Richmond Tigers vs Collingwood Magpies: AFL live scores, blog

Dustin Martin makes his long-awaited return for Richmond in their old-fashioned Saturday afternoon blockbuster against fierce rivals Collingwood at the MCG. Join The Roar for live scores and rolling coverage from 1:45pm (AEST).

Whilst the entire AFL community knows that the Tigers are no longer the force they once were, the yellow and black still have considerable weapons and are more than capable of playing finals football in 2022.

The inclusion of Dustin Martin for this match changes the profile of Richmond considerably, and off the back of a thumping victory over the Eagles last time out, the Tigers could well move into the eight with a toppling of the Pies this afternoon.

The season has been a little hot and cold for the Tigers thus far and coach Damien Hardwick will be looking to this fixture as a landmark game, where his team can remind the rest of the competition that they still have something to offer and should not be written off in 2022.

Collingwood are playing a style of football foreign to their fans in recent years, with Craig McRae having let his side off the leash and allowed their natural talents to shine.

Jack Ginnivan is the most perfect example of this, and with the momentum of two straights wins against Gold Coast and Essendon heading into this match, Collingwood will take Richmond on with an attacking style to which the Tigers may take a quarter or two to comprehend and respond.

In team news, Dion Prestia and Nick Vlastuin are out of the Tigers’ squad due to illness, whilst Collingwood have avoided needing to replace Taylor Adams, Brayden Maynard and Nick Daicos through sickness of their own.

Much of the pre-game talk will be around Dustin Martin and the potential influence he could have on what looks a tight match to call, yet the tough defensive diligence of the Tigers of recent seasons against the attacking flair of the Pies could well be the deciding factor in what looks a ripping affair on paper.

Prediction

Boy, talk about a tough one to call. The Tigers look good for a quarter or two and then appear well of the pace just half an hour later. Are the Pies a serious semi-final contender? Something tells me the returns of Dusty and Cotch might just get the Tigers over the line in this one.

Richmond by 7 points.

Game information

Opening bounce: 1:45pm (AEST)
Venue: MCG
TV: Fox Footy
Live stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now, Foxtel Go
Betting: Tigers $1.40, Magpies $3.00 (odds via PlayUp)

Richmond

B: J. Gibcus, D. Grimes (c), N. Balta

HB: L. Baker, R. Mansell, D. Rioli

C: S. Edwards, J. Short, K. McIntosh

HF: J. Castagna, K. Lambert, S. Bolton

F: T.Lynch, D. Martin, J. Riewoldt

FOLL: T. Nankervis (c), M. Pickett, T. Cotchin

I/C: I. Soldo, J. Graham, N. Broad, M. Rioli

EMG: J. Aarts, R. Collier-Dawkins, W. Martyn, S. Stack

IN: Martin, Cotchin, Pickett, Mansell

OUT: Collier-Dawkins, Stack, Vlastuin, Prestia

Collingwood

B: I. Quaynor, D. Moore, S. Pendlebury (c)

HB: J. Noble, J. Howe, B. Maynard

C: J. Daicos, T. Adams, S. Sidebottom

HF: W. Hoskin-Elliott, J. Ginnivan, B. Mihocek

F: P. Lipinski, J. De Goey, O. Henry

FOLL: D. Cameron, T. Brown, J. Crisp

I/C: T. Bianco, B. McCreery, N. Daicos, A. Begg

EMG: C. Brown, C. Poulter, J. Madgen, M. Cox

IN: Henry, Bianco

OUT: C Brown, Madgen