A scary flag ‘wildcard’ has emerged… and it could spell ‘heartbreak’ for three BIG contendersBen Cotton
Fox Sports
August 15th, 2022 Fox Footy’s First Crack team have dubbed Richmond a premiership “wildcard” this September amid fears of “heartbreak” for the team who finishes sixth and plays the Tigers in the first week of finals.
It comes ahead of an intriguing final round of the home and away season where either the loser of Melbourne and Brisbane’s blockbuster clash could tumble down to sixth place — unless Sydney, Collingwood or Fremantle fall to St Kilda, Carlton and GWS respectively.
There’s still much to play out — and this season has already been so very unpredictable — but the prospect of facing an in-form Richmond side in a knockout final at the MCG certainly looms as a massive danger game.
“They are coming with a rush the Tigers … I think there’s going to be heartbreak for whichever team finishes sixth at the end of this round,” Saints great Leigh Montagna said on First Crack.
“If it’s the Brisbane Lions finishing sixth, I don’t think they’ll beat the Tigers, and we know about their finals record (1-5 under Chris Fagan) and they are going to come under scrutiny.
“If Melbourne finish sixth the reigning champs are going to take on Richmond at the MCG. Richmond are in better form, playing better football, I’d be taking the Tigers.
“If it’s Collingwood and they happen to lose to Carlton and lose two on the trot and play Richmond at the MCG in an elimination final, it could spell the end of a fairytale that’s been an unbelievable ride.
“Richmond are a force … they are humming and coming along really nicely. You don’t want to play Richmond first week of finals, and for one of those three (teams), it’s going to spell heartbreak.”
It comes after the Tigers won their third-straight game in a 61-point demolition of Hawthorn on Sunday at the MCG behind a monster — and equal career-high — eight-goal haul from Tom Lynch.
Richmond is third on the form ladder since Round 7 and has only suffered four narrow losses since — against North Melbourne (by four points), Gold Coast (two points), Geelong (three points), Sydney (six points) as well as a draw with Fremantle.
Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson believes Damien Hardwick’s side has all the tools to emulate the Western Bulldogs’ 2016 heroics and win the flag from outside the top four — a feat only achieved once previously to that by the Adelaide Crows in 1998.
“I actually think they can (win the premiership) — not taking today because they played Hawthorn, who is probably tiring, but it just showed again that they have the weapons,” he said.
“They have the experience — they’ve won three flags, they know how to win. They know how to time their runs — 2018 they learned that the hard way how not to do it, since then they’ve shown how to build and build and build.
“They’ve shown their good enough against the good teams, they should’ve won more games than they have, and the weapons they have they’re added to.
“Lynch has hit career-best form, Jack Riewoldt and now Noah Cumberland has come in as the supporting forward. Shai Bolton is as dangerous as anyone in the competition, and Maurice Rioli, not just without the ball, but today we saw an emergence of him with the ball as well. Then there’s the wildcard — Dusty (if he returns from a hamstring injury).
“They are a massive wildcard heading into September.”
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