going to want to flood and congest our forward line to eliminate the space for our quick small forwards. We need to make sure we're on defensively inside F50 and build the wall across HF to overwhelm them with repeated entries and of course take our chances between the big sticks. If our defensive pressure is off in anyway or for any length period then we'll open ourselves up to sucker goals on the break and being starved for scoring opportunities ourselves. That's what happened last year when they ran us down. We fell away in our pressure compared to theirs just before half-time (Lloyd's turnover) and in second half. We're a better side now to then though.

[mightytiges]

Nank and Lambert cop high arms = no frees  .

[mightytiges]

You can't ball watch and allow them to get goal side

[mightytiges]

Two blunders by Floss.

0 - 12

[mightytiges]

Very reactionary so far. Even when they fumble we are sitting off and not in their faces.

[mightytiges]

Floss good tackle wins the free 60 out. Butler keeps his head in the pocket and crosses to Jack. Goal! 

Rich  1.0-6
Syd  2.0-12

[mightytiges]

So you can land straight on someone's back and it's play on  .

6 - 18

[mightytiges]

Sheds to Cotch but it's paid not 15. Cotch quickly snaps but it falls short on the line.

[mightytiges]

Off HB and Jack is pushed 80 out. Goes long and Rioli freakishly off the outside of the boot = goal! 

Rich 2.0-12
Syd  3.0-18

[julzqld]

RIOLI!