Geelong’s new home away from home against rampant Richmond
THE Advertiser’s Chief Football Writer Michelangelo Rucci takes a look at Geelong’s ‘home’ battle against Richmond ‘away’ at the MCG on Friday night.
THE Advertiser’s Chief Football Writer Michelangelo Rucci takes a look at Geelong’s ‘home’ battle against Richmond ‘away’ at the MCG on Friday night.
GEELONG v RICHMOND
Qualifying final, MCG, Friday, 7.20pm
DOES SELWOOD PLAY?
GEELONG captain Joel Selwood trained strongly on Saturday as the midfielder seeks to prove he is fit to play in Friday’s qualifying final against Richmond.
He has missed three matches since suffering a syndesmosis ankle injury in the latter stages of the home loss to Sydney at Kardinia Park on August 4.
Selwood says he expects to see his name in the Geelong line-up on Thursday - and is optimistic it will stay there when the team sheets are lodged at the MCG on Friday evening.
Re-establishing the Selwood-Patrick Dangerfield partnership in the midfield for the first time in 35 days is critical to enhancing Geelong’s odds of advancing to an MCG preliminary final, even if the record books show the Cats have won three from three without Selwood.
IS THE MCG “HOME”?
GEELONG is the “home” team in this final at the MCG where third-ranked Richmond is more at home.
The Cats have a 3-2 win-loss record at the MCG this season (where the Tigers have chalked up a 9-2 count this season).
Head-to-head, Geelong has won the past eight games against Richmond at the MCG since 2002.
Geelong has worked up a lucky 13-game run against the Tigers.
So, the MCG should not be seen as limiting the Cats’ prospects of advancing from this double-chance final.
Geelong has won four of its past six finals a the MCG - and the biggest lesson from the last one, the preliminary final against Sydney, is not to make a bad start.
CAN TIGERS WIN A FINAL?
AT least there is a safety net under Richmond this year.
For those who are not immersed in the Tigers’ recent record in September - the month that has tormented Richmond fans for too long - the club’s moving theme song has not been heard at the end of a final since September 15, 2001 (semi-final win against Carlton).
Since then, Richmond has lost the 2001 preliminary final (to Brisbane), 2013 elimination final (to the ninth-ranked Carlton), the 2014 elimination final (to Port Adelaide) and the 2015 elimination final (to North Melbourne).
This time, there is a next week, either a home semi-final against Sydney or Essendon or a home preliminary final.
CAN THAT ATTACK WORK?
RICHMOND has defied the doubts by winning while building a “small” attack around key forward Jack Riewoldt and working a thin ruck battery around Sydney recruit Toby Nankervis.
The Tigers have averaged 91 points this season.
But, as is often the case, the attention on Richmond’s different look in attack has overshadowed the new strength in the Tigers’ game - defence. All-Australian captain Alex Rance and his crew have conceded an average 76.3 points this season (ranking second in the AFL) - a significant 22-point improvement on last season.
And what do they say of defence in finals?
It is vital and a key pointer to a prospective premiership team. Some may question if it is a year too soon for the Tigers?
The club’s fans will say it is more than two decades too late.
THE ODDS
MATCH
Geelong $1.70
Richmond $2.15
FLAG
Geelong $5.50
Richmond $6.50
MEDICAL ROOMS
CATS
M. Blicavs (ankle) test
J. Selwood (ankle) test
N. Cockatoo (hamstring) test
J. Cowan (Achilles) season
C. Gregson (foot) season
L. McCarthy (hip/groin) season
Q. Narkle (knee) season
TIGERS
J. Caddy (hamstring) test
N. Drummond (knee) season
THIS SEASON
Geelong 11.14 (80) d Richmond 9.12 (66), Round 21 at Kardinia Park
EARLY CALL
GEELONG by 10 points