Richmond Round 13 - Your thoughts?

[SainterK]

Sorry, I could not find a recent thread. So what are our thoughts on this weeks game?

Need to be wary that their game plan is currently evolving under their new coach, and also that kids are capable of playing exciting footy and perhaps above themselves on occasions.

[clarky449]

I think we should win by 30+, boys back from a break, they are fresh

[Newman]

I'm very confident. Apart from King we've got our best 22 so we should win. (Although a match fit Dempster and in form Maguire would press for selection.)

[SydneySainter]

Apart from a new coach, teams in Richmond's position often rise for the occasion when they play the top team. Would either be a thrashing or a tight contest, keep in mind that we certainly haven't "owned" them in the last three encounters.

I'm interested to see what happens with Cousins. Do they tag him with CJ or Mini, or throw BJ or Grammy onto him as more of a head-to-head?

[ace]

I'm interested to see what happens with Cousins. Do they tag him with CJ or Mini, or throw BJ or Grammy onto him as more of a head-to-head?

Offer him a bottle with some coke in it.

[claystreet]

I'm interested to see what happens with Cousins. Do they tag him with CJ or Mini, or throw BJ or Grammy onto him as more of a head-to-head?

Offer him a bottle with some coke in it.

Cheap shot weak as

[starsign]

Definitely no change in the 22 for mine, (barring injury)

And its a case of coming prepared to play a side who could easily have our measure if we are not switched on and executing the team focused aspects of our game we have been successfully employing for the past 12 games !

We will be up and firing!

[aussiejones]

The 2009 Saints will be switched on .....danger is they may take the foot off the pedal if we get a good start.

Cannot underestimate ANY op team.

I want to see a sustained effort for 4 quarters.

No ill directed kicks at the end of the quarters and
make the tackles stick like we did in the early rounds

[SainterK]

All valid points. Also no holding the ball above our heads, telling the opposition we are under pressure.

[saintsRrising]

Thoughts..we will win.

Main interest:

Selection!!! which I think will focus on the team that we want to play the Cats with.

* whether selection stays with Ben to get games and experience into him or given that he is not quite ready whether they will go instead for the option of playing an extra non-ruckman.
* whether Gwilt gets recall as our HFF...or whether on the day they plumb for another.


If we did not play the Cats the week aafter it would be a good game to give Lyncha run. But who knows....so selection will be of great interest to me this week.

[InkerSaint]

Tambling and Morton are up and about. Tyrone Vickery looked dangerous in his first game. Nahas is a livewire when at his best. Lots of talented fresh faces, and older guns that will punish anyone who doesn't make them accountable.

Kind of staggering that they only have two wins on the board this year. I would keep an eye out for the team that jumped Hawthorn in round 21 last year to re-emerge.

The Saints absolutely cannot let this lot get out of the bottle.

But a young side that is still learning its structures under pressure should be torn apart by a fresh and switched-on Saints side.

The key will be possession. The Saints should be looking to dominate the contested ball and restrict Richmond's inside-50s to less than 35. That is pretty much a trademark Saints game for the last couple of months.

Here's hoping the boys have lost none of their magic and can sustain the intensity for another 11 rounds until their next two-week break (semi-finals).

[spert]

This would be a game where we should domitate down the spine, as Richmond have no power key position players. I would expect a lot of crumbs for Milne and Shneider and I would like to see Gwilt back in that forward line. I would let Gards play from the backline to really pressure the Richmond forwards, and let McEvoy do the bulk of the ruck work for as much experience as possible.

[rexy]

Key match ups I see are Jones to Tambling, tambling has had a good month of footy and is a good user when in space. Baker will get Nahas I think and will need to keep running all game as Nahas takes any opportunity thats there to be taken. I imagine Dawson will take Vickery when he goes forward, I didnt see Richmond last week but did Graham rest forward when Vickery was in the ruck? Max can play on cousin Jack or could go to Deledio or Brown if they are forward and let Blake take Reiwoldt J.

They will really struggle with Reiwoldt and Koschitzke. Jackson is a great tagger and gets the footy himself, he is a tall midfielder and it will be interesting to see who he tries to shut down? Maybe Hayes? Cousins will play on a wing and he and Montagna running head to head would be great to see.

As with most of the teams in the bottom half of the ladder I beleive we are stronger on all lines and should win and win well, when we manage to break them depends on our comittment preperation and desire.

[Bernard Shakey]

Another win on the way to a clean season.

I don't care how many times they hold the ball above their heads, it means nothing.

[SainterK]

Another win on the way to a clean season.

I don't care how many times they hold the ball above their heads, it means nothing.

I disagree, shows you're under pressure. Tell me with 5 minutes or more still remaining in a quarter, that opposition coaches wouldn't push if they saw a player do that?

[mr six o'clock]

If the tigers play like they did against the weagles then we should smash em by 100

[Legendary]

All valid points. Also no holding the ball above our heads, telling the opposition we are under pressure.

Actually quite a successful tactic IMO.

Slows up play, we control the ball, gives us time to reposition, gives the players a rest from the intense contested situation, and allows us to set up and attack in a structured way.

Very important part of our gameplan, and in the last 2 years it's been an exceptionally successful tactic in close/high pressure games.

[Griggsy]

If CJ can keep Cousins out then we should by all means roll them. I find it a little sad for Richmond that a player whos spent 2 years out and had off field issues is just about their most effective player.

[InkerSaint]

All valid points. Also no holding the ball above our heads, telling the opposition we are under pressure.

Actually quite a successful tactic IMO.

Slows up play, we control the ball, gives us time to reposition, gives the players a rest from the intense contested situation, and allows us to set up and attack in a structured way.

Very important part of our gameplan, and in the last 2 years it's been an exceptionally successful tactic in close/high pressure games.

It can also on occasion go spectacularly wrong.

We tried it at the end of a muddy and slippery first quarter against Port in last year's ANZAC round, down two goals to zip. Had control but struggled with options, two kicks later we turned it over and Port made it 3 goals - zip. We never recovered from that deficit. Oh how I hated that game... so glad we punished them this time around.

[Moccha]

**** Richmond have no hope. Unfortunately that tool Terry Wallace left a basket case. He inherited a club that that needed a bit more development to make the finals and then completely screwed the club. They will be a basket case for at least the next 3 years

[HarveysDeciple]

If we look at the Tigers they came from 7 goals down in the second term to lead Geelong at Kardinia Park halfway through the last quarter.

They also should have beaten both Port and Sydney interstate, and did win at Subi.

They have mixed that with some poor performances, (vs melb, vs carl, vs doggies, vs bris at g etc) but it's that "unknown" factor which is a worry. They have produced some good footy, just not for long enough, and I don't think it will be for long enough this time either, but we can't let them get a sniff, tend to play inspired footy when confident, but then dissapear.

Kill the beast early

[degruch]

Someone else on here pointed out correctly, that Richmond can play some great passages of football, but always stuff it with poor disposal and turn-overs. Most clubs can just sit back and wait for them to c**k it up.

As posted widely here, smash 'em early like we did the Blues, and the job is all but done.

[BAM! (shhhh)]

If CJ can keep Cousins out then we should by all means roll them. I find it a little sad for Richmond that a player whos spent 2 years out and had off field issues is just about their most effective player.

1) He's not. He could be, if he continues to spend the TOG, he quite probably will be, and that's because he's a gun. Right now, Tambling and Morton are leading the way for them though.

2) Cousins effectiveness ought help the entire team as they see the work-rate and style required to achieve the gamestyle they've been attempting. If you're running, and you handball to a guy standing still, you better keep running, because that guy is going to need to offload. If done well, he can even offload it straight back to you and shepherd your man for you - too often Richmond run stops dead at the line out of fear of the rebound. Run needs to break the rebound. Ben Cousins does this as well as anyone.

Cousins touches last week were back 50 and then run... don't know that he necessarily needs a tag, though it's an option if he runs rampant.

Forward pressure will be the key to not just beating, but destroying Richmond. You know up front that they'll do some really good running, and combine that with some really clumsy running. Both efforts take the same energy, and they frequently run themselves off their own legs. Keep their good run to a minimum, and they're in trouble.

What's worth scrutiny is that running the zone is one of the ways to beat it. Break a line, hit up a forward with a long kick. If the forward can't mark, knock the ball on over the back of the zone - this is what Essendon did very well. It's a more complicated role than Morton or Jack Reiwoldt have needed to fulfill recently, but if they can achieve it, Nahas and Delideio's speed may make them the guy who can do some damage at ground level... it all starts in the backline though, as in an even centre breaks game, the Saints forward and defenders stand a class about their Richmond counterparts.

Richmond's got a number of players who could feasibly do the job runningwise, however the rule of thumb in beating them is the same as always - keep them under intense pressure, because other than Cousins, they haven't got a proven performer when the chips are down.

[SainterK]

Many have said pressure is the key, I think our tackle count will be back up this weekend following the break...

[Devilhead]

I can see the Tigers putting up a great fight

At a glance given the respective ladder positions you would think the result would be a no brainer however given their recent change of coach, young players wanting to impress and the fact that they are also coming off a win gives rise to team that could very well cause an upset

Like us they are coming off a weeks break and they will be ultra keen to get off to flyer in the 2nd half season given their 1st half was so dire and downright embarrassing

We should have too much firepower however we definitely need to improve our tackling as it has been nothing short of average lately - Saints by 4 goals - anything more than that would constitute a very good win