Blues, Tigers set to grab centre stage
March 19, 2008 - 6:19PM
For the Tigers, they simply must perform, with Terry Wallace entering his fourth year in charge under intense pressure.
Richmond president Gary March has done nothing to ease that, by publicly declaring the club needs to see some results of patient rebuilding over the past three seasons.
There is not much faith from outside the club, bookmakers having installed them as wooden spoon favourites.
Skipper Kane Johnson, likely to line up on Judd on Thursday night, admits everyone at Tigerland is feeling the heat ahead of what will be a "finals-like" clash.
"Any team that wins three games (last season) there's going to be pressure on everyone at the club, it's not just Terry," Johnson said.
While the Judd deal overshadowed other trades of the summer, a new Tiger, ex-Bulldog Jordan McMahon, will don the yellow and black for the first time.
"I'm really looking forward to putting on the famous yellow sash ... the crowd is also a big issue for me," McMahon said.
"I played before 84,000 once for the Bulldogs in the final against Collingwood in 2006 and it will be really interesting to play in front of a crowd like that in a home and away game. It will feel like a final."
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