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Football returns to Etihad Stadium tonight for the first time in 2016 as the Richmond Tigers host the Port Adelaide Power to kick off the final week of the NAB Challenge. Join The Roar for a live blog of the match, starting at 7:10pm AEDT.
After three weeks of travelling around the country and bringing AFL-quality players to places where they are rarely seen, the league will make use of its main grounds in this final round of the pre-season competition, starting with tonight’s game at Etihad.
The Tigers, by no means regular tennants of Melbourne’s smaller stadium, have named a strong side in the hopes of claiming a second pre-season win, but despite travelling interstate for the match the Power have also named a talented team.
Anthony Miles, Ivan Maric, Troy Chaplin and Taylor Hunt are the Richmond regulars who won’t be seen tonight. The absence of Maric – far and away Richmond’s best ruckman – and Miles – one of their best inside the contest – may see Port boast a significant advantage at the stoppages.
Andrew Moore – playing against his old side – and Jacob Townsend will be the players looking to see if they can fill that gap for the Tigers and possibly earn themselves Round 1 club debuts. Shaun Hampson, Mabior Chol, and perhaps Tyrone Vickery and Ben Griffiths will be the players looking to cover Maric’s absence in the ruck.
Port have a nearly complete team on the field with Jared Polec the only likely best 22 player not to take the field. The headline act for them will be the inclusion of Charlie Dixon who after an interrupted pre-season has recovered in time to take part in this match.
The Power are one of only two teams to have played at least two NAB Challenge matches and lost them both, against Sydney in the first week and against Melbourne in the second. Pre-season results count for a little, but no doubt the players will be keen to get at least one win on the board heading into the real thing.
It’ll be a big night for Matthew Lobbe too who is looking to take on full-time ruck duties but was dominated by Max Gawn when the Power played the Demons. He has an easy go tonight against Richmond’s B-level rucks, so expect him to prove his worth.
Prediction
Port’s side seems just a little stronger and I think they’ll want the win more.
Port Adelaide by 24 points.
Join The Roar for a live blog of the match, starting at 7:10pm AEDT.