Brissie game

[one-eyed]

The AFL site is tipping us by 2 goals.


SUMMARY
It wasn't that long ago both Richmond and the Brisbane Lions had reason to smile, but how quickly things can change. Just two weeks ago the Lions were coming off back-to-back wins over North Melbourne and Adelaide to open their account for 2011 but have since copped 10-goal hidings from Sydney Swans and Carlton to derail their resurgence.

Tigers fans were starting to dream of finals action after a rousing win over Essendon in their Dream Time at the 'G in round 9. They had four wins and a draw to that point of the season.

But a loss to Port Adelaide in Darwin, a bye, and Sunday's 10-point loss against the Swans in Sydney has stalled the Tigers' momentum and they're now stuck a win plus percentage outside the eight.

The teams met less than two months ago and the Tigers ran all over the Lions in the last quarter to win, with Nathan Foley (40 disposals), Dustin Martin (35) and Robin Nahas (26 and three goals) running riot.

Since then, the Lions have regained Jonathan Brown following facial surgery but lost full-back Daniel Merrett (stress fractures in his back), which makes the match-up on reigning Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt a tricky one.

Motivation should not be a problem for either team as they try to get their season back on track.

QUESTION MARKS
Can the Lions curtail Richmond's pace? When they matched up in round six, it was players such as Foley, Nahas and Bachar Houli that left Lions defenders grasping at thin air. If that happens again, they could be in for a long night, with Martin, Trent Cochin and Brett Deledio well equipped to take advantage of any extra disposals and overlapping spread by the Tigers.

How will Richmond front up after their week of travel? It's hard enough playing interstate on back-to-back weeks off a six-day turnaround as it is, but Richmond have faced the ultimate hurdle this week. With Melbourne Airport closed on Sunday and most of Monday due to volcanic ash, the Tigers could not get a flight home from Sydney and decided to take a 10-hour bus trip. Just how they recover and what shape they are in when they turn up to the Gabba, might go a long way to determining the result.

PREDICTION
Richmond by 12 points

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/116208/default.aspx

[Eat_em_Alive]

Will it be jekyl or hyde this weekend?? I wonder?

Never expected us to make finals at the start of the season, but at this stage why not try their best to.
The experience alone would be benneficial.

In short, Tigers- Make Brisbane another fatality!! 

[eliminator]

Merrett played well against Jack last time so that will be a bonus

[one-eyed]

Tigers' Brisbane function
richmondfc.com.au
4:30 PM Tue 14 Jun, 2011


Richmond, in conjunction with the Club’s Brisbane supporters’ group, is holding a special pre-game function on Saturday night, before the Tigers’ Round 13 clash with the Lions at the Gabba.

The function will take place at the Lord Stanley Hotel, 1000 Stanley Street, Brisbane, from 3pm-6pm, hosted by Tiger great Dale Weightman.

Guests include a Richmond assistant coach, along with former Tiger players.
Give-aways, raffles and auction items will all be part of the festivities, with food provided and drinks available at bar prices.

The cost is $30 per head and bookings are essential.  Please click below to purchase tickets. 

Click on image to enlarge:


http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/116249/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Forward Scout: Richmond
Brisbane Lions official website
By Michael Whiting
Tue 14 Jun, 2011

AFTER successive 10-goal losses against Sydney Swans and Carlton, the Brisbane Lions are desperate to rejuvenate their season against Richmond at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Things looked promising two weeks ago after back-to-back wins over North Melbourne and Adelaide, but the Lions were smashed in tight against the Swans and then beaten with pace by the Blues.

Jed Adcock has a test on a finger injury, while Josh Drummond played a match in reserves to show coach Michael Voss he is available for selection.

Saturday night's opponents are fresh from a 10-point loss to the Swans and a 10-hour bus trip from Sydney to Melbourne after their flight home was delayed because of the volcanic ash surrounding Melbourne Airport.

The teams met in round six, with Richmond coming out 26-point victors at the MCG thanks to heavy contributions from Nathan Foley (40 disposals), Dustin Martin (35) and Robin Nahas (26 and three goals).

The Club: Richmond Tigers

2011 so far: Richmond has endured a rollercoaster season with some scintillating footy mixed in with sub-par performances. They started with a nightmare first month that resulted in heavy losses to Carlton, Collingwood and Hawthorn, but righted the ship with an exciting stretch that included wins over North Melbourne, the Lions, Fremantle and Essendon. But of late the Tigers have lost to Port Adelaide and the Swans to leave them struggling with four wins, one draw and six losses to sit in 11th.

The Coach: Damien Hardwick has always been a winner and it's a trait he wanted to bring to a struggling Tigers outfit he inherited at the start of 2010. The rugged defender won premierships with both Essendon (2000) and Port Adelaide (2004) as a player before heading into coaching where he was Alastair Clarkson's assistant at Hawthorn for the 2008 flag. Hardwick lost his first nine matches in charge at Tigerland but finished last season 6-16, and with minimal changes to its list, Richmond has won four and drawn one match to the mid-point of 2011.

The Star: Jack Riewoldt is no longer known solely as St Kilda captain Nick's little cousin. The Richmond spearhead announced himself to the AFL world last season when he booted 78 goals to win the Coleman Medal and the Jack Dyer Medal as the Tigers' best and fairest. He is 195cm, strong overhead but just as good on the ground, which makes him a difficult match-up. With Daniel Merrett out injured, Matt Maguire is likely to get first crack.

The Sleeper: There's always pressure on No.1 Draft picks, and it was no different for Brett Deledio when he was taken first in 2004. The 24-year-old took a little while to settle in to the AFL, but has more than found his feet with best and fairest wins in 2008 and 2009. Deledio went from the midfield to halfback last season with huge success and has enhanced his reputation further this season by not only hunting the ball, but closing down the likes of Brendon Goddard in a run-with role. He loves to run loose, find the ball and uses it well.

The Young Gun: Dustin Martin had an exceptional first season in 2010 and would have been a strong contender for the Rising Star award had he not been reprimanded by the tribunal for an illegal bump. In just 32 senior matches, Martin has shown he loves the tough stuff and is a fine clearance player. The 19-year-old has also shown good skill by hand and foot and he loves to go forward and kick goals.

Strengths: The Tigers are blessed with terrific pace they exploited the Lions with it in round six. With Nathan Foley, Robin Nahas and Bachar Houli among the ranks, they love to spread the ball quickly from contests and use their leg speed to get the ball forward.

Weaknesses: Richmond has shown a number of times this season defence is not always top of its priority list. The young Tigers are not always quick to find a player, particularly from turnovers, and have been hurt by oppositions running into plenty of space. They are ranked 15th in points against, although they have shown improvement in the past three matches where the average points conceded is just 84.

http://www.lions.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5085/newsid/116224/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Tigers' defence tested at Gabba

    Greg Denham
    From: The Australian
    June 15, 2011

RICHMOND'S dearth of key defenders has the potential to be a major hurdle in its prospects of ending a two-match losing sequence when it plays 15th-placed Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Tall defender David Astbury became another casualty when he dislocated his kneecap early against the Swans on Sunday, which will leave Richmond vulnerable against powerhouse Lions forward Jonathan Brown.

Brown has not played against the Tigers in their two clashes since he dominated by polling maximum Brownlow Medal votes with four goals from 19 disposals and 11 marks when Brisbane last beat Richmond in round seven, 2009.

Astbury, who was driven back to Melbourne immediately after Sunday's game accompanied by his club doctor for assessment on Monday, will miss between six and eight weeks.

Scans revealed no structural damage, but it appears likely that he will require minor surgery when the swelling subsides.

Richmond, whose disabled list includes defenders Luke McGuane, Dylan Grimes, Will Thursfield, Kelvin Moore and Matt Dea, is hoping McGuane will be available to take on Brown after he withdrew late against Sydney with on-going soreness.

As it stands today, the Tigers' only fully fit key defender is Alex Rance, with back-up from David Gourdis, who made his debut last year and played the final three rounds of the season.

However, the upgraded former rookie-list full-back has been in patchy form in the VFL.

McGuane travelled to Sydney earlier than teammates last week in a bid to be available, but pulled up sore after a light training run at the SCG on Saturday and was replaced by smaller defender Jake Batchelor.

In a reshuffle, coach Damien Hardwick was forced to switch centre half-forward Brad Miller to a defensive role to pinch hit when Astbury was forced off.

Grimes severely damaged his hamstring in round nine and is unlikely to play again this season; nor is Moore, who had hip surgery in between seasons but broke down badly during the NAB Cup and was placed on the club's long-term injury list.

Thursfield, whose only senior appearance this year was against Collingwood in round four, has been sidelined for the past month by a calf problem, while Dea, in his second season, has a stress issue in his shins and has not played at any level for at least six weeks.

Brown, who has kicked eight goals in his four games back

from shocking facial injuries received in the opening round, looms as Richmond's biggest obstacle, despite averaging two goals in his nine career games against the Tigers.

Since Richmond's round nine win over Essendon, the Tigers have slipped from ninth on the ladder to 11th, but remain one game outside the eight.

Jeromey Webberley and Brad Helbig are in the selection mix for recalls against the Lions, while second-year key forward Ben Griffiths is getting close to being considered for his first game for the Tigers this year.

Griffiths, who played five senior games last year as a 19-year-old before undergoing surgery on both shoulders, has had three full games with Coburg in the VFL on the comeback trail.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/tigers-defence-tested-at-gabba/story-e6frg7mf-1226075260534

[tiga]

Just got a text off a mate saying that Jed Adcock is out?

You know the old saying....how do you get a cheer out of a lions supporter.....Just Adcock...

[one-eyed]

Sportal is tipping us by just 3 points

http://www.sportal.com.au/afl-news-display/preview-brisbane-v-richmond-126498

[Hellenic Tiger]

Merrett played well against Jack last time so that will be a bonus

Jack still kicked 5.

This is exactly the type of game we could drop if we let our guard down.
Could be very tight for a while and I expect the result to be in the balance till very late.

[one-eyed]

Richo and Leppitsch preview the Brisbane game

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/roar%20vision%20archive/tabid/11454/contentid/364521/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Tigers to roar on the road
By Jennifer Witham
1:26 PM Fri 17 Jun, 2011


RICHMOND will travel to Brisbane this weekend full of confidence it can beat the Lions despite losing its two other interstate matches this season.

The Tigers departed for Queensland on Friday afternoon - on a plane and not a bus, as was the travel mode they were forced to endure home from Sydney on Monday due to the ash cloud - for their third match on the road in four weeks.

The Tigers lost to the Sydney Swans by 10 points last Sunday, and two weeks before that, Port Adelaide by 15 points in Darwin. They had their first bye in between.

Despite a win-free record away from Melbourne in season 2011, coach Damien Hardwick said his side's love of travel together - emphasised by their bonding 12-hour bus trip less than a week ago - and its continuing enthusiasm gave Richmond a good chance of winning its first game since the round nine victory against Essendon.

"Our guys, every time they go away, they now look to win every game," he said at the airport on Friday.

"Last year, I don't think we could honestly say the same, but now we go into every game expecting to win, which is a real credit to our guys and I think that travel journey certainly helps.

"The one thing about our group and Chris Newman is a real leader in this, is the enthusiasm of our group can never be questioned.

"We've had a couple of narrow losses in the last couple of weeks but we feel we're just a smidgen away from turning that around.

"The guys are really well driven, they're enthusiastic and they're ready to play and we're looking forward to a great challenge on Saturday night."

The Tigers played the Lions in round six, when they emerged triumphant to the tune of 26 points at the MCG.

Hardwick said the rematch against the 15th-placed team, which has two wins compared to the Tigers' four, was one they had earmarked.

"They're probably the games we expect to win, obviously from a talent point of view," he said.

"We're both very young, developing sides but we're encouraged by our performances over the last month.

"We think we're quite capable of winning the game. We've just got to get a number of things right, we've worked on some things over the course of this week and hopefully they come out on Saturday night for us."

He also said holding Lions veterans Jonathan Brown - who hasn't played against Richmond since round seven, 2009, when he kicked four goals - Simon Black and Luke Power was hugely important to the Tigers' chances.

"The impact of Jonathan Brown, he's been one of the best players of the last decade and we've got a number of plans in place to try and quell his influence," he said.

"The great thing about champion players is when the game's there to be won, they'll lift and we've got no doubt he'll be up and going.

"[Alex] Rance and [Luke] McGuane and those types of players will get a fair crack at him but it's going to be a team defence on Jonathan, there's no doubt about that.

"Black has nearly 40 touches against us last time. Dan Jackson was out suspended so he'll obviously come back and hopefully do a job thereabouts on him

"Luke Power kicked three or four goals last time so both guys got under our guard and we'll be making sure that doesn't happen again."

While defender David Astbury is out of the side with a dislocated kneecap, the Tigers have regained McGuane after he was a late withdrawal last week with soreness, while Jayden Post has been recalled.

Hardwick indicated he would consider using Post as a substitute player given his ability to swing between the forward and back lines, and in the ruck.

He also said the Tigers hadn't been forced into changing their recovery techniques this week after the long bus ride, and had used round six's win over the Lions in their preparation.

"We learned a lot of things that game, and we'll look at it in great detail - some things that Brisbane did that actually hurt us and we weren't happy with our boys that we didn't respond quick enough and we'll look to rectify that this week," he said.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/116473/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Riewoldt looms as big job for Patfull
Darren Cartwright
14:44 AEST Fri Jun 17 2011

Key defender Joel Patfull is Brisbane coach Michael Voss's starting point to shut down Richmond's lively Jack Riewoldt at the Gabba on Saturday night, but he's not the only option.

Patfull must take up the mantle as the Lions No.1 backman in the absence of highly respected fullback Daniel Merrett and guarding Riewoldt, the AFL's second highest goal scorer this season, is no mean feat.

The Tiger spearhead could wreak havoc against the Lions' leaky defence which has conceded 36 goals in the last two matches.

If Patfull fails then the responsibility will be handed to either Matt Maguire or veteran Josh Drummond, but by then the game could well be in the Tigers' keeping.

...

The Tigers have only won two more matches than Brisbane, although Voss views them as being on the way up in their transition from a struggling side to one that commands respect.

When the two sides met in round six at the MCG this season, only eight points separated them at three quarter time before the Tigers won by four goals.

"We learnt a lot of things out of that (the last time we played them)," Voss said.

"Our midfield has to make sure it gets its hands on the footy.

"The last two weeks we've played against a couple of top four sides or (teams) certainly on the brink of that and it shows we have work to do in those areas.

"They (Richmond) are around us, but they have certainly showed some really good upside.

"That's going to be our challenge, to nullify their best players and maximise ours."

Full article at: http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8262440

[one-eyed]

For those in Brisbane, there's going to be free public transport to the 'Gabba for the game:


“Free travel is also available for ticket holders to the Brisbane Lions and Richmond Tigers AFL clash at The Gabba on Saturday night."

http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/articles/article-display/free-public-transport-to-broncos-and-dragons-clash,21879

[one-eyed]

Old Lions a danger for Tigers: Hardwick
Sam Lienert
June 17, 2011 - 5:04PM .

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick knows from recent experience the damage Brisbane's two oldest players, Simon Black and Luke Power, remain capable of inflicting.

The Tigers face their third interstate AFL match in succession when they take on the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Losses in the previous two - against Port Adelaide and Sydney, either side of a bye - have Richmond in danger of falling almost out of finals contention if they lose.

Hardwick is confident, but said preventing Black and Power having the impact they did when the sides met most recently in round six, was crucial.

Black had a season-high 34 touches, while Power kicked four goals, his equal-best haul this year.

Hardwick said the presence of tagger Daniel Jackson, who missed the round six clash through suspension, should help Richmond curtail Black.

"He'll obviously come back and hopefully do a job on him," Hardwick said on Friday.

"Luke Power kicked four goals last time, so both guys got under our guard last time and we'll be making sure that doesn't happen again."

Skipper Jonathan Brown was out injured that night, when Richmond won by 26 points at the MCG, and is yet to play the Tigers in Hardwick's time at the helm.

Brown's most recent appearance against Richmond, in 2009, was also the Lions' most recent win over the Tigers, when the star forward tallied 11 marks and four goals.

Hardwick said an injury-depleted Richmond defence faced a major challenge.

"We've got a number of plans to try to quell his influence, but the great thing about champion players is when the game's there to be won, they'll lift," Hardwick said.

"We've got no doubt he'll be up and going and obviously (Alex) Rance and (Luke) McGuane and those types of players will get a fair crack at him.

"But it's going to be a team defence on Jonathan."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/old-lions-a-danger-for-tigers-hardwick-20110617-1g765.html

[one-eyed]

The view from Mitch Farmer's window at the Hotel the team is staying at in Brisbane



http://lockerz.com/s/111440837