AFL: Brisbane Lions roaring to end drought against Richmond Tigers
Richmond have not lost against Brisbane since 2009, the longest winning streak still alive in the AFL.
When Jack Riewoldt steps out against Brisbane on the Gold Coast on Tuesday night, the champion Tiger can draw upon an experience that his teammates cannot.
The triple Coleman medallist is the only remaining player from the last Richmond team beaten by Brisbane.
Riewoldt was quiet when Richmond last lost to Brisbane in 2009, in a match that featured greats including Jonathan Brown, Simon Black and Ben Cousins in his stint as a Tiger.
The Tigers’ dominance over the Lions is currently the longest winning streak in the AFL.
Through a barren decade, the Lions failed to get closer to Richmond than 19 points, with that result the first of this 14-game losing streak against the Tigers.
The greats of Brisbane’s last golden era carried the Lions to victory back in 2009.
Just over a decade on and reigning premiership coach Damien Hardwick said this pride of Lions might just be the best side in the competition in 2020.
“They are in good form. They play an outstanding brand of footy. They are fun to watch,” he said.
As a result, brilliant Brisbane small forward Charlie Cameron believes the Lions are poised to snap the drought, a fact raised by Brisbane coach Chris Fagan ahead of the clash.
“I think Fages touched on it this week. It is a good challenge and we are looking forward to it,” Cameron said. “It is going to be an exciting game with two big teams going at it. We are looking forward to the match-up, to see where we are at against another premiership team.
“It will put us in good stead that we can match it with the best. If we stick to our process over four quarters and try to match it with them and finish our work, it will go a long way.”
It is a significant game for both clubs. Brisbane shares top position with Port Adelaide and can extend a buffer on potential top-four challengers with a win.
The fifth-placed Tigers demolished the Western Bulldogs last Wednesday but could slip from the eight with a loss, depending on other results.
Final session before we tackle the Lions 😤 #gotiges pic.twitter.com/1INOQENczK
— Richmond FC ðŸ¯ðŸ† (@Richmond_FC) August 3, 2020
Then there is the psychological aspect, for a win over the reigning premiers would further Brisbane’s belief.
The Lions fell short twice in succession at the end of last season, beaten by 27 points in round 23 and 47 points in the qualifying final less than a fortnight later.
But those margins are somewhat misleading, for Brisbane was well and truly in both games for a substantial period.
The round 23 clash at the MCG was full of highlights until Richmond broke away late.
Inaccuracy blighted the Lions in the qualifying final when they kicked 4.10 (34) to 7.3 (45) to halftime.
Cameron, who signed a contract extension until 2025 last week, said on Monday the Lions “just didn’t capitalise” on their chances in the qualifying final.
The Lions have focused on their ball movement when coming from the midfield into attack in a bid to cultivate better positions or situations from which to kick for goal.
Brisbane has enjoyed two fewer days of rest than Richmond since its last wins and Cameron said the focus had predominantly been on recovery.
Mindful of the increased demands on players through the current festival of football, Fagan has sought advice from athletes in other sports for tips on how to thrive with tight turnarounds.
Former Australian Boomer Phil Smyth is among them, while Fagan also pointed his footballers to the demands placed on tennis players competing in grand slams like the Australian Open.
Cameron said a disparity in the length of breaks between matches would be no excuse against the Tigers.
“I think we can’t focus on that. We have to adapt and play the way we want to play on game day,” he said.
“We are staying in a house. They are staying in a hotel. I think that is a bit of an advantage for us.”
Hardwick is also managing his squad through the break, with Richmond captain Trent Cotchin a priority given recent hamstring issues. He returned against the Western Bulldogs and will play against Brisbane, but is then likely to miss Saturday’s clash against the Power, particularly as it involves a flight to Adelaide.
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Lion vs Tiger 👑 The real battle starts tomorrow night! pic.twitter.com/Ykm0krxO4T
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) August 3, 2020
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