The Last Stand
Preview by MT:
Saturday Night, 5th July 2003, Football Park.
Round 14, Richmond vs Adelaide, away.
Another week and another loss making it 5 in a row and now Richmond find themselves making their last stand on foreign soil against a side they have not beaten since 1999 (excluding the preseason game last year) to salvage season 2003. The Tigers dominated the first 20 minutes of the game against Brisbane yet were unable to show anything for it on the scoreboard except for a lousey 3 goals which were quickly swallowed up by the Lions in the last 4 minutes of the first quarter
. From then on Brisbane's polish shone through as Richmond continued to predictably turn the ball over during numerous forward thrusts throughout the night. The
most damning statistic demonstrating this was the fact both sides virtually had an equal number of inside 50's (51-50 in the Lions favour)yet Brisbane had almost twice the number of scoring shots on goal (29-16).
For this match, the Tigers desperately welcome back Captain Cambo into the midfield. Fiora makes way to find form at Coburg after looking all lost at sea last week.
Of interest for this game is that both ex-tiger Torney and ex-Crow Kane Johnson will be playing against their former sides for the first time since they "swapped".
Head to head
Record overall: Rich 7, Adel 10
At Footy park: Rich 4, Adel 4
Last time: Round 21, 2002, Footy Park - Rich 9.11 (65) lt Adel 13.9 (87)
Richmond arrived at Footy park after 3 straight wins. Close game for 3 quarters with the Tigers having their chances to win only for the Crows to kick clear in the last.
Last 5 meetings: Rich 1, Adel 4
Selected Teams
B: Newman Holland A.Kellaway
Burns Perrie Welsh
HB: Tivendale Zantuck Chaffey
Edwards Carey Johncock
C: Bowden Coughlan Dragga
Hart Ricciuto Burton
HF: Cameron Richo Bidders
Bickley McGregor Massie
F: Rodan Ottens Krakouer
Torney Bassett Smart
Fol: Stafford Campbell Johnson
Biglands Macleod Stenglein
IC: Rich: Fleming, Rogers, Houlihan, Hyde
Adel: Clarke, Ladhams, Bode, Shirley
Defence: Even
Adelaide's forward line is their weakest link IMO although that is not all too surprising when compared to their midfield and defence. The Crows have struggled in the past due to this and have to then rely on goals from their talented midfielders. Last year it was this forward line that played well above previous seasons efforts that contributed significantly to them reaching a PF. However, form and injury so far this year has once again made their forward line slip a few notches down from last year's output against the better sides of the comp. In terms of match-ups, we should handle Adelaide's forward set-up. Holland, AK and Ty (who did well on Lynch after half time last week) will take the Crows' talls in Perrie, Welsh and Carey. Johncock has been in good goal-scoring (as well as general) form lately for them so I would expect Chaffey who's been in equally good form to be given the job on him (if Newman is minding Macleod). Overall, the Crows real threat comes from their midfield not their forward line (touchwood they don't pull out blinder on Saturday
night to make a liar out of me...!)
Midfield: Weakness
It's amazing how much better our midfield looks at least on paper and as was demonstrated on the park earlier on in the year with our key ballwinners Cambo, Johnson and Cogs all in the midfield together. We have become very stagnant even without one and definitely two of our "fab 3" out injured at a time as the last 5 matches have sadly shown. Losing 11 clearances straight last week is damning enough. Just as importantly it takes the pressure off the likes of Bowden, Tivs, Rodan and Krakouer are they then become second tier players in our midfield rotation which enables them to have more influence in the match overall as well as generating some badly needed run within our side. It also covers up our lack of depth which is where we have been exposed. We are also in desperate need of goals from these midfielders. This is an area that has totally dried up for us. 9 goals in a match is a disgrace!
As for match-ups, Stafford has been in fine form all year and in rotation with Otto, who was pleasingly very good last week, should be able to match it with the Crows ruckman, Biglands and Clarke. The main danger as in past encounters of course comes from ground level. Andrew Macleod always appears to have a day out against us. Going on last week probably Rodan will be forced to follow him around. IMO that would deny us a badly needed attacking option so I personally would go with Newman who although still learning the game has the pace, skills and discipline to go with Macleod. Apart from that we should go head to head with the likes of Riccuito, Edwards, Bode, Ladhams and Bickley. Stenglein will most likely be the Crows only "tag" with him picking up either Cambo or ex-teammate Johnson.
Forwards: Even
The question we all want answered is - Are the Tigers going to come out this weekend and play the smart team running and multi-option style which won us games at the start of the season or the all to familiar predictable and suicidal bomb it long to a double teamed Richo on the boundary line style that makes us kick less goals than most soccer teams (and is so wonderful to watch - not! ). It'll be interesting to see if we return to the former style with Cambo, Johnson and Cogs in the midfield for the first time since round 5. For our sake, let's hope so.
Summary:
As we saw last week, it's important as with all interstate games to get off to a good start (but then not to give it up so pitifully in time on). Quietens the crowd and puts the pressure back onto the home team. All I ask for is for ALL 22 Tiger players to have a dip not just the usual few and for the Tiges to RUN in numbers supporting and receiving from one another and get the footy moving forward quickly to the BEST option (most of the time that's NOT Richo who, as all of us have said until we are blue in the face, should be played Danny on a HFF not frigging left to wrestle in the goalsquare). Is it too difficult to have at least one teammate (preferably more than one) running past the marker to receive a handball so he doesn't have to prop, stop, turn around, go back and ALWAYS kick to a 50/50 contest (= turnover) but instead the ball moves forward quickly denying the opposition time to get players back to fill the space in our forward line? It mustn't be as most of the 16 clubs (and ALL of the top sides) in the AFL do it each and every week but then again maybe our guys are too frightened to leave their direct opponent to support a teammate fearing another turnover from bombing the ball forward or simply poor foot skills.
Don't care about predictions and especially margins this week. Getting a win is all that matters!
Preview by MT:
Saturday Night, 5th July 2003, Football Park.
Round 14, Richmond vs Adelaide, away.
Another week and another loss making it 5 in a row and now Richmond find themselves making their last stand on foreign soil against a side they have not beaten since 1999 (excluding the preseason game last year) to salvage season 2003. The Tigers dominated the first 20 minutes of the game against Brisbane yet were unable to show anything for it on the scoreboard except for a lousey 3 goals which were quickly swallowed up by the Lions in the last 4 minutes of the first quarter
. From then on Brisbane's polish shone through as Richmond continued to predictably turn the ball over during numerous forward thrusts throughout the night. The most damning statistic demonstrating this was the fact both sides virtually had an equal number of inside 50's (51-50 in the Lions favour)yet Brisbane had almost twice the number of scoring shots on goal (29-16).
For this match, the Tigers desperately welcome back Captain Cambo into the midfield. Fiora makes way to find form at Coburg after looking all lost at sea last week.
Of interest for this game is that both ex-tiger Torney and ex-Crow Kane Johnson will be playing against their former sides for the first time since they "swapped".
Head to head
Record overall: Rich 7, Adel 10
At Footy park: Rich 4, Adel 4
Last time: Round 21, 2002, Footy Park - Rich 9.11 (65) lt Adel 13.9 (87)
Richmond arrived at Footy park after 3 straight wins. Close game for 3 quarters with the Tigers having their chances to win only for the Crows to kick clear in the last.
Last 5 meetings: Rich 1, Adel 4
Selected Teams
B: Newman Holland A.Kellaway
Burns Perrie Welsh
HB: Tivendale Zantuck Chaffey
Edwards Carey Johncock
C: Bowden Coughlan Dragga
Hart Ricciuto Burton
HF: Cameron Richo Bidders
Bickley McGregor Massie
F: Rodan Ottens Krakouer
Torney Bassett Smart
Fol: Stafford Campbell Johnson
Biglands Macleod Stenglein
IC: Rich: Fleming, Rogers, Houlihan, Hyde
Adel: Clarke, Ladhams, Bode, Shirley
Defence: Even
Adelaide's forward line is their weakest link IMO although that is not all too surprising when compared to their midfield and defence. The Crows have struggled in the past due to this and have to then rely on goals from their talented midfielders. Last year it was this forward line that played well above previous seasons efforts that contributed significantly to them reaching a PF. However, form and injury so far this year has once again made their forward line slip a few notches down from last year's output against the better sides of the comp. In terms of match-ups, we should handle Adelaide's forward set-up. Holland, AK and Ty (who did well on Lynch after half time last week) will take the Crows' talls in Perrie, Welsh and Carey. Johncock has been in good goal-scoring (as well as general) form lately for them so I would expect Chaffey who's been in equally good form to be given the job on him (if Newman is minding Macleod). Overall, the Crows real threat comes from their midfield not their forward line (touchwood they don't pull out blinder on Saturday
night to make a liar out of me...
!) Midfield: Weakness
It's amazing how much better our midfield looks at least on paper and as was demonstrated on the park earlier on in the year with our key ballwinners Cambo, Johnson and Cogs all in the midfield together. We have become very stagnant even without one and definitely two of our "fab 3" out injured at a time as the last 5 matches have sadly shown. Losing 11 clearances straight last week is damning enough. Just as importantly it takes the pressure off the likes of Bowden, Tivs, Rodan and Krakouer are they then become second tier players in our midfield rotation which enables them to have more influence in the match overall as well as generating some badly needed run within our side. It also covers up our lack of depth which is where we have been exposed
. We are also in desperate need of goals from these midfielders. This is an area that has totally dried up for us. 9 goals in a match is a disgrace! As for match-ups, Stafford has been in fine form all year and in rotation with Otto, who was pleasingly very good last week, should be able to match it with the Crows ruckman, Biglands and Clarke. The main danger as in past encounters of course comes from ground level. Andrew Macleod always appears to have a day out against us. Going on last week probably Rodan will be forced to follow him around. IMO that would deny us a badly needed attacking option so I personally would go with Newman who although still learning the game has the pace, skills and discipline to go with Macleod. Apart from that we should go head to head with the likes of Riccuito, Edwards, Bode, Ladhams and Bickley. Stenglein will most likely be the Crows only "tag" with him picking up either Cambo or ex-teammate Johnson.
Forwards: Even
The question we all want answered is - Are the Tigers going to come out this weekend and play the smart team running and multi-option style which won us games at the start of the season or the all to familiar predictable and suicidal bomb it long to a double teamed Richo on the boundary line style that makes us kick less goals than most soccer teams (and is so wonderful to watch - not!
). It'll be interesting to see if we return to the former style with Cambo, Johnson and Cogs in the midfield for the first time since round 5. For our sake, let's hope so.Summary:
As we saw last week, it's important as with all interstate games to get off to a good start (but then not to give it up so pitifully in time on). Quietens the crowd and puts the pressure back onto the home team. All I ask for is for ALL 22 Tiger players to have a dip not just the usual few and for the Tiges to RUN in numbers supporting and receiving from one another and get the footy moving forward quickly to the BEST option (most of the time that's NOT Richo who, as all of us have said until we are blue in the face, should be played Danny on a HFF not frigging left to wrestle in the goalsquare). Is it too difficult to have at least one teammate (preferably more than one) running past the marker to receive a handball so he doesn't have to prop, stop, turn around, go back and ALWAYS kick to a 50/50 contest (= turnover) but instead the ball moves forward quickly denying the opposition time to get players back to fill the space in our forward line? It mustn't be as most of the 16 clubs (and ALL of the top sides) in the AFL do it each and every week but then again maybe our guys are too frightened to leave their direct opponent to support a teammate fearing another turnover from bombing the ball forward or simply poor foot skills.
Don't care about predictions and especially margins this week. Getting a win is all that matters!
