- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Western Bulldogs have overcome a 32-point deficit to snatch victory away from the Richmond Tigers in the dying stages of the last quarter.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Western Bulldogs 11.14.80
Richmond Tigers 11.9.75
The Richmond Tigers unbeaten streak ended abruptly last week, after suffering a 76-point drubbing at the hands of the Adelaide Crows. Things don’t get any easier for the boys from Punt Road as they get set to face the reigning premiers Western Bulldogs. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:25pm (AEST).
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. Entering the much-anticipated clash against ladder leaders Adelaide, Richmond were brimming with confidence and were revelling in the talk of being considered potential top four aspirants.
It only took three quarters – in which the Crows had 30 shots at goal to the Tigers paltry 5 – for the bubble to burst, for the footy world to once again shake their heads in exasperation before branding them as the same old Richmond.
Heading into the round 6 blockbuster as the number one defensive team in the competition, the Tigers were thought to have the tools to halt Adelaide’s lethal offence. Instead the Crows incinerated Richmond with swift ball movement, as they romped home to a 76-point victory.
After five wins in a row, the Tigers are likely to suffer consecutive defeats if they produce the same effort against an equally devastating Bulldogs outfit on the quick Etihad stadium surface.
Despite falling by two points against the Giants last week in another classic, the defending champs look close to recapturing their scintillating form showcased last year in their fairy tale finals run.
Against the 2017 premiership favourites, the Dogs dominated the match for large periods including a second quarter which included 12 shots at goal.
Had it not been for inaccurate kicking at goal – the Bulldogs had 8 more shots at goal than the Giants – it’s likely they would have cruised to victory.
Accuracy in front of the big sticks is an issue for the Dogs as they convert only 42.5 per cent of their shots, good for a lowly 17th in the competition. If Beveridge’s men are to repeat their success of last year this is an issue which must be addressed promptly.
In team news, the Tigers will be without star recruit Dion Prestia after he was ruled out of Saturday’s clash due to a hamstring injury. Prestia is just one of four changes for the Tigers, with Reece Conca sidelined with a foot injury, while Toby Nankervis was offered a one-week suspension after striking David McKay.
Steven Morris has also been dropped after just one game back. Young ruckman Ivan Soldo – cousin of cult hero Ivan Maric – has been elevated from the rookie list and is in line to debut for the Tigers on Saturday night.
For the Bulldogs, champion veteran Matthew Boyd is back in the team replacing the omitted Bailey Dale. Boyd returns after missing last week’s clash against the Giants due to a back complaint.
Prediction
Despite a considerable drop in support for the Richmond bandwagon after a humiliating loss, the Tigers are still a very impressive 5-1. A competitive showing against the Bulldogs will go a long way to convincing the doubters that Richmond are deserving of a Finals berth this year.
Expect the pressure to be intense early as these are the two of the most tackle happy sides in the competition, with the Dogs ranking first while the Tigers are third.
However, with the Premiers starting to find their mojo and their transition from defence to attack looking more threatening, expect the Dogs to hand the Tigers their second straight loss.
Bulldogs by 43 points.
Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 7:25pm (AEST).
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.