Editor
The Richmond Tigers have recorded a convincing victory over the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday night to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.
Final score
Gold Coast Suns 10.5 65
Richmond Tigers 14.14 98
The Richmond Tigers will be looking to consolidate their spot in the top four when they travel north to do battle with the enigmatic Gold Coast Suns. Join The Roar for live scores, updates and highlights from 7:25pm (AEST).
The Tigers’ win over GWS last week has established them as a serious premiership contender, but with a tricky run ahead, a comfortable win over the Suns could prove vital in the coming weeks.
With Jack Riewoldt on the sidelines with an eye injury – only the second game the talismanic key forward has missed since 2009 – it will be up to the Tigers’ small forward trio of Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler and Jason Castagna to produce a winning score.
In years past, Riewoldt’s absence would have been a catastrophic blow for the Tigers, but the much-maligned club have more dimensions to their game than in the past, and with Dustin Martin wreaking havoc in midfield, Alex Rance on track for a fourth consecutive All-Australian gong, and the likes of Kane Lambert, David Astbury and Dylan Grimes all enjoying career-best seasons, there’s still plenty of firepower at Tigerland.
The Gold Coast Suns’ wretched run with injuries doesn’t look like changing anytime soon, with key defensive duo Steven May and Rory Thompson remaining on the sidelines.
May, the Suns’ co-captain, was initially named in the starting 22 on Thursday evening before withdrawing, but his absence gives young backman Max Spencer the opportunity to impress on debut.
With Gary Ablett back in the fold, the Suns look better on the paper than the side that faded badly in last week’s loss to the Western Bulldogs, and with Jack Martin and David Swallow also finding form in recent weeks, there is some talent to work with at Metricon Stadium.
But plenty still rests on superstar forward Tom Lynch, and without a big bag from the co-captain – a task made all the tougher by a dour yet effective Richmond defence – the Suns’ chances of victory look slim.
Prediction
With the competition for places in the eight growing tougher by the week, the Tigers can simply not afford to drop games like this.
The Suns have been their nemesis in the past, having lost half of their clashes with the expansion side.
But, the Tigers look like they have hit peak form, and with the Suns appearing to flag as the end of the season draws closer, it’s difficult to see past a Richmond victory, Riewoldt or no Riewoldt.
Richmond by 35 points
With plenty of stars in the Tigers’ line-up, unheralded forward Shane Edwards has regularly flown under the radar, but the 28-year old will be front and centre on Saturday night when he chalks up his 200th career game.
Will it be a night to remember for Edwards as the Tigers continue their march towards September? Or will Gary Ablett and Tom Lynch inspire the Suns to a season-changing upset?
Tune into The Roar’s live blog, and stay up to date with all the news and highlights, from 7:25pm (AEST), and don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.