Richmond must shut down Rory Laird, Tom Lynch to win Grand Final

ADELAIDE has matchwinners all over the field but there are two players who should have giant targets next to their names on Damien Hardwick’s whiteboard, writes MATTHEW LLOYD.

THE Adelaide Crows have matchwinners on every line — it’s a phenomenon that has left clubs all year scratching their heads at match committee. Just who do you go after?

If I was in the Richmond camp, the Grand Final targets would go fairly and squarely on the backs of Rory Laird in defence and Tom Lynch in attack.

Laird and Lynch ran amok against Geelong in the preliminary final, just as they have for most of this season, as not enough respect or accountability was shown to them early in the match.

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With Brodie Smith out for the season, Laird is the only creative player in Adelaide’s defence that Richmond needs to be concerned about.

Jacob Townsend should be set the task of terrorising the creator from the first bounce.

Jake Lever hurts you in the air, but he doesn’t match Laird’s weight of possessions.

Laird is a different type of player to Geelong’s Lachie Henderson, but Townsend was able to completely take him out of the game in the first final while also kicking a couple of goals.

Laird averages 29 disposals a game across the season, 20 of those being uncontested, which ranks him No. 1 for all small defenders in the AFL.

There is also no better ground level intercept player due to his ability to quickly react to the ball leaving the boot further afield.

Richmond can’t afford to let Rory Laird do as he pleases. Picture: Michael Klein

Jacob Townend will have a big job to do in the Grand Final. Picture: Alex Coppel

The question for Townsend in this role is does he have the fitness, concentration and game awareness to stick to the task for 120 minutes on such a fit, hard-running player?

Townsend cannot allow Laird to be the free player just off the contest; the Crows continually look to get the ball out to him to start their attacking play, with Lynch often the next target.

Laird had 32 disposals and took 15 marks last Friday night, which was just unforgivable from the Cats.

Kevin Sheedy describes Townsend as one of the best competitors he has encountered across 30 years as coach. Townsend likes it tough and he needs to put his forearm across Laird’s chest at the first bounce and work him over physically.

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Laird will have his moments, as all great players do, but if every disposal is pressured, that is a big win.

Dylan Grimes has had a wonderful record on Eddie Betts over the years.

The Richmond No. 2 is one of those players that you just hate playing on because he is extremely quick off the mark, he is strong in the air and he will never waver in his application — it’s just not in his DNA.

For all of those qualities, I would play him on Tom Lynch in the Grand Final as I don’t believe that any other player at Richmond matches up on him as well.

Tom Lynch has a huge engine.

Dylan Grimes doesn’t give his opponents an inch.

I would then give Nathan Broad the task of playing on Betts. Broad has conceded just five goals in his nine games since he came into the side in Round 17. Broad also hasn’t conceded a goal in the finals, totally blanketing Giant Toby Greene last week, so he would be confident. His aim should be to keep Betts to fewer than two goals.

Lynch isn’t quick but he is as smart a footballer as they come and is always running just as hard in the last minute as he was in the first.

He will be the Crows player presenting when the defenders first raise their vision for a kick out of the defensive half.

The one-time Saint relieves the pressure on everyone as he bobs up in the right spots at the perfect time to make for an easier pass.

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Lynch takes more marks and has more score involvements than any other player of his type in the game. He averages eight score involvements and seven marks a game to go with his 20 disposals.

If Grimes can be with Lynch every step of the way and Townsend can nullify Laird, that puts enormous pressure on Daniel Talia, Kyle Hartigan and Luke Brown to create some attacking play, which doesn’t come naturally to them.

The repeat forward 50m entries of Richmond eventually wore down both Geelong and the GWS Giants over the past two finals when the games broke open after halftime.

If the Tigers are in the game at the main break against Adelaide, I could see it happening again. That is a big if.

Operation Laird and Lynch would be my major focus and you just have to back the rest of the Richmond playmakers to beat their respective opponents — as Alex Rance, Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin usually do.

My tip: the Crows in a thriller.