Richmond vs Brisbane @ the 'Gabba - 2nd Qualifying Final, 2019

[lamington]

Mitch Robinson has spent a large part of his career tagging so it wouldn’t surprise me if Fagan pulls this one out

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Chol grew up in Brisbane - heat won't bother him...

He also grew up in South Sudan but I’m sure that that will matter as the game will be played in the evening and the temperature will have cooled considerably by the time the game starts.
Bloody lucky we didn’t get the mid afternoon game as I reckon that’s what cooled the cats a few weeks ago

[one-eyed]

The two players on each side that matter most: Lions vs Tigers

By SEN
2 September 2019

Nick Riewoldt has named the two players for each top eight team that are most important heading into finals.

After a week off, the four finals get underway this weekend and these are the players that the former St Kilda captain believes will need to have a really big impact and will be crucial to the way these teams want to play.


Brisbane

Charlie Cameron

“In their six losses, he’s kicked six goals. He’s been goalless three times. In their 16 wins, he’s kicked 48 goals at three per game. I just think if you can stamp him, you take a bit of the crowd out of it, you take a bit of the enthusiasm,” Riewoldt told SEN Breakfast.

“It’s been a little Cameron or bust at times, Eric Hipwood and Dan McStay haven’t been consistent contributors.”

Harris Andrews

“The confidence that their team gets out of seeing the big, strong presence marking and intercepting the ball across half back. He only took one mark against the Tigers in Round 23 and they just looked a little bit vulnerable.”

Richmond

Dylan Grimes and Nick Vlastuin

“I couldn’t really separate Grimes and Vlastuin. They are the centrepiece and I’m talking about a position more than a player. It’s that deep sweeper for Richmond and it’s been mostly Dylan Grimes since Alex Rance went down, he had the job on Charlie Cameron in Round 23 and Vlastuin became the interceptor."

“Those two players, they are absolute rocks. If they’re intercepting the footy, that is who they are, Richmond.”

Dustin Martin

“The game just changes when he gets the footy, particularly in finals when it’s contested and tight. He gets it, the opposition panics and the game evolves and changes.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/09/02/the-two-players-on-each-side-that-matter-most-lions-vs-tigers/

[one-eyed]

The "radical" move Brisbane should make to quell Dusty

By SEN
2 September 2019

David King has urged Brisbane to try something unexpected to stop Dustin Martin ahead of their Qualifying Final clash with Richmond.

Martin has made a habit of dominating against the Lions, with the midfielder polling more Brownlow votes against them than any other team.

He starred in their recent Round 23 encounter and King believes assigning a defender like Darcy Gardiner or Luke Hodge to him could be worth a try.

“We talk a lot about not getting beaten by what you know. When you look at what Dustin Martin has been able to do … do you know who the number one team his Brownlow votes have come against?” he told SEN’s Whateley.

“He’s got 18 votes in his 13-game career against the Lions. Two weeks ago he had 21 disposals, two goals and many said best on ground.

“Round 4, 2018. He kicked six goals, three votes. Round 17, 2017 he had 40 disposals and two goals.

“We don’t know what the Round 23 votes were, but I’d guess he’s got nine votes in his last three games (against Brisbane).

“At some stage, the coach has to say, you know what, I don’t care what happens today, this guy is not beating us.

“It might require something different. We saw Patrick Ambrose go to Nathan Fyfe a few weeks ago with outstanding success.

“It might take something out of the ordinary. Can a Darcy Gardiner go everywhere with him? Can he start in at centre bounces and play him like a half back flanker in behind.

“He’s not a stoppage player, but we’re not asking him to win stoppages. He’s going in there with both eyeballs on number four for the Tigers.

“Can you do something like that? Can Gardner then go forward with him and just remain in constant contact with the one man who has destroyed your football club?

“He’s not a huge runner Dusty. It’s more about his brute force power at clearance and then he just roams around the ground. He doesn’t put you to the sword like an overlap runner. He’s not a Brad Hill type runner.

“It’s worth looking at and it’s a discussion they’ll have to have. Can you do something radical like that in a final? It’s a big gamble.

“Can Luke Hodge do it? Can we wind the clock back and I know it’s a wildcard, but you can’t allow this bloke to be best on ground again without trying something you haven’t tried before.”

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/09/02/the-radical-move-brisbane-should-make-to-quell-dusty/

[one-eyed]

The AFL website is tipping Brisbane by 8 points.


Qualifying final preview: Brisbane v Richmond

AFL.com.au
Michael Whiting
Sep 2, 2019

Where and when: The Gabba, Saturday September 7, 7.25pm AEST

What it means for Brisbane: It's been 10 years since the Lions played finals and the city has jumped right behind Chris Fagan's feel-good team. A win would ensure another sellout at the Gabba two weeks later for a preliminary final.

What it means for Richmond: If the Tigers aren't already the premiership favourites, winning on the road – their first match away from the MCG in two months – would silence any final queries.

The stat: Daniel Rich is the only player to defeat Richmond wearing a Brisbane jumper. The Tigers have won a remarkable 13 straight matches between the clubs, with the Lions' last win coming in round seven, 2009, on the back of four goals from Jonathan Brown.

The match-up: Chris Fagan has plenty of faith in Marcus Adams, but after Jack Riewoldt kicked four early goals on him in their round 23 match-up, Darcy Gardiner was moved to the three-time Coleman medallist in the second half and kept him goalless. It wouldn't shock if Fagan gave Adams a chance to square the ledger, but the more likely move is starting Gardiner on Riewoldt.

It's a big week for: Fourteen Lions players (15 if Cedric Cox plays as he did in round 23) are yet to play finals, but the man with the longest wait has been ruckman Stefan Martin. Now 32, Martin has played 12 years and chalked up 180 games for Melbourne and Brisbane before getting his first taste of September action.

Big call: Tom Lynch – also playing his first final – will rise to finals footy and kick four goals on All Australian Harris Andrews.

Prediction: Brisbane by eight points

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-09-02/qualifying-final-preview-brisbane-v-richmond

[Damo]

yeah id like to at a pub close to the ground.

anyone know of a descent tame one to have a few prior?

The football club have nominated a pub nearby

Keen as boys , do we know which pub they nominated ?

[Gracie]

Nearly split my coffee over the keyboard reading King suggesting Hodge run with Martin

As great a player as Hodge has been I am thinking that would play right into our hands. Not only would Martin be too strong for him it would take Hodge away from that "general" role he plays in their backline

[Andyy]

Nearly split my coffee over the keyboard reading King suggesting Hodge run with Martin

As great a player as Hodge has been I am thinking that would play right into our hands. Not only would Martin be too strong for him it would take Hodge away from that "general" role he plays in their backline

And not only that, but Hodge is far too slow and doesn't have the legs in him to run with Martin. Would be laughable to be honest!

[taztiger4]

yeah id like to at a pub close to the ground.

anyone know of a descent tame one to have a few prior?

The football club have nominated a pub nearby

Keen as boys , do we know which pub they nominated ?

The Qld supporters group are at the Shafston from 1-5.30, then marching / walking to the Gabba en masse

[one-eyed]

Stats of note

The Lions will be equally keen to quell gun Tigers forward Jack Riewoldt, who's booted 42 goals in just 15 games (14 wins) against them – his fourth-best record against any club. It's that much harder to do so now that Tom Lynch has joined him.

Brisbane: No.1 for points scored from forward half (51.1) and No.2 for time in forward half differential (+4:56)

Richmond: No.1 for points from turnover this season (57.1) also No.2 for intercept possessions won (75.3)

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-09-03/stats-files-the-matchups-that-are-key-to-winning-each-final

[one-eyed]

Every finalist’s September kryptonite

Herald Sun
3 September 2019

It looms as one of the most open races for an AFL premiership in years.

But what will be the keys to determining whether a club succeeds — or falters.

Our team of Herald Sun experts takes a look at each of the finalists to see where they’re vulnerable.

RICHMOND

At least Richmond can breathe a sigh of relief that Mason Cox is out of the finals series after last year’s stunning preliminary final performance.

But with no Alex Rance the Tigers won’t forget Aaron Naughton’s five-goal, nine-contested mark performance in Round 7 this year.

So they will be sure to put plenty of time into a beanpole such as Lion Oscar McInerney on Saturday, aware he can catch fire and change the course of a game in minutes.

For all its defensive brilliance Richmond is not miserly against key forwards — 10 sides have better records than the Tigers at restricting goals from the opposition’s offensive guns this year. So with Dylan Grimes sure to have his hands full with Charlie Cameron, Nathan Broad and Nick Vlastuin will have to ensure they come over the top of David Astbury’s man to help stop the high-leaping Lions.

— Jon Ralph

BRISBANE

We have fallen in love with the Brisbane Lions’ sudden surge up the ladder this season, exploding from only five wins last year to second spot in 2019.

But making finals is one thing, winning them is another. A lack of experience is their kryptonite.

So, at the moment, there are more questions than answers.

Can they do it on the big stage?

Can this talented young group handle the September heat?

At least they had a pre-finals hitout against Richmond to prepare for what is to come this weekend.

Although, the Tigers belted them up in the first quarter — outscoring the Lions six goals to two.

Learning from that experience will help. And it’s a good thing they have got one of the greatest grand final performers we’ve ever seen, Luke Hodge, ready to lead them into battle for one last campaign.

— Jay Clark

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/the-herald-sun-football-team-look-at-each-afl-finalists-main-concern-heading-into-september/news-story/47e4ac6be1c0716e11fa169483a1da55

[lamington]

Hodge is a real threat. Yeah if we’re not clinical with our forward 50 entries hodge and Harris will lead the back 6 to slingshot it out. If we can punish them on the scoreboard quick it should psychologically crush them

[one-eyed]

Thankfully we're playing Saturday night in Brisbane and not Thursday nor Friday.

Thursday  31 degrees
Friday      34 degrees
Saturday  26 degrees
Saturday night ~18-20 degrees at the start of the match.

http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/brisbane.shtml

[one-eyed]

Tigers won't tag ball magnet Neale

Tim Michell & Sam Landsberger
Herald-Sun
4 September 2019

Richmond will not put a leash on Brownlow Medal fancy Lachie Neale.

Instead the Tigers will back their brilliant midfield to overpower Brisbane’s at the Gabba fortress where the Lions have lost just once this season.

Neale amassed a career-best 51 disposals against the Tigers in Round 23, but Richmond spent yesterday’s training session tweaking its stoppage structures rather than searching for a tagger.

The former Fremantle onballer has long tormented the Tigers, gathering 35 disposals against them last year and 37 in 2016.

Tiger terrier Dion Prestia, who was asked to mind Neale in the second half of Round 23, said midfield clamps were not in premiership coach Damien Hardwick’s playbook.

“I don’t think we’ll go a full tag. We haven’t done it all year. It’s more giving him more ­attention at stoppages and not letting him do what he did last Sunday (week),” Prestia told the Herald Sun at yesterday’s Kayo AFL Finals launch.

“He’s amazing the way he moves around stoppages and the things he does are the things we can bring into our stoppage game as well.”

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/afl-daily-live-rolling-footy-news-from-around-australia-for-wednesday-september-4-2019/live-coverage/5cc50af6dbc7189f0c9c9715b97dd31c

[Andyy]

For all I care he can have another 50 disposals at 7m gained each lol