Richmond
0
PREVIEW
Carlton
0
It’s footy but not as we know it: the 2020 AFL season will get underway tonight at the MCG in the traditional Richmond Tigers versus Carlton Blues season opener, but no crowd will be there to see it. Join me here on The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the match, starting 7:40pm (AEDT).
Even if you’ve been living under a rock you’d know by now that the 2020 AFL season (not to mention pretty much every other aspect of everyday life) is set to be significantly warped by the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and yet on Wednesday footy’s powerbrokers made the decision to forge on with the season nonetheless.
In the short term that means there’ll be no crowds attending matches, possibly for the entire length of the season, and also the length of quarters has been reduced to 16 minutes plus time on, down from 20.
The fixture also remains up in the air with the AFL reportedly open to trying to cram extra games into the calendar now with a likely lengthy shutdown virtually inevitable at some point over the next few months.
But, enough coronavirus talk for now: footy’s back, and let’s talk about it.
Richmond’s side is near on the same as that which so thoroughly won the 2019 AFL grand final, with only two differences from the 22 fielded on that day.
Brandon Ellis is wearing red and gold on the Queensland coast now, while Bachar Houli is sidelined with a calf injury, the only player on Richmond’s injury list.
Sydney Stack and Jack Graham, who both missed the grand final with injury, are the inclusions.
As for Carlton, they are debuting two new Blues in the form of big off-season recruit Jack Martin via Gold Coast, and delisted free agent Jack Newnes, formerly of St Kilda.
Eddie Betts’ emotional homecoming is going to have to wait at least a little while longer with a calf injury to keep him away for 3-4 weeks, and Carlton are also missing some key members of their young spine in Caleb Marchbank, Harry McKay, and worst of all, Charlie Curnow.
There is a very good news story for Carlton in the back pocket however with co-captain Sam Docherty named to play his first AFL game in two and a half years.
Prediction
These two sides would be a fair distance apart even at full strength, and their contrasting injury situations only widen that gap. The Tigers will start 2020 in dominant fashion.
Richmond by 36 points.
Join me here on The Roar for live scores and a live blog of the match, starting 7:40pm AEDT.
Game information
Opening bounce: 7:40pm (AEDT)
Venue: MCG
TV: Channel Seven, Fox Footy
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel, AFL Live app
Odds: Richmond $1.28, Carlton $3.60
sven
Roar Rookie
the changed the rule on that last season i think, u can use your hands now to hold em off
Seymorebutts
Guest
Umpires seem to be playing to a different rule book to the players. I didnt understand a couple of the 50 m penalties either... 50 metres should only be for intentional interference from the person on the mark.. I think Tigers got two early goals from very soft 50 metres.. maybe its time to go back to 15 m penalties... cos the punishment seems to be way disproportionate to the crime. Yet they are still ignoring the blatant push in the back during marking contest.. Dusty got a soft goal, clearly pushed the defender in the back... thats a free every day of the week and has been since JC was playing for the Israelite's. You can stand your ground.. not allowed to use your hands.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
6by6 Westie obviously knows nothing about our teams. Bag o' wind.
Realist
Guest
Blue had a lot of help. 8 goals from free kicks, some of them leaving everyone scratching their heads in bewilderment. Looked to me like after the Tigers fast start the men in green just umpired Richmond and not Carlton. They don't seem to realise it's not their job to try and even up the scoreboard!
1DER
Guest
Carlton only laid 17 effective tackles to 3/4 time with 11 players not even registering a single tackle. 23 tackles for the game with 9 players on zero. Back six laid 8 tackles, forwards 5. As a result Richmond kicked some very easy goals. Murphy, Walsh, Gibbons and Fisher not one tackle between them.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
We have enough outside run to cover Treloar IMO. It’s when we get hit inside such as Tay Adams we are vulnerable. Pies by 19. Good on you Blues for having a crack.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Computer sciences ATM but that will probably change lol
berrlins
Roar Pro
After 2 weeks of isolation, I'm so glad footy is back. I'm glad the Blues made it interesting. Weitering looked really good, Martin looked awesome at times, dude is a gun. The blues lacked composure which cost them, Jones looked terrible but maybe I'm being harsh. For the Tigers, I loved the look of Stack and Pickett. Rioli continues doing Rioli things.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Yeah, wish I knew about Treloar's absence before submitting my tips to the tipping column this morning..
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Took me a while, but I now remember *that* ANZAC day biff between you two. That was a fun way to end a blog :silly:
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
If you don't mind me asking, what does he wanna study at uni? Haha, I know about angry dad all too well ... does the trick most of the time though!
Josh
Expert
Yeah I gave Dimma a call at half time, asked him to rein it in.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Wb for me, Treloar is way to hard to cover
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Weitering may be all Australian if he keeps that up, was impressed with your mob tonight.
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Yes it’s been nice to get a distraction from everything. I do enjoy when we are diametrically opposed about footy, reminyme I’m alive :silly:
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
He's redoing atar to get into uni he wants, didn't put in the effort he should of , Don't think he wants to cop angry dad again, never changes though I'm in my forties and still cop angry dad lol
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Yeaaaah, being a casual at a cinema at the moment means I'm essentially in the "not working" category. We're still open, mind, just not a lot of shifts floating about. Uni, too, is booting us off campus into doing everything online. Ahh, should I feel fortunate I live a couple of states away from the Westmead?
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Yes with Kruezer out there’s room for both Pittonet and De Koning. Gibbons or Dow to make way.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
Yep those 3 were the worst. There was a lot to like although our slow start and inability to play four quarters reminded me of much of last season.
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
Carlton first up at home every season is just more fuxturing from the "A"FL to get the tigers in the 4. A conspiracy theorist might think anyway :silly: