Richmond vs West Coast @ Optus Stadium --- Round 13, 2021

[one-eyed]

Our games against the Eagles has officially been brought forward a week.

AFL Round 13

West Coast vs RICHMOND

Sunday, 13th June 13 @ Optus Stadium

Start time: 5:20pm AWST (7:20pm AEST)


Broadcast: Ch 7 & FoxFooty/Kayo

Source: 7news.

[one-eyed]

Fixture shuffle: AFL moves Eagles-Tigers clash to round 13

afl.com.au
5 June 2021 6:00pm

The Round 14 West Coast Eagles vs. Richmond match – currently fixtured for 6:10pm AWST (8:10pm AEST) on Thursday June 17 at Optus Stadium – has been brought forward to Round 13 and will now be played at Optus Stadium at 5:20pm AWST (7:20pm AEST) on Sunday, June 13.

AFL Executive General Manager Clubs and Broadcasting Travis Auld said the AFL made the decision to bring forward the match after close consultation with those involved in the game.

“The decision to bring forward the West Coast Eagles vs. Richmond game was made following close consultation with both clubs, the AFLPA and the Western Australian State Government and is considered the best approach having regard to various border restrictions and associated travel requirements,” Mr Auld said.

“Richmond will return to Sydney after their Dreamtime match before travelling to Perth ahead of their match against the Eagles next Sunday and both teams will now serve their bye in Round 14.

“The priority of the AFL continues to be the safety and wellbeing of the community and we will continue to make the relevant changes to ensure that remains the priority.

“On behalf of the AFL, I would like to thank the WA State Government, both Clubs, players, the AFLPA, umpires, broadcast partners, the venue and all football fans for their understanding as we continue to navigate through the pandemic."

After bringing forward the West Coast Eagles vs. Richmond match, eight clubs will now serve a bye in Round 14 – Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Fremantle, Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda, Sydney Swans and the West Coast Eagles.

The West Coast Eagles vs. Richmond match will be broadcast live nationally on Seven Network and FOX FOOTY and streamed live via Kayo.

Tickets for this game will go on sale to the General Public at 3:00pm AWST on Wednesday, June 9 via Ticketmaster. Each Club will contact their members directly regarding ticketing arrangements for Club Members.

Arrangements for the remaining games of Round 13 are currently being worked through with final details for each respective match to be communicated in the coming days.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/626334/fixture-shuffle-afl-moves-eagles-tigers-clash-to-round-13

[julzqld]

Why return back to Sydney? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just stay in Perth?

[WilliamPowell]

Why return back to Sydney? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just stay in Perth?

Nope,

Staying in Perth they are confined to their hotel at all times apart from to train and play due to WA border restrictions

In Sydney they can move about as the only restrictions are those of the Victorian lockdown. The NSW governments only restrictions to Victorian's is you must follow the Victorian lockdown rules

[one-eyed]

West Coast’s forward line is preparing to get a massive boost ahead of Sunday’s match against reigning premiers Richmond with Josh Kennedy and Oscar Allen set to return from injury.

Premiership midfielder Dom Sheed will have scans on his sore right shoulder on Tuesday but Simpson is confident he will play, while Liam Duggan and Jarrod Brander will do their best to prove their fitness during the week.

...

But he knows Richmond will pose a massive challenge after their stunning final quarter against Essendon lifted them to a 39-point win on Saturday night.

“They had 18 of their premiership players playing on the weekend,” Simpson said.

“They’ve got their soldiers back. They’re missing some key players as well but their brand stands up. They seem to thrive on the big stage.

“We’ll have our work cut out for us. We’re really looking forward to it.”

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/west-coast-eagles/west-coast-coach-adam-simpson-confident-josh-kennedy-oscar-allen-to-return-against-richmond-c-3040663

[one-eyed]

West Coast’s Josh Kennedy says the Eagles remain undecided on whether or not to tag Richmond superstar Dustin Martin at Optus Stadium on Sunday.

The three-time Norm Smith Medallist’s best performances in 2021 have correlated with Tigers’ wins, Martin most recently looking comfortable at Optus with three goals and 27 touches and the most coaches votes against Essendon on Saturday night.

Both sides are locked at seven wins and five losses fighting to keep their respective premiership dreams alive, Kennedy aware of ‘Dusty’s’ big-game performances but believes Elliot Yeo’s third game back from injury can only help West Coast’s options.

“You have players like that you want to shut down but you put so much effort into tagging and they still have 30 touches and have a couple goals,” Kennedy told 6PR.

“So sometimes you just let those players run loose and whoever gets him, whether it’s Yeo or someone else, can do a little more damage. It will be interesting to see what match committee do with him this week.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl/west-coast-star-josh-kennedy-says-eagles-undecided-on-best-way-to-control-richmonds-dustin-martin-c-3048138

[one-eyed]

The Eagles will regain key forward Josh Kennedy and young star Oscar Allen this week, while speedster Jack Petruccelle appears set to miss with a hamstring injury, with Jarrod Brander (adductor) needing to pass a fitness test.

Simpson said Allen's role either forward or in defence would be debated at match committee, as would the two-ruck structure against a Richmond team that has used midfielders as support for Mabior Chol.

With Brad Sheppard missing because of concussion, Simpson said the Eagles' backline would need to work as a group to stop the Tigers' dangerous mix of forwards.

"Their speed at ground level, pressure in the front half, scoring off turnovers, that's all the stuff they've been good at for a long time," he said.

"We can't have one-on-one match-ups, there's not enough players. We're going to have to do it together and take the most dangerous and really work together as a unit to get this done."

Yeo, who is two matches into his return from a long battle with osteitis pubis, is a player who could follow Martin from the midfield and into the Tigers' forward line, according to coach Adam Simpson.

And despite averaging 65 per cent game time in his two matches back, the two-time club champion is physically ready if the Eagles decide they need to lock down on the Tigers' match-winner.

"Absolutely. I think we did it a few years ago with mixed success. But he's the type of player who could do that. It's happened a few times against the Tigers this year, but that's not to say we're going to do it," Simpson said.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/628775/-he-s-ready-does-elliot-yeo-hold-the-key-to-stopping-dusty-

[one-eyed]

Umps this week:

Leigh Haussen (5)
Brett Rosebury (
Cameron Dore (28)

https://aflua.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-AFL-Season-Umpire-Appointments-Round-13edit.pdf

[one-eyed]

Season-defining Sunday as Richmond and West Coast stake their finals claim

Cameron Kellaghan-Tasker
zerohanger.com
June 12, 2021
 
Many football analysts have claimed that the top-eight is well and truly set. As it stands after Round 12, there is a two game gap between the eighth-placed Tigers and the Bombers in 9th. If the Bombers were somehow able to walk away victors last week, the narrative around the top eight’s stability would be completely different.

The Lead-up

As Richmond often do, they showed that they’re a class above. A dominant final 10 minutes saw the Tigers blow a competitive Bombers outfit out of the water, kicking seven goals straight to run away 39-point winners.

The same went for Sunday’s match between the undermanned Eagles and the underwhelming Blues. The Blues needed to prove themselves worthy of finals contention against the low flying Eagles, who brought a WAFL team on the plane to Sydney.

Again, another opportunity for a bottom 10 side to keep close tabs to those in the eight went begging. A woeful effort from the defenceless Teague didn’t capitalise against the inexperienced Eagles, allowing the boys from Perth to fly back west with the four points.

Despite the current gap between the league’s top eight and the bottom 10, the eight is nowhere near set. The team that is vulnerable to those outside of the eight will almost certainly be the loser of Sunday’s blockbuster clash, as the seventh-placed Eagles hosting the eighth-placed Tigers at Optus Stadium.

The Matchup

Despite Richmond‘s dominance throughout the past four years, West Coast have managed a rather competitive recent record. Over their past six games, West Coast have split the games 3-3, remaining one of the best contenders with the league’s benchmark side.

The two sides know what it takes to win, between them winning the last four premierships. After their 2018 flag, the Eagles have struggled to consistently be one of the league’s top teams. Finishing fifth in the two years after has led to disappointingly shallow finals campaigns, with a spectacular loss to Collingwood at home in last year’s elimination final leaving a sour taste in the mouths of many.

Looking for redemption in 2021 hasn’t always gone to plan. An impressive win against Port Adelaide in Round 3 seemed to be the win Eagles needed to kickstart their push for the top four. But that was quickly undermined by a disappointing away loss to St.Kilda, allowing the Saints to kick the last eight goals of the game to complete a 33-point comeback.

Since that loss, the Eagles have been struggling to field a full-strength side and it has caused some less than flattering results. A humiliating 97-point loss to Geelong as well as a shock home loss to the young Bombers have held the Eagles back from pushing into the top four.

Despite fielding an inexperienced lineup for a majority of the season, the Eagles have done enough to remain cemented in the top eight. For now. And after a win against the Blues, they travel home full of confidence.

For many casual footy fans, Richmond have had a surprisingly slow start to the season. Sitting in eighth position on the ladder at the halfway point, you could be forgiven for thinking they are vulnerable. And they might be.

However, the position Richmond find themselves in after 12 rounds this season isn’t foreign. Through eight rounds last season, the Tigers were “struggling” with a record of 4-1-3 and outside the eight.

The champs looked vulnerable midway through the season. But ultimately, a team that never peaks early was able to come home strong with momentum into finals. And of course as we all know, they came home with the chocolates.

After taking care of business against bottom sides Carlton and Hawthorn through the first two rounds, Richmond were made an example of by a rampant young Swans outfit. A shock to many, the Tigers had no answer after being jumped early by 40 points at half-time.

The reason some have questioned where the Tigers are at this season is due to their inability to beat other top eight sides. Through the first 12 rounds, Richmond have managed just one win against a current top-eight side with an admittedly impressive win against the then-undefeated Bulldogs side.

However, they have also lost five games against the Swans, Power, Demons, Cats and Lions. A record that doesn’t flatter the reigning premiers, it has been largely due to fielding inexperienced players due to their own issues with injury.

Winning two games on the trot when hit with scoreboard adversary has caused the belief of the group to grow. A scintillating last quarter against the Bombers, who took the lead midway through the last quarter, is a prime example of that. The momentum they bring will play a huge role in what they believe to be a very winnable game on Sunday.

Both sides go into this week’s matchup feeling the brutal toll of injury, with big names being forced to watch from the sidelines. Primary ruckman Toby Nankervis will remain on the sidelines, leaving a tall task for Mabior Chol who will face Nic Naitanui in the ruck, whilst Dion Prestia will be back on the sidelines after re-aggravating his hamstring late in last weeks win. Tom Lynch will also be missed as he is recovering from his knee injury.

The Eagles will still remain without key players Luke Shuey, Tim Kelly and Jeremy McGovern who have all faced extended stints on the sidelines, whilst Brad Sheppard will also be out after suffering from concussion in a sickening contest against Carlton.

The Eagles forward line does welcome back some tall timber, with Josh Kennedy and Oscar Allen returning and set to cause headaches for Richmond’s back six.

Richmond go into the match in better form and with more personnel than the Eagles, but as many teams usually find it is rare to travel to Optus Stadium and take four points away from the flat track bullying Eagles, no matter the circumstances.

In what will be a riveting game for 120 minutes, the repercussions will last a lot longer after the final siren.

The Repercussions

Both teams will be heading into their mid-season byes after the final bell on Sunday night. No matter the result, both have plenty of planning and review to undertake in preparation for the back-end of the season. However, for the victors, they will be sleeping a whole lot better.

The equation is simple. The winner of Sunday’s blockbuster will head into the bye in a great position to compete for a spot in the top four, earning themselves the double chance come finals. Both the Eagles and the Tigers have the potential to do so, but a win on the weekend is a vital first step to getting into that conversation.

For the loser, life becomes a lot, lot tougher. Not only will aspirations for top four be virtually unreachable, but they will also likely slip only one game ahead of teams outside the eight gunning for their spot in finals.

With both teams byes the week after, the ladder is a little misleading as there are teams below who have played a game less. That leaves this week’s loser incredibly vulnerable to getting jumped by teams below at the conclusion of the bye rounds.

The draw for the Eagles is tough, with consecutive games facing the Bulldogs and Swans straight out of the bye. The Tigers have a string of very winnable games before back-to-back games against the Lions and Cats look to clamp down their season once again.

The importance of this Sunday’s clash can not be overstated. Both can make a strong push for top four contention if able to win, but also leave themselves incredibly vulnerable to the teams below fighting for the final spot in finals. And those teams are ready for either West Coast or Richmond to slip up.

https://www.zerohanger.com/season-defining-sunday-as-richmond-and-west-coast-stake-their-finals-claim-84941/

[WilliamPowell]

Looks like Leppa is doing special comments for Ch7 tonight

Unfortunately, so is Jobe Watson 

[mightytiges]

Hit your targets, Tiges 

Wasted about 6 inside 50s  .

[mightytiges]

Not pretty but take it. Jack goal off the ground  .

Rich  1.1-7
WC   0.0-0

[Buddysucks]

Bolton selfish there blasting away with a player at the 🔝  of the square all alone.

[mightytiges]

NicNat pulled that out of the proverbial.

Two errors by us set that up. The blind kick down the line to a loose Eagle and then we allowed the kick to go over the back to NicNat  .

[mightytiges]

Where are our ground level crumbers when the ball hits the ground in our F50?