Richmond vs Carlton R1 2009

[Smokey]

SEN's late show 'Gladiators' got onto us and Carlton last night and how we were both up and coming sides at around the same level and both have expectations of finals next year. One of them then said the round 1 game will be a crunch game for how the rest of the season will go. The winner will gain massive momentum for the rest of the year while the loser especially if it's a poor loss could flop.

Too much talent at our club now to flop.  The only way that will happen is if we have a horrendous run with injuries or some unforeseen off-field turmoil envelopes the club.  Not saying we will be premiers or even top 4 but out stocks are now sufficient to keep us from the bottom at least for the next couple of seasons.

[mightytiges]

They said the same thing before round 1 this year except they were expecting us to be the ones to rollover for Judd's party  . To say the result of a round 1 game affects the rest of the season is ridiculous. The Swans over the last five years have made it an artform to start the year poorly before still ending up in the finals.

[wayne]

The Blues are getting the Bombers treatment of last year in the media.

The Bombers had an article pretty much every day for the whole off-season.

[one-eyed]

No marketing needed for round-one clash
Martin Boulton | December 17, 2008

IN MARCH this year, Richmond and Carlton's Thursday night opener between Richmond and Carlton dragged more than 70,000 to the MCG.

On that evening, the interest in the game was generated largely by the arrival at Carlton of Chris Judd.

Next year, when the same clubs face off at the same venue, the drawcard will be another former Eagle champion and Brownlow medallist, Ben Cousins.

Carlton had the home gate last time, and it's fitting that the Tigers, having taken the plunge on Cousins, will reap the home-game benefits of the monstrous event.

But as much as Richmond and Carlton fans alike might be salivating at the prospect of season-opening showdown between the old teammates, Tigers coach Terry Wallace said was it too early to say whether Cousins would play in round one.

"We know he's kept himself in good shape, (but) from a football sense we have to ease him into the early part of our training regime because our guys have been up and running for a couple of months," he said.

"He's got a lot of time, its a long while between now and the start of the (season), but he's got a lot to prove as well.

"… He gains an opportunity and what he does with that opportunity, how he presents himself, whether he starts playing at Coburg or AFL level, that will be up to Ben and how he conducts himself at our football club."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/no-marketing-needed-for-roundone-clash/2008/12/16/1229189623683.html

[Chuck17]

Anyone want to have a go at our midfield starting line up for this game

I think it will be

Tuck   Based on his latter half of 2008 year he has to be in here I would have thought       

Jackson I think Judd will be tagged all day and I think Jackson is the man to do it, based on the latter half of his 2008 year he probably has the runs on the board vs other potential taggers in Polo/Kingy

Foley  Our clearance king, you would think he would have to be in here as well.  He is too small and doesnt seem to be a strong enough mark to play either back or forward.  It would either be in the middle or on the bench.

But that leaves Cousins and Lids not in the starting midfield and I would think at least one of them have to be in there.  Then you have Cotch and then the next level of Cogs/Hislop/Thomson/White/Tambling etc.

I would like to see Lids in the middle to give Gibbs/Murphy a bath and for Cousins to run all over Nick Stevens, but that would mean Tuck or Foley not in there.

One thing for sure the pressure on the midfield will be intense to perform as our midfield quality and quantity is lifting from previous years.

[Judge Roughneck]

Carlton fans expect them to line up:

Thornton Jamison Browne
Grigg Bower Simpson
Gibbs Harley Stevens
Houlihan Waite Walker
Bett Fevola KReuzer
Warnock Judd Murphy
Scotland Yarren Russel Cloke


IMO the backline is pretty weak. Deledio, Cousins, Brown, Cotchin, Richo, Morton etc. should be able to kick a few goals if our midfield breaks even. I expect Coughlan, Foley, Tuck, Thomson etc. to break even.

Thursfeild -> Fev
Newman -> Houlihan
Schultz/MooreMcGaune - >Walker/Waite?

Would love for Rance to smash Kruzer.
We need to find a small defender to play on betts / yarren - and all the small for like milne type fookers.

[Stripes]

Our possible small defenders for next year are King, Raines, Tambling, McMahon, Hislop and maybe even Polo. Bling and McMahon are more offesive rebounding defenders. Kingy and Raines play similiar styles but are more defensive minded though Kingy aerial weakness has been exploited recently and Raines is coming off poor form before a major injury.

I think we may find Hislop will become that defender we need to blanket players such as Betts, Milne etc with Raines the other likelihood.

The midfield battle should be the most interesting. We need to use players such as Tuck, Cousins, Cogs, Thomson, Lids and Foley to out-muscle their smaller skilled mids. Judd and Stevens are strong but Gibbs, Murphy and co we should be able to expose. The line-ups appear very evenly matched.

A fully fit Simmonds should be able to towel up Warnock and Cloke. Patto less so.

Our forwards are relatively weak but so is their backline so it will depend who has developed the most since last season.

Should be a ripper game - hope we tear them a new one!

Stripes

[mightytiges]

I still think the Blues will need Waite at CHB. I can't see them getting away with just Bower and Jamieson. The others in Bents line-up aren't tall key defenders when we're likely to have talls Richo, Jack, Cleve, Simmo when he's resting, rotating up forward. A third tall could easily stretch the Blues defence without Waite especially when Richo pushes inside 50.

In the midfield I think we'll start with Foley, Tuck and Jacko (tagging Judd). We then have Cotch, Lids and Cuz as the second tier  and then the likes of Sugar, Blingers, Thommo, Whitey, etc as our third tier. We finally have some flexbility and depth in the midfield to play around with. Judd, Gibbs and Stevens will be the Blue mids will have to contain. Murphy's kicking can be suspect at times.

Both clubs have the potential to play finals next year so it'll be a good first up test. A win would generate some significant momentum for the rest of the season.

[Ramps]

You'd almost give Vickery a debut game against Carlton in a forward pocket in those circumstances.

[mightytiges]

You'd almost give Vickery a debut game against Carlton in a forward pocket in those circumstances.

It'd be a bold selection but if he kicks 2-3 goals then not only would it be a massive boost to his confidence but it would force Ratten to find a tall to match-up on him. If he has to use Waite down back then that frees up Richo on the wing.

[one-eyed]

2009 Round One Betting Market Open

Richmond $1.93 v Carlton $1.80 MCG

Brisbane $1.33 v West Coast $3.10 G

Collingwood $1.45 v Adelaide $2.60 MCG

Fremantle $1.75 v Western Bulldogs $2.00 S

Hawthorn $2.10 v Geelong $1.67 MCG

Melbourne $3.40 v Nth Melbourne $1.28 MCG

Port Adelaide $1.38 v Essendon $2.85 AS

St Kilda $1.36 v Sydney $2.95 TD

http://www.tab.com.au/Sports/Betting/PlaceFixedOddsBet.aspx?State=1&LocationCode=0&Competition=102&MeetingType=1]Source: TAB Sportsbet

[cub]

In a nutsell I hate Carlton and their supporters - hope we bend em over Big Time - Captain obvious here 

I know over the years Skunks have taken over, but too me they are level playing field.

ie: You know pond scum, all the duck and fish excretion and whatever else is down the bottotm of a stinky sewer filled pond, well skunks and Blooz are the bedrock below that stuff.

Once again 

[mightytiges]

Either the bookies think Port will improve big time or Essendon is crap  .

I'm happy if we go into round 1 again underrated. No Nick Stevens for the Blues and Browny surely won't kicked 7 straight points again.

[tiogar]

Richo, Brown, Deledio, Cotchin, Cousins....equal to any list of stars the Blues may have.

We'll have 40,000 of the tiger Army there in full voice and we wil have the best list among the big 4. We'll stuff them.

[wayne]

Here's wayne's highlights package from R1 this year to whet the appetite 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5EUN-tRZFM

The Gunners blocked my video because I used Welcome to the Jungle!!!

I have made a NEW HQ version, it has also been trimmed a little, and there is no music just commentary.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=2xNhR7YOmPE