Tigers plot shutdown of $2m Fevola
Greg Denham | June 26, 2008
IN the lead-up to Saturday's Richmond-Carlton clash at the MCG - a match that may well determine who remains in the race to play in the finals - an opponent for Blues matchwinner Brendan Fevola is yet to be decided.
That task would have normally gone to the Tigers' no-frills defender Will Thursfield, but he has missed the past two rounds with a hamstring strain and is no certainty to resume on Saturday.
When the two clubs last clashed, in the opening round of the season, Thursfield played on Fevola all night and kept him to just two goals, the first of which was from a free kick.
Thursfield, in just his 23rd game after an injury riddled start to his career, gathered 11 possessions and took six marks when the Tigers restricted Carlton to 11 goals and won by 30 points. Should Thursfield not come up this week, Richmond may have to call on either Kelvin Moore or Luke McGuane to fill the void, with a lot of help from team-mates to block space.
Fevola is in career-best form with 57 goals for the season to be just four goals behind John Coleman Medal leader, Hawthorn's Buddy Franklin.
The full-forward's form is so hot at the moment - he's booted 15 goals over the past fortnight - that on-going contract negotiations for the next three seasons have forced his price rise from $1.75 million to about $2 million, which Carlton is understood to have agreed to.
The Blues are in 10th, two points behind eighth-placed North Melbourne, while 11th-placed Richmond is a game off the Kangaroos.
After consecutive wins over Melbourne and Port Adelaide, Richmond is attempting three wins on the trot for the first time since 2006, between rounds 19 and 21.
Blues coach Brett Ratten yesterday said he expected Saturday night's clash to shape the Blues' season, following Carlton's loss to Essendon last week after successive wins over the Power and Collingwood.
"It's an important part of the year, going into a break, we both need a win," Ratten said.
While Carlton has rarely strung together consecutive wins in recent years, the one positive for the Blues is that since recording a round-four victory which broke a record-equalling run of 14 straight losses, they have not been beaten in back-to-back matches.
Ratten emphasised that being able to rebound quickly has been a priority at Princes Park this season. "It's always important for a young team to bounce back after a performance that's not acceptable," he said.
"It is important for us to get back on that winning cycle because it is about confidence and the longer you stay down, the more you lose so, for us, it's been great that we have bounced back straight after a loss."
Carlton captain Chris Judd should be fit to lead his club, but Ratten would not guarantee his place.
Judd was concussed early in Sunday's loss to Essendon in a clash with Matthew Lloyd and lacked his customary dash. He appeared to struggle for the rest of the game and was held to a season-low 12 possessions.
Ratten said he expected Judd and Andrew Carrazzo, who was also concussed, to prove their fitness, but declined to declare them certain starters.
"The likelihood is that they will play but we'll wait until Friday to make that assessment," Ratten said. "(Judd) hasn't trained and we haven't trained as a group but he's done all the touch work, so he feels fine but we'll wait and see."
Ratten said Judd had reported to the Carlton medical staff on Monday that he still had headaches.
Andrew Walker, who has been sidelined since requiring surgery after dislocating his shoulder in the pre-season, will return to the VFL this weekend.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23922445-2722,00.html
