POBT
Brownlow Medallist
Date: Saturday 10 August 2013
Time: 1.45pm AEST
Venue: MCG
Weather: Shower or two clearing. Min 10 Max 16
TV: Live on FoxFooty. Live on 7 Mate into Qld. Delay on Ch 7 into Vic.
Preview by [user]Rubix Wingman[/user]
“Mathematical chance of finals. Grand final for the Brisbane Lions against Richmond.”
Those are the words that Michael Voss used to describe the upcoming game for the Brisbane Lions. Theoretically speaking, he’s right. We have just come off a convincing win at home and the spirits are high. Brisbane are still a slim chance of making finals, but that would involve have other results go their way too. But let’s concentrate on this week’s game first shall we?
Looking ahead to this game, Richmond fans are finally getting excited that their side will be playing finals come September. And why not, their team has really lifted this season and are finishing the season very strongly. They have shown a resilience that has been absent in the last few years. Long gone are the days where you’d expect Richmond to choke and lose the game; they’ve mitigated that very well can very well be attributed to their leaders in Cotchin, Deledio and Newman standing up when the opposition team starts to gain ascendency. Last week, they blitzed Hawthorn by 41 points, inflicting only their third loss of the year. The physicality they displayed against one of the more dominant teams was outstanding to watch. Richmond won the clearances 54-36 comfortably and won contested possessions 146-114. Cotchin returned to his fiery best with 34 posessions, including 9 tackles and 9 clearances. He’ll be a player to watch out for, come this Saturday. They’ll look to continue their strong charge towards finals and face a Brisbane Lions outfit which is in relatively good form.
Last time they met: Round 19, 2012 @ Gabba - Richmond 20.12 132 beat Brisbane 12.12 84
Forward line
With Brown succumbing to injury in the game against St Kilda, the forward line is going to have its work cut out to a very strong defensive team. Richmond’s outstanding defence kept the trio of Franklin, Roughhead and Rioli to just 1 goal. By doing that, they kept Hawthorn to their lowest score of the year. Depending on whether the coaching panel decide to bring in another tall forward, this week will be a rare glimpse into the future of the Lions without Brown. Alex Rance held Franklin to just 1 goal last week, while his fellow companions Astbury and Chaplin teamed up to keep Roughead goalless. Brent Staker and Daniel Merrett* will continue to be our main targets up forward and may have a young forward in Jordan Lisle join them. For us to dominate this facet of the game, the midfield will have to lower their eyes and look for smart options. Simply kicking it long to an outnumbered contest won’t do any good for both our tall forwards and crumbers, as the Richmond defence mop up with ease. It was great to see the forward pressure by our mosquito fleet. Our small forwards in Zorko, Green, Bewick will have a job to do this week to aid the three forwards in Merrett, Staker and Lisle. We should be able to force a few goals through forward pressure and keeping it in the forward 50, forcing turnovers and mistakes from the Richmond defenders.
*Hat tip to Daniel Merrett, who’ll play his 150th game for the Lions this weekend. Let’s hope it’s one to remember for the red-haired giant.
Midfield
The midfield stocks will receive a huge clearance boost with the return of Black andMaloney Malooni Moloney who will also provide some bigger bodies in the centre square. Who goes out for these players is a huge question. There was talk that perhaps Raines might be on the chopping block after a few average performances. I for one, believe that we still need his elite tagging serves. We’ve seen Deledio falter a bit when copping a hard tag, and I’m sure Raines will be up for the challenge serving it up to his former teammates. Sure, people will talk about the Cotchins and the Martins, but a very talented player to watch out for is young gun Brandon Ellis. He has had a very solid month and collected 25 disposals against the Hawks. The Lions will also need to be at their very best defensively if they want to win this. The 3 R’s, coupled with some handy wingers in Hanley and Mayes will look to continue their great form. We’ve seen how effective Rockliff has been when placed in the midfield, amassing 3 a whopping 39 disposals against St Kilda last week. One can only hope he stays there, despite Moloney and possibly Black returning to the midfield. In the ruck, Leuenberger has been in great form the past few weeks, and will have to face Maric who has been in average form. Expect Leuenberger to continue his dominance in the ruck and it’s only a matter of time until the midfielders start taking advantage of his brilliant tapwork. These days, games are won and lost in the midfield. On paper, it’s a mouth watering prospect to see 2 exciting midfield groups go head to head. The added extra of the history and passion between these teams complements the fixture very nicely. Expect a high scoring game with one of the best midfields in the competition and an up-coming midfield forcing its way onto the big stage.
Defence
Last week against the Hawks, their big forwards in Riewoldt and McGuane looked good. Their presenting to the midfield, marking and agility is something the Lions defenders will want to stop. It’s not enough to quell the attack there. Richmond are very good at creating pressure in their forward 50 and ensuring the ball stays in. The challenge is on for our defenders to direct traffic through the congestion and get a nice chain of handballs going. Our relatively young defence is going to be tested against one of the better sides in the competition, and it will be a good chance for Voss and company to observe how they function against quality opponents. Expect Maguire to continue his great comeback and line up on Riewoldt while Clarke will most likely take McGuane. Depending on whether Vickery comes back in, Patfull might go to him. A huge loss to our defensive structure is Golby, who is likely to be suspended for one match after the MRP report. His run and carry from defence, not to mention his superb defensive efforts, will be sorely missed. The smaller defenders in Adcock, Yeo and Harwood will have their work cut out for them to prevent the dangerous Martin and Foley from having too much space, as they will make you pay with genuine goal scoring chances.
So, what now?
For us to win, we have to have a positive mindset from the get-go and can’t afford to take time to adjust to the conditions and playing style. Richmond are a ruthless team and it’s going to take quality to beat them, especially at the MCG. Lions have looked threatening and dangerous when they’re willing to support each other, get numbers around the ball and attack the corridor. Our defence has to stand up strong and look for targets instead of hacking the ball out of the area temporarily. The Tigers will make us pay if we do that, and more often than not, a mark inside 50 will be the result.
This game is going to require a team effort. This year, it’s been hard to recognise which Lions side is going to turn up. If we take it seriously and are focused to finish the year strongly, the Lions could pinch an upset. I feel like we’re having similar thoughts to what Richmond supporters were feeling in the lead-up to their clash with Hawthorn. Richmond might be a bit emotional after their stirring win against Hawthorn and there is a chance they might take us lightly. Holding on to that glimmer of hope, I think the Lions will be primed for this. First game at the MCG this year and it'll be good to see if they still adapt the same game plan of attacking the corridor and having players in space. We're going to have to work bloody hard if we want this win, as the record against them hasn't been too flashy. Curtail the influence of Riewoldt, Deledio and Cotchin and it'll go a long way in determining the outcome of the game. Saturday afternoon games usually mean a lack of dew, and it will be perfect conditions for football. Hopefully our boys will be ready. Ready to roar in Victoria for the 2nd time in 2013.
Time: 1.45pm AEST
Venue: MCG
Weather: Shower or two clearing. Min 10 Max 16
TV: Live on FoxFooty. Live on 7 Mate into Qld. Delay on Ch 7 into Vic.
Preview by [user]Rubix Wingman[/user]
“Mathematical chance of finals. Grand final for the Brisbane Lions against Richmond.”
Those are the words that Michael Voss used to describe the upcoming game for the Brisbane Lions. Theoretically speaking, he’s right. We have just come off a convincing win at home and the spirits are high. Brisbane are still a slim chance of making finals, but that would involve have other results go their way too. But let’s concentrate on this week’s game first shall we?
Looking ahead to this game, Richmond fans are finally getting excited that their side will be playing finals come September. And why not, their team has really lifted this season and are finishing the season very strongly. They have shown a resilience that has been absent in the last few years. Long gone are the days where you’d expect Richmond to choke and lose the game; they’ve mitigated that very well can very well be attributed to their leaders in Cotchin, Deledio and Newman standing up when the opposition team starts to gain ascendency. Last week, they blitzed Hawthorn by 41 points, inflicting only their third loss of the year. The physicality they displayed against one of the more dominant teams was outstanding to watch. Richmond won the clearances 54-36 comfortably and won contested possessions 146-114. Cotchin returned to his fiery best with 34 posessions, including 9 tackles and 9 clearances. He’ll be a player to watch out for, come this Saturday. They’ll look to continue their strong charge towards finals and face a Brisbane Lions outfit which is in relatively good form.
Last time they met: Round 19, 2012 @ Gabba - Richmond 20.12 132 beat Brisbane 12.12 84
Forward line
With Brown succumbing to injury in the game against St Kilda, the forward line is going to have its work cut out to a very strong defensive team. Richmond’s outstanding defence kept the trio of Franklin, Roughhead and Rioli to just 1 goal. By doing that, they kept Hawthorn to their lowest score of the year. Depending on whether the coaching panel decide to bring in another tall forward, this week will be a rare glimpse into the future of the Lions without Brown. Alex Rance held Franklin to just 1 goal last week, while his fellow companions Astbury and Chaplin teamed up to keep Roughead goalless. Brent Staker and Daniel Merrett* will continue to be our main targets up forward and may have a young forward in Jordan Lisle join them. For us to dominate this facet of the game, the midfield will have to lower their eyes and look for smart options. Simply kicking it long to an outnumbered contest won’t do any good for both our tall forwards and crumbers, as the Richmond defence mop up with ease. It was great to see the forward pressure by our mosquito fleet. Our small forwards in Zorko, Green, Bewick will have a job to do this week to aid the three forwards in Merrett, Staker and Lisle. We should be able to force a few goals through forward pressure and keeping it in the forward 50, forcing turnovers and mistakes from the Richmond defenders.
*Hat tip to Daniel Merrett, who’ll play his 150th game for the Lions this weekend. Let’s hope it’s one to remember for the red-haired giant.
Midfield
The midfield stocks will receive a huge clearance boost with the return of Black and
Defence
Last week against the Hawks, their big forwards in Riewoldt and McGuane looked good. Their presenting to the midfield, marking and agility is something the Lions defenders will want to stop. It’s not enough to quell the attack there. Richmond are very good at creating pressure in their forward 50 and ensuring the ball stays in. The challenge is on for our defenders to direct traffic through the congestion and get a nice chain of handballs going. Our relatively young defence is going to be tested against one of the better sides in the competition, and it will be a good chance for Voss and company to observe how they function against quality opponents. Expect Maguire to continue his great comeback and line up on Riewoldt while Clarke will most likely take McGuane. Depending on whether Vickery comes back in, Patfull might go to him. A huge loss to our defensive structure is Golby, who is likely to be suspended for one match after the MRP report. His run and carry from defence, not to mention his superb defensive efforts, will be sorely missed. The smaller defenders in Adcock, Yeo and Harwood will have their work cut out for them to prevent the dangerous Martin and Foley from having too much space, as they will make you pay with genuine goal scoring chances.
So, what now?
For us to win, we have to have a positive mindset from the get-go and can’t afford to take time to adjust to the conditions and playing style. Richmond are a ruthless team and it’s going to take quality to beat them, especially at the MCG. Lions have looked threatening and dangerous when they’re willing to support each other, get numbers around the ball and attack the corridor. Our defence has to stand up strong and look for targets instead of hacking the ball out of the area temporarily. The Tigers will make us pay if we do that, and more often than not, a mark inside 50 will be the result.
This game is going to require a team effort. This year, it’s been hard to recognise which Lions side is going to turn up. If we take it seriously and are focused to finish the year strongly, the Lions could pinch an upset. I feel like we’re having similar thoughts to what Richmond supporters were feeling in the lead-up to their clash with Hawthorn. Richmond might be a bit emotional after their stirring win against Hawthorn and there is a chance they might take us lightly. Holding on to that glimmer of hope, I think the Lions will be primed for this. First game at the MCG this year and it'll be good to see if they still adapt the same game plan of attacking the corridor and having players in space. We're going to have to work bloody hard if we want this win, as the record against them hasn't been too flashy. Curtail the influence of Riewoldt, Deledio and Cotchin and it'll go a long way in determining the outcome of the game. Saturday afternoon games usually mean a lack of dew, and it will be perfect conditions for football. Hopefully our boys will be ready. Ready to roar in Victoria for the 2nd time in 2013.
