It will be a fight of the felines when round 8’s Friday night primetime game presents the grand final rematch between the Tigers and the Cats. Fans will be tingling with anticipation as the MCG hosts Richmond and Geelong in the long-anticipated bout. The fans from Tigerland will be hoping to Roooaaar with joy if Richmond can back up their 2020 grand final victory, while the Cats supporters will be looking for redemption to ease the sting of their loss at the end of last year’s season.
It’s an exciting time for fans of both clubs and you could be there on Friday May 7 with Richmond v Geelong Medallion Club tickets. There’s no need to wait until the week of the match to secure tickets or an AFL Corporate Box, get in early now.
Preparation will be key for Richmond who face the Western Bulldogs in the round 7 Friday night game at the MCG. Coach Damien Hardwick will be working to keep the reigning premiers in top form to perform at their best in two Friday night battles in two weeks.
Travel is the known enemy of any AFL club. Geelong will also need to prove their dedication as they’ll be coming off a round 7 trip to Sydney, playing the Swans at the SCG. The challenges of travel may not be the most problematic part of Richmond’s path to the round 8 match though, with superstar Patrick Dangerfield officially out of action. The Brownlow winner was sidelined indefinitely after round 6 with a syndesmosis injury. Coach Chris Scott called the process of investigating Dangerfield’s injury “exhaustive” but notes that the decision for his removal was the best outcome in the long term. The news is just another obstacle in Geelong’s stifled season with Dangerfield already sitting out of rounds 2, 3, and 4 for his heavy hit on Adelaide’s Jake Kelly.
The topic of who will replace Dangerfield was discussed by Scott who highlighted the many options he is considering. Mark O’Connor and Charlie Constable are possibilities, along with Esava Rotugolea who Scott claimed: “requires a certain level of preparation”.
Richmond’s season has been boosted by their undeniable position as favourites to claim another premiership. If they do, they will possess 4 flags out of the last 5 years of finals, making their core foundation players of Jason Castagna, Nathan Broad, Toby Nankervis, and Daniel Rioli, some of the most successful players in terms of titles.
Richmond’s secret to success has been a mystery for several years with the team flying under the radar due to their lack of any singular highly-publicised superstar player. It is only now that the game’s observers are noticing the quiet way the Tigers work as a team to apply an ebb and flow of pressure, masked by chaos. This approach would be hard to defend against, but there is every chance the Cats could rise to successfully beat the Tigers at their own game.
No matter the outcome, the Tigers VS Cats grand final rematch will be the talk of Round 8 and the MCG crowd will surge with excitement. The game in early May will be one of the first with near-capacity crowds since pre-pandemic times with 85,000 spectators allowed at the venue. This crowd cap lift will see an extra 10,000 fans be able to attend the Anzac day eve and Anzac Day matches the week before Richmond takes on Geelong, paving the way for a colossal clash.
Later in the year there’s a return encounter at the MCG in Round 19, it might be three months away, but you can book Geelong v Richmond Medallion Club tickets already.
