Bring on the Dockers, say Tigers defenders Matt Murnane
The Age
June 1, 2015 Richmond is confident their dramatic form reversal of the past three weeks has provided the "perfect" preparation to test undefeated Fremantle.
From 2-4, and with coach Damien Hardwick facing the media blowtorch, the Tigers have staged a dramatic turnaround with victories over three fellow finals contenders to be inside the top eight heading into a fascinating showdown against the Dockers at Domain Stadium on Friday.
Tigers defender Troy Chaplin revealed the players' ability to execute an adjustment made by Hardwick to the team's ball movement was the key reason behind the rapid improvement.
The Tigers new "go slow" tactic to alter or maintain the momentum of games has been significant in helping the team reduce turnovers and deliver better disposal efficiency in important wins against Collingwood, Port Adelaide and Saturday night's party-crashing display against Essendon.
Fellow Tigers defender Dylan Grimes said the key adjustment, a more disciplined approach and the return of key players had Richmond ready to challenge the ladder-leaders.
"It's great we are in some really good form and we have beaten some quality opposition," Grimes told the club's website.
"But travelling over there is a really tough task. We are really excited about the challenge and I think we've prepared perfectly for it so it's going to be a big game."
Even though Saturday night's Dreamtime at the 'G win against the Bombers was generally considered an ugly, turnover-to-turnover game, Chaplin said the team had made an effort to reduce points conceded from turnovers by "taking a bit more care with the ball".
"I think we've just been a little bit more efficient with our disposal," Chaplin said, pointing to the fact the Tigers have not lost the disposal efficiency indicator in the last three weeks.
"The Kangaroos game [in round six], they scored something like 90 points off turnover, and we sort of looked at it after that," he said on Channel Nine.
"We want to play that fast style, but we can't play that for the whole 120 minutes, you just can't do it in today's game. We've definitely held onto the footy a bit more."
Other key factors have been the emergence of Grimes as a consistent lockdown defender, which Chaplin said had allowed himself and Alex Rance to impact the game more as "third-up defenders".
"We are starting to understand one another's game styles and how we work together as a group," Chaplin said of the back six, also praising the role of Jake Batchelor in that regard.
The other player to have elevated his game is midfielder Brandon Ellis, who had 31 disposals against the Bombers and is on a run of 28 consecutive matches of 20 disposals or more.
Always a ball magnet on the outside, Chaplin said assistant coach Mark Williams had been instrumental in helping Ellis become a better contested ball player this year.
"He's an elite runner and probably gave us a lot of outside work but in the last few weeks he's been able to win a lot of his own footy, and that's what we've been asking from him," Chaplin said.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/bring-on-the-dockers-say-tigers-defenders-20150531-ghdl6n.html
