Forget the incongruous Etihad Stadium setting, the Thursday night timeslot and the midwinter chill – Richmond’s top-two AFL showdown with Sydney has all the hallmarks of the last Saturday in September.
Marquee match-ups?
Alex Rance versus Lance Franklin is as good as it gets. And midfield bulls Dustin Martin and Josh Kennedy are certain to cross paths at some point.
Manic pressure?
That’s a given when it comes to these two sides, who are as good around the ball as any teams in the competition.
High stakes?
They certainly are for a home-and-away fixture. Depending on the result of Saturday’s West Coast-Adelaide game, either the Tigers or Swans could go a game clear on top of the ladder and a step closer to securing a top-two finish.
This is a big game, although the decision to schedule it on Thursday night and at Etihad Stadium rather than the MCG will put a dent in attendance.
League rules dictate that even non-tenant clubs, such as the Tigers, play at least one home game at the Docklands ground.
“You don’t have any say in it. We take what we can get as far as MCG games,” Sydney coach John Longmire told reporters.
“There’s been talk about consideration in regards to (interstate teams) and I think that needs to be discussed.
“If the grand final is played here (in Sydney), at Adelaide Oval or in Perth, I think that Melbourne people might have a bit of a different perspective on that. It just depends what lens you look through, doesn’t it. After all, it’s a home ground.”
The Tigers haven’t hosted the Swans at Etihad since 2006.
“We can’t change it. We accept it,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.
Either way, the likely battle between Rance and Franklin looms as a winner.
Richmond’s brilliant fullback kept Franklin to one goal when the two sides met last season but the four-time Coleman Medallist is a proven big-game performer.
“The old ‘Rance Franklin’ … we always get a laugh out of it at match committee,” Hardwick joked.
“They’re two great players so it’s worth the price of admission to see those guys.”
Richmond and Sydney made two changes apiece, with Tigers onballer Dion Prestia and Swans veteran Jarrad McVeigh the big inclusions.
Prestia has managed only four games this season because of injury and McVeigh is back from a week out with a calf problem.
The Tigers also regained David Astbury and left out Kamdyn McIntosh, another premiership player, along with newcomer Ryan Garthwaite.
Tom Papley (hip) is a big loss for Sydney and Harry Marsh was dropped, with James Rose the other inclusion.
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