Richmond faces an awesome challenge against unbeaten ladder leader Fremantle in Friday night’s Round 10 clash at Domain Stadium.

Notwithstanding the overall efficiency and evenness of the Dockers’ outfit, two of their players, in particular, stand out as formidable opposition for the Tigers – ruck giant Aaron Sandilands and outstanding midfielder Nathan Fyfe.

Sandilands is coming off a league football record 69 hit-outs against Adelaide last round, while Fyfe is a runaway Brownlow Medal favorite, as we approach the midway mark of the season.

Richmond development coach and 2013 Hawthorn premiership ruckman, Max Bailey, believes there’s no way inspirational Tiger big man Ivan Maric can stop the 211cm Sandilands winning the vast majority of ruck duels at the centre bounces and stoppages.  So, the Tigers have to find other ways to ensure that doesn’t translate into a huge advantage for the home side.

WATCH: Damien Hardwick’s press conference before flying out to Perth on Thursday

“Ivan is going to do everything he can, but a lot of it’s going to come down to the midfielders and how they position themselves.  That’s going to be pretty important,” Richmond development coach Max Bailey said on this week’s ‘Spotlight’ episode.  

“But if Ivan can get more of the ball around the ground, that’ll go some way to counteracting him.”

Winning the contested-ball situations, and getting away to a reasonable start in the match, also shape as key factors in Richmond’s bid for success against Fremantle.

“In their Round 1 game against Port (Adelaide), I think they were quite low in contested ball, and Port went pretty close to beating them.  So that’s a big area of the game,” he said.

“The other thing is that ‘Freo’ are really fast starters.  If we can be level, or just within a kick or so at quarter-time, it’ll show us we can stick with them for the rest of the game, because we’ve been running games out really well.”

Where:  Domain Stadium
When:  Friday, June 5, 8.10pm (EST)
TV coverage:  Channel Seven (live from 8pm), Fox Footy (live from 8pm)
Radio coverage:  3AW, SEN, Triple M, ABC

Click here to see Sportsbet.com.au’s latest odds for each match and their Round 10-13 Cash Back promotion for on first goalkicker bets if the first score is a behind!

 

The Richmond team
B:  Grimes, Batchelor, Rance
HB:  Houli, Vlastuin, Chaplin
C:  B. Ellis, Cotchin, McIntosh
HF:  Martin, Edwards, Miles
F:  Riewoldt, Deledio, Morris
R:  Maric, Grigg, Hunt
IC:  Vickery, C. Ellis, Menadue, Griffiths
Emerg:  Gordon, McBean, Arnot
In:  Vickery
Out:  McBean (omitted)

See how Fremantle is lining up for Round 10 this Friday


Richmond v Fremantle recent history

Round 13, 2014, MCG
Richmond            1.3          5.9          7.11        12.13  (85)
Fremantle           3.1          7.5          13.8        16.9  (105)
Goals – Richmond:  Deledio 2, Petterd 2, Batchelor, Ellis, Foley, Maric, Martin, Miles, Newman, Riewoldt.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Miles 30, Ellis 29, Rance 29, Martin 28, Cotchin 27, Foley 27, Houli 25, Petterd 23, Deledio 21.
Goals – Fremantle:  Ballantyne 6, Pavlich 3, Barlow 2, Clarke, Fyfe, Mundy, Pearce, Spurr.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle:  Fyfe 33, Hill 24, Mundy 24, Barlow 23, Spurr 20.

Round 17, 2013, MCG
Richmond            3.3          4.6          9.9          12.12  (84)
Fremantle           2.2          2.5          6.6          8.9  (57)
Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 4, Cotchin, Deledio, S. Edwards, Jackson, King, Martin, Vickery, White.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 34, Martin 30, Rance 30, Ellis 24, Grigg 24, Jackson 22, Petterd 22, S. Edwards 20, Houli 20, Newman 20.
Goals – Fremantle:  Mzungu 3, Mayne 2, de Boer, Silvagni, Walters.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle:  Fyfe 27, Mundy 24, Barlow 22, Johnson 21, Mzungu 21, Neale 21, Pearce 20, Walters 20.

Round 5, 2013, Subiaco
Richmond            5.2          7.3          9.5          12.8  (80)
Fremantle           2.0          7.5          10.8        12.9  (81)
Goals – Richmond:  Knights 3, Vickery 3, McGuane 2, Grigg, Martin, Riewoldt, White.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 26, Ellis 25, Houli 23, S. Edwards 22, Martin 22, Jackson 21, Deledio 20.
Goals – Fremantle:  Ballantyne 4, Mayne 3, Walters 2, Crowley, Hill, Suban.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle:  Barlow 31, Ibbotson 24, Pearce 24, Fyfe 23, Hill 23, Spur 23, Griffin 21.

Round 21, 2012, Subiaco
Richmond            2.3          5.4          8.4          11.6  (72)
Fremantle           3.4          7.8          10.12     13.16  (94)
Goals – Richmond:  King 3, Deledio 2, Riewoldt 2, Edwards, Nahas, O’Hanlon, White.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 32, Tuck 28, Grigg 25, Houli 23, Martin 22, White 20.
Goals – Fremantle:  Ballantyne 3, Pavlich 3, de Boer 2, Bradley, Hill, Mayne, Mzungu, Walters.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle:  Mundy 32, Barlow 25, Duffield 25, Ballantyne 24, McPhee 23, de Boer 22, Pearce 22, Fyfe 21.

Round 11, 2012, MCG
Richmond            5.2          6.3          8.8          9.12  (66)
Fremantle           4.1          7.3          9.6          12.6  (78)
Goals – Richmond:  Edwards 3, Cotchin, Martin, Nahas, Riewoldt, Tuck, Vickery.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 30, Tuck 29, Grigg 24, Houli 20, Jackson 20, Martin 20.
Goals – Fremantle:  Pavlich 6, Ballantyne 2, Crichton, de Boer, Griffin, Mayne.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle:  de Boer 29, Barlow 24, Hill 24, Johnson 23, Mundy 21, Mayne 20, Mzungu 20.

 

Richmond v Fremantle head-to-head

  • Richmond and Fremantle have played 30 times with the Tigers winning 16 and losing 14.
  • Richmond last defeated Fremantle in Round 17, 2013 at the MCG – 12.12 (84) to 8.9 (57).
  • Richmond has won just one of of its past five matches against Fremantle.
  • Richmond and Fremantle have never met in a league final.
  • Richmond’s best winning sequence against Fremantle is three, from 2008-09.
  • Richmond’s longest losing sequence against Fremantle is three, from 2005-07, and 2012-13.
  • Richmond’s highest score against Fremantle is 23.10 (148) in Round 7, 2011 at the MCG.
  • Richmond’s lowest score against Fremantle is 5.12 (42) in Round 19, 1997 at the WACA.
  • Richmond’s greatest winning margin against Fremantle is 90 points in Round 14, 1998 at the MCG.
  • Richmond’s greatest losing margin against Fremantle is 66 points in Round 4, 2002 at Subiaco.
  • The most goals kicked by a Richmond player in a match against Fremantle is six by Matthew Richardson (three times), in Round 13, 1999 at Subiaco,  Round 19, 2002 at the MCG and Round 4, 2005 at the MCG.
  • Richmond’s biggest-ever crowd against Fremantle is 43,801 in Round 11, 2012 at the MCG.