The Western Bulldogs have won five of the past six clashes between these two sides with the other result during that stretch being a draw in round five, 2008.
FORM: Richmond broke through for just its second win of the season last weekend, downing Fremantle by three points in a thrilling contest at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night. The Western Bulldogs bounced back from the heartbreaking loss to Geelong with a 40-point demolition of Sydney at Manuka Oval last Saturday afternoon. The Dogs currently occupy third place on the AFL ladder with a 6-4 win-loss record.
MEDICAL ROOM: Richmond welcomes back promising young defender Alex Rance from a fractured cheekbone but will be without midfielder Matt White (hamstring), Nathan Brown (groin) and Robin Nahas (quad). Former skipper Kane Johnson (knee) and veteran Matthew Richardson (hamstring) are also on the sidelines. For the Bulldogs, classy forward Robert Murphy returns from a hamstring injury but defender Tom Williams (foot) is still unavailable.
KEY MATCH-UPS:
Daniel Jackson vs. Adam Cooney
Cooney was among his side’s best in the win over the Swans with 24 disposals and two goals.
The 2008 Brownlow medallist played a key role in the Bulldogs’ 47-point victory over the Tigers in round three, helping himself to 21 touches, one goal and nine inside 50’s.
Richmond will need to shut-down Cooney’s run and carry if they are going to contain the Dogs’ dangerous mid-sized forwards.
Jackson has been one of his side’s most consistent players so far in 2009 and has been far from disgraced in his role as a tagger.
Expect Jackson to be given the task of tagging Cooney on Friday night in what shapes as being a pivotal duel.
While Jackson needs to deny the Bulldogs star any time or space at the stoppages he also needs to be proactive and get his hands on the football and test out the defensive side of Cooney’s game.
Liam Picken vs. Brett Deledio
Deledio was instrumental in the Tigers’ thrilling win over the Dockers with 27 possessions, ten marks, two goals and seven inside 50’s.
His willingness to run hard and play on at all costs helped the Tigers break the game wide open in the third term.
When these two sides met earlier in the year Picken did a superb blanketing job on Deledio, restricting him to just 16 disposals.
Deledio faces another tough night at the office with Picken likely to be given the job on the Richmond young gun once again.
If Deledio is going to have any hope of having a major impact on the contest he will need his teammates to block for him otherwise Picken will be allowed to employ a tight tag all night.
Chris Newman vs. Jason Akermanis
Akermanis was well below his best in the win over Sydney but looms as a danger man for the Tigers given that he booted four goals in the round three clash, including three unanswered early in the final term to put the result beyond doubt.
The former Brisbane Lions champion rarely has two bad games in a row and will need to be contained if Richmond is going to have any hope of securing back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Newman has the ability to match Akermanis when he goes forward and also when he pushes into the midfield, so you would expect him to be given first crack at the 2001 Brownlow medallist.
In the first quarter of the round three clash between these two sides the Tigers suffocated the Dogs’ run with their immense pressure but their intensity dropped off badly after that.
They will need to apply relentless pressure all night otherwise the Dogs will be able to move the football quickly and cleanly into the likes of Akermanis.
Brian Lake vs. Jack Riewoldt
With Richardson, Brown and Nahas on the sidelines the Tigers are missing three of their top four leading goal kickers so far this season.
Richmond will need someone like Riewoldt to have a big game if they are going to have any hope of kicking a big enough score to overcome a Bulldogs side that has the third best attack in the AFL.
However, his task won’t be an easy one as he will most likely be matched up by Lake who apart from conceding six goals to Sydney spearhead Barry Hall last weekend has been in pretty good form.
Riewoldt is at his best when leading into space – he isn’t a power forward who is capable of consistently taking pack marks.
Therefore, the Tigers can’t afford to just bomb the football haphazardly into the forward line otherwise Lake will continually out body Riewoldt and help set up his side’s attacking forays forward from the defensive half.
VERDICT: There is plenty of emotion surrounding this game as it will be Richmond coach Terry Wallace’s last game in charge – ironically against the side that he steered to two preliminary finals in 1997 and ‘98 before leaving the club in controversial circumstances just a week before the end of the home-and-away season in 2002. While the Tigers secured the four premiership points against the Dockers they did go missing for patches. They will undoubtedly be keen to send Wallace out on a high but the Western Bulldogs simply have too much class and will punish Richmond for their lapses in concentration.
Bulldogs by 37 points.
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