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1st Elimination Final
Richmond v Carlton
Sunday, September 7, 3:20
MCG
RICHMOND
B Steven Morris, Alex Rance, Dylan Grimes
HB Bachar Houli, Troy Chaplin, Chris Newman
C Shaun Grigg, Trent Cotchin, Daniel Jackson
HF Nick Vlastuin, Aaron Edwards, Brandon Ellis
F Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Ty Vickery
Fol Ivan Maric, Brett Deledio, Reece Conca
I/C Jake King, Ricky Petterd, Shane Edwards, Shane Tuck Emg Nathan Foley, Orren Stephenson, Matt Dea
In Shane Edwards, Jack Riewoldt, Chris Newman
Out Matt White (Hamstring), Nathan Foley (Omitted), Orren Stephenson (Omitted)
CARLTON
B Heath Scotland, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson
HB Zach Tuohy, Jarrad Waite, Bryce Gibbs
C Chris Yarran, Mitch Robinson, Kade Simpson
HF Ed Curnow, Andrew Walker, Brock McLean
F Jeff Garlett, Matthew Kreuzer, Chris Judd
Fol Robert Warnock, Eddie Betts, Marc Murphy
I/C Troy Menzel, Tom Bell, Levi Casboult, Dennis Armfield
Emg David Ellard, Nick Duigan, Andrew McInnes
In Chris Judd, Brock McLean, Heath Scotland
Out David Ellard (Omitted), Nick Duigan (Omitted), Andrew McInnes (Omitted)
Milestones: Ed Curnow - Playing 50th game
The_Wookie's Preview
Match Overview
Of the two possible oponents at the time of writing, theres no doubt that the Blues would rather face the Tigers in this final.
Richmond will be in their first finals series since 2001, when they rather gleefully knocked the Blues out of contention. Much has changed since 2001, with the Blues having a definitive advantage over the Tigers in recent times having won 11 of their last 12 matches. In 2013, the Tigers prevailed by a single goal in round 1, before throwing away a 30 point quarter time lead in Round 21, to go down to the Blues by 10 points.
The Blues havent played in a final since losing to West Coast by 3 points in the 2011 Semi Final, and will give themselves a real chance at beating a tigers outfit that the Blues climbed over the top of just 3 weeks ago.
This match has really been something of a miracle for Blues fans who would not be here except for their naughty rivals at Windy Hill who were dropped to 9th and out of finals contention by the AFL Commission on Tuesday.
Historically, the more observant will have noticed that the Tigers have a considerable finals hold over the Blues, although this is lessened by that hold having faded somewhat over time.
Video Highlights
Round 1
Round 21
Preview Continued on Carlton Board =>
Grockadoc Analysis
Where Richmond can win the game:
First and foremost, Richmonc can get a hold of Carlton in the clearances. In particularly, scores from stoppages, which the Tigers are ranked first outright in the AFL. Their midfielders have hit the scoreboard hard this year. Dustin Martin, Daniel Jackson, Reece Conca, Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Brandon Ellis and Matthew White have a combined total of 90 goals kicked between them for the season. These six players have kicked 28.93% of Richmond's total goals (311) this season, showing how potent the Richmond midfielders are around goals and goalside of contests.
The Tigers are also ranked 2nd in the AFL for denying the opposition the football, with the tigers averaging 26.3 disposals per game more than the opposition. With the Tigers content to take the easy option, and chip around, it restricts the damage the Blues can do to the Tigers, especially form players such as Kade Simpson, Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy, who's footskills can carve the opposition up if given time and space. By denying the Blues the football, it means that the Tigers can control the tempo of the game, and restrict Carlton from driving into their forward fifty to their key forwards, who are capable of taking contested marks, in Casboult and Henderson.
The Tigers can also get a hold of Carlton by exploiting the Blues own gameplan, or rather, Mick malthouse's gameplan. The Blues have a penchant for taking the ball down the boundary line, in typical Malthouse fashion. With Alex Rance and Troy Chaplin both in the top 10 for intercept marks in the AFL, and one of Ivan Maric and Tyrone Vickery floating back on ocassion, if Carlton do go down the boundary, and these players take an intercept mark, it leaves Carlton exposed through the corridor and on the other side of the ground. Given the Tigers prefer to slingshot out wide and get the switch kick into space from the spread, any intercept mark taken from kicking near the boundary line will leave Carlton extremely exposed, and susceptible to a rebounding shot at goal, due to the Tigers work rate.
Carlton's backline can also be exposed by quick ball movement and rebounding. This was evident in our clash a few weeks ago, in the first quarter where we spread from the contest, and ran and carried the ball, and managed to convert that to scoreboard damage, as the Blues defence crumbled under the pressure. With players such as Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin, Brandon Ellis, Reece Conca and Bachar Houli all capable of breaking the lines, if these players can get a run on, and carry the ball, the Tigers will be able to impact heavily on the scoreboard.
Where Carlton can win the game:
For the Blues, the most glaring deficiency they can get ahold of the Tigers in is their small forwards. Steven Morris is the only player on the Tigers list who has shown he can shut down the opposition's most dangerous forwards, it leaves a quandry for the Tigers as to who exactly will man up the others. Morris will most likely take Betts or Garlett, and Dylan Grimes is most suited to take the other. That still leaves Chris Yarran and the dangerous Troy Menzel. Menzel in particular is the type of player that Richmond seems to struggle to contain. He is that awkward in between height. Classed as a medium forward, he is a combination of small forward and key forward, in that he is great at ground level, quick, skillful and great at reading the contest and can crumb accordingly, but he is also a terrific mark, both contested and on the lead. Ricky Petterd or Chris Newman is most likely to take Menzel, and if he starts getting a hold of the game, Dylan Grimes will most likely be switched.
The Tigers have also been susceptible, particularly in recent weeks, to quick rebounding. The Tigers have a fixation for bombing the ball long into their forwards, and then pushing up to lock the ball in, however, if the Blues can take an intercept mark and move the ball on quickly, the Tigers can and have been exposed, and it can result in the Blues getting an easy shot at goal, and put the Tigers defenders under the pump.
One of the Tigers biggest strengths is their run and carry. Brandon Ellis dominated the Blues in the first quarter of their last encounter, but the Blues tagged him after the break, and the Tigers run and carry dried up. If the Blues want to fully contain the Tigers damaging midfield, they will need to man up, and maintain body contact on players such as Ellis, Martin, Cotchin and Deledio. If the Tigers cannot take the game on, it restricts the damage they can do, and will go a long way to stopping them kicking a winning score.
Full preview on Richmond Board: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threa...day-8-september-2013-foley-white-out.1029599/
