Eight beckons for Richmond
18 June 2006 Sunday Herald Sun
AAP
RICHMOND has the perfect opportunity to move into the top eight for the first time this season when it takes on an undermanned Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Launceston today.
After a shaky start, the underrated Tigers have edged into finals contention by winning six of their past eight games.
And with a tough draw to come after the split round, the club's first clash for premiership points in Tasmania shapes as a must-win encounter.
``It really makes no difference if you're in the eight at this stage of the year or not,'' Richmond coach Terry Wallace said before the Tigers trained at Aurora Stadium yesterday.
``We just realise that we've got six games against some really tough opponents that are right high up inside the eight in the next six weeks.
``So against sides outside the eight we've got to try to get the results if we possibly can.''
Hawthorn's season has gone in the opposite direction to Richmond's.
The Hawks got off to a flyer, winning four of their first five games, before injuries and the suspension of captain Richie Vandenberg hit hard.
They enter today's game on a six-game losing run and with ruckman Peter Everitt (ankle) joining a long injury list that also includes Shane Crawford, Trent Croad and Danny Jacobs.
But, as both Wallace and Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson pointed out yesterday, the Hawks were winning more matches early in the season when youngster Robert Campbell had assumed the No.1 ruck berth over Everitt.
Campbell has been playing in defence in recent weeks, but the Tigers expect him to go head-to-head with big Richmond ruckman Troy Simmonds, who is in career-best form.
Both clubs are well supported in Tasmania, with officials expecting a stadium record crowd of more than 20,000.
The one major disappointment is that gun Tigers forward Matthew Richardson, who hails from nearby Devonport, will miss the rare opportunity of playing on home soil because of a broken hand.
In his absence, many of the Tigers attacks will be directed through Nathan Brown, who impressed with two goals against the Kangaroos last week in his second attempt to come back after breaking his leg.
``I think (Brown) played about 65 per cent last week and it could be anywhere between 60 and 80 (per cent) this week,'' Wallace said.
``He's not that far away from getting back to being full throttle.''
With Richardson out, the only two Tasmanians on show today will be young Hawks duo Grant Birchall and Simon Taylor.
It will be the first match back at Aurora Stadium since the ``Sirengate fiasco'' in Round 5.
On that occasion, Fremantle was awarded the victory by the AFL Commission four days after its controversial finish against St Kilda.
The Commission ruled that the timekeepers had erred in not sounding the final siren long enough before St Kilda's Steven Baker kicked what appeared to be the tying point.
New louder sirens have since been installed at the ground.
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