Forward Scout: Richmond v Port Adelaide
By Jade Rawlings
richmondfc.com.au
Friday, May 11, 2007
LESSONS FROM LAST WEEK
The biggest thing the players took out of last week is that they need to compete at an appropriate level every week. If you are slightly off your maximum in this competition you’ll get smacked; as we found out last week against Geelong.
OUR BACKS
They have to improve the amount of marks that are being taken on them inside 50. Admittedly, there was not a lot of pressure coming through the middle of the ground last week, but they continually got beaten in the same way. Obviously you are not going to win every contest as a backman but you have to at least try and deny the forwards something.
THEIR FORWARDS
Warren Tredrea is their main tall target; Brett Ebert has also been a focal point for them in the goal square. They certainly have a lot of speed and a very dangerous forward line so we’ll have to make sure we have the speed to match them in defence.
MIDFIELD BATTLE
Port has as talented a midfield as anyone in the competition, so it will be a good challenge for our midfielders to try and match it with the best. They are not the type of midfield you want to have a shootout with, particularly when you look at the quality players they can swing through there, like the Burgoyne brothers and Cornes boys.
THE RUCK DUEL
We are going to have to improvise a little bit and use a couple of players that are not natural ruckmen. We have a couple of little plans up our sleeve as to how we are going to compete against Brendon Lade and possibly Dean Brogan. Essentially, we have to be competitive in the air in order to make it a level playing field once the ball hits the ground.
OUR FORWARDS
We have been concentrating on the players offering enough targets to our midfielders. We want our forwards to continually work to offer the kicker the lead and someone to kick to rather than be stationary.
THEIR BACKS
They seem to be a very honest backline and seem to work pretty well together. They also rebound very well, so it is going to be a catch 22 to be able to go for our marks and kick a winning score and also restrict their run from their backline as well.
Full article at:
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=43009