R4: Tigers vs Dees

[one-eyed]

Looking ahead to next weekend.....

Newman won't let Demons creep in
richmondfc.com.au
By Matt Burgan
Tue 14 April, 2009

RICHMOND captain Chris Newman says he is not even contemplating what could happen if the Tigers go down to Melbourne next Sunday at the MCG.

The Tigers lost their third match of the season from as many rounds on Sunday, this time to the Western Bulldogs by 47 points at Docklands on Easter Monday.

Speaking post-match, Newman said the Tigers certainly can't think about any consequences if the 15th placed Demons overcame bottom-of-the-ladder Richmond.   

"We just need to focus on Melbourne and Melbourne's strengths and focus on what we do well and go after them,” the skipper said.

“Melbourne is going to come at us with everything and we need to be ready and on our game to get the result.

"We're not shying away from that. Any team that is zip and three at the start of the year – they're going to be asking questions and internally we know that it's only round three and we've got the confidence that we can turn this around.

"All we need to focus on now is Melbourne – nothing ahead of time – just Melbourne and that's all we're going to go after."

Newman conceded his team's effort was a step back from its showing against Geelong at Skilled Stadium in round two and added that Richmond fans had every right to be disappointed with the yellow and black's performance against the Dogs.

Full article at:
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/74876/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

We must win, say Matthew Richardson and Ben Cousins
Finn Bradshaw | April 14, 2009 03:15pm

BEN Cousins and Matthew Richardson have declared this week's match against Melbourne as a "must-win" contest. The Tigers are under pressure after yesterday's 47-point loss to the Bulldogs point an exclamation point on their winless start to the year.

Cousins, who is still recuperating from a hamstring injury suffered in Round 1, said the Tigers needed to turn their form around this Sunday.

"We've got a huge month coming up," Cousins said on Nova 100 this morning.

"We are capable of turning it around, we can't look any further ahead than this week but we need to beat Melbourne."

Richardson said both teams were desperate to win, but that the Tigers would go in favourites.

"It is going to be built up all week, Melbourne has had a poor start as well, going on pre season predictions and last year, people would expect that we would win this game," he told vega 91.5fm this morning.

The big forward said while he wasn't surprised by this morning's Herald Sun article on coach Terry Wallace, his boss' job wasn't under threat.

"I would have put my house on it that the press would have come after us today. With zero out of three, a poor performance for the start of the year and Terry in his last year of his contract. we knew that the press would come after us. We just have to ignore that sort of stuff and beat Melbourne this weekend.

"Our president could not have come out more categorically saying that Terry Wallace would coach Richmond out for the year. I don't know what else the president of our club can say to make the press back off.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25333072-19742,00.html

[wayne]

RICHMOND captain Chris Newman says he is not even contemplating what could happen if the Tigers go down to Melbourne next Sunday at the MCG.

[mat073]

Well done wayne....Thats the image I have in my head if we lose on Sunday My only question is that the scene out the front of Punt Rd Oval or TWs house

[mightytiges]

"We just need to focus on Melbourne and Melbourne's strengths and focus on what we do well and go after them,” the skipper said.

“Melbourne is going to come at us with everything and we need to be ready and on our game to get the result.

"We're not shying away from that. Any team that is zip and three at the start of the year – they're going to be asking questions and internally we know that it's only round three and we've got the confidence that we can turn this around.

"All we need to focus on now is Melbourne – nothing ahead of time – just Melbourne and that's all we're going to go after."

Geez I get nervous when we say things like that above in bold. It's like we say it trying to convince ourselves we can do it  . It's Melbourne for gawd's sake who we flogged by 80 points last time, have won just 3 of their past 34 games, and haven't beaten a fellow Victorian side in 2 years. So what if they come at us. Play some positive footy with belief in each other to win a contest. Don't talk just do as Tuckerbag said last week 

[Ramps]

Ill be including Richmond 39.5 points Plus in a multi or the weekend. We will flog them to save Wallace for afew more weeks.

[Go Richo 12]

Ill be including Richmond 39.5 points Plus in a multi or the weekend. We will flog them to save Wallace for afew more weeks.

By far the most positive post this week, if not the season so far

[one-eyed]

Melbourne set for huge day against Richmond
Jon Anderson | April 16, 2009

MELBOURNE chairman Jim Stynes has described Sunday's cellar-dweller clash with Richmond as one where his team can develop a winning culture.

While acknowledging that Richmond deserves to be favourite, Stynes is desperate for Melbourne's young list to start winning so a "losing mentality doesn't creep in".

"Our young players need to know how to win so when they get into arm wrestles, and that's what most games are, they know they can do it," Stynes said.

"We have played well in patches this year but then been blown away in a short space of time.

"That is unacceptable. Playing Richmond is a great opportunity in that we see it as a game we can win.

"They are going to come out very hard early on after the battering they've taken this week. I just hope our players realise that."

Melbourne will be without Daniel Bell, Simon Buckley, James McDonald, Austin Wonaeamirri, Mark Jamar, Paul Wheatley and Colin Garland, but Stynes says the Demons have enough talent to beat Richmond at the MCG.

"As a developing list we probably don't have an enormous amount of difference between our best 18 and our best 30. We don't have the same gap a Carlton may have," Stynes said.

"But the 22 who run out will give it a real crack, at least that is my expectation, and hopefully every other Melbourne fan who goes to the game. There are no excuses, just the hope we play our best over four quarters.

"We may well be rebuilding but it's very important not to lose the drive to win."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25340041-19742,00.html

[one-eyed]

RICHMOND v MELBOURNE preview
MCG, Sunday, April 19, 2.10pm

TV: Channel Seven, 3pm. RADIO: 3AW, Triple M, K-Rock.

LAST TIME: Rd.22, 2008. Richmond 18.13 (121) d Melbourne 6.5 (41) at MCG.

RECORD OVERALL: Richmond 98, Melbourne 75, drawn 2.

AT THIS GROUND: Richmond 64, Melbourne 55, drawn 1.

IN THE 2000s: Richmond 9, Melbourne 5.

COACHES: Wallace 2, Bailey 0.

Betting:  Luxbet.com
Richmond 1.34
Melbourne 3.30
   
Summary The season is only three rounds old and winter is still five weeks away, but this clash is arguably the most significant since Geelong beat Hawthorn in the grand final rematch three weeks ago. This is 15th versus 16th, but contains that gory, can't-look-away feel because there's so much riding on it. A breakthrough win beckons for one of this year's early strugglers, but for the vanquished its another week of soul-searching. Especially if the yellow and black drop another one. Richmond have been embarrassed in two of their three defeats, and another poor showing will turn the heat right on coach Terry Wallace, who is this year fighting for his career. Melbourne, in contrast, have been encouraging at times, although for all their bright periods they still get blown out of games very quickly. The major positive the Tigers can take into this game is they have the (potential) match-winners, whereas the Demons lack someone who can stamp their influence on the game for longer than a quarter. Key Poise. Imagine this as the AFL's equivalent to a penalty shoot-out between two sides in a relegation fight. Cool heads usually prevail, so let's see how the Tigers' talk of inner calm stacks up.

Tip: Richmond by 18 points

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfmatchpreview/richmond-v-melbourne/2009/04/16/1239474997187.html

[one-eyed]

Wallace in spotlight and Melbourne wary of wounded Richmond
Michael Gleeson | April 18, 2009

TWO teams are winless. One team is the clear favourite to win the wooden spoon, that team is also the three-to-one outsider to win the game. But it is the other team's coach whose job is in peril.

Melbourne plays Richmond tomorrow, but the game is scarcely about Melbourne. This game is all about Richmond, and more pointedly Terry Wallace.

Dean Bailey's side has not won a game this season either, but then no one has expected it to. The expectations are that Melbourne will win precious few games this year but that it is at least part of an acknowledged bottoming out process that is now hopefully at the very beginning of a Jack Watts-Sam Blease up-swing.

Richmond, on the other hand, still retains hopes of finals this year and a flag not too far beyond that. Hence it is still unsettled by the ramifications of the first-round belting by Carlton. Win solidly tomorrow and in the next fortnight and the storm will have left the tea-cup. Lose and … well you know what happens next.

"They have had a tough week but it doesn't change our focus, it doesn't change what we are about, we need to be competitive for the whole game, four quarters," Bailey said yesterday.

"I think the headlines and words used were well documented. I am sure Terry, like we are, is just keen to play the game on Sunday. The headlines have been circling. The headline (that Richmond was a ticking time-bomb) brought some attention. I don't think it was an acceptable headline. But that was the way it was portrayed, we now move on and play the game."

With such focus on Richmond and how it might behave before the game, in the game and, most pertinently, after the game, Bailey appropriately reminded that he cared little for what the Tigers did.

"I expect us to come out pretty hard. I expect us to be on the front foot. I expect us to be winning first possession. I expect us to be tackling. I expect us to come out in a proactive way, that is what we have to do — what Richmond do that is up to them," Bailey said.

"We are not going to walk out there and just accept them attacking us, we need to attack them and I think that is always the best way to approach any situation."

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/wallace-in-spotlight-demons-wary/2009/04/17/1239475064832.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[TigerTime]

if we beat the demons, we are level pegging with the hawks and only 1 game out of the 8 

[mightytiges]

Out pathetic percentage puts us effectively another game out even if we win tomorrow. 150 points down puts us 3 big wins behind to make up and that's counting on no more bad floggings from us for the rest of the year.

[Danog]

We'll just have to have a massive win, then.

[tigersalive]

157 points will be fine.