Richmond assistant coach JadeRawlings runs his eye over the Tigers clash against the Dockers at Subiaco Ovalon Sunday.
LESSONSFROM LAST WEEK
It was disappointing that it was only inthe last 10-15 minutes of the Brisbanegame that we started playing the style of football we hoped the guys would playfor the majority of the night. While it showed that we are capable of playingthat brand of football once we set our minds to it, it also showed that as soonas we veer away from what we know is right, we struggle.
OURBACKS
The backline players are starting to defendbetter than earlier in the year. We are starting to work a bit better togetherand the boys are becoming more aware of how their teammates play. Will Thursfieldhas played there for a couple of weeks, Graham Polak has become a stablefixture and Joel Bowden, Andrew Raines and Jake King are also starting to get abit of continuity.
THEIRFORWARDS
As much as he has been maligned for hiskicking, Chris Tarrant is in good form. He has a very good team orientation andis always looking to pass off to a person in a better position than him. Ofcourse they have a cast of others, like Michael Johnson, who can roll throughthere at any given time, and are all capable of kicking goals. So, as much asthe Matthew Pavlich match-up is going to be very critical for us, I think if wedrop our guard on any of the other forwards we are asking for trouble.
They have a well-balanced midfield and howto combat that has been something we have put a lot of time into this week.Paul Hasleby had 20-odd possessions to half time last week and is a realaccumulator and Peter Bell has become a goalkicker in the last three weeks. Aswell as winning the ball, those two players are also good at being able to handit off to their quicker teammates.
THERUCK DUEL
Based on our centre clearances from thelast three weeks, you could say we have not been really beaten in this area. Ithink what it is also showing is we are competing harder in the ruck.
Just about every week Adam Pattison hasbeen asked to battle outside his weight division and this week Aaron Sandilandsis going to be a very tough man for Patto to beat in the hit-outs.
Our awareness of our ball use has improved.When we come forward we are starting to be clearer on who the best option is.Over the last three weeks our boys have presented to the ball really well andhave regularly been getting 14-18 marks inside 50, which is a great returnconsidering the amount of inside 50s we have had in past weeks.
The mechanics in our forward line areworking well. If we can combine that improvement with good ground-level supportthen I think we start looking pretty potent up forward.
THEIRBACKS
I don’t think there is a particular trendas to how Fremantle plays. What I do know is that they are a very disciplinedbackline and, individually, very difficult to beat one on one. Antoni Grover isa really good defender, Scott Thornton is a very disciplined at going with hisman everywhere and Roger Hayden, StevenDodd and Luke McPharlin are players who can get things done at both ends. Ontop of that the Dockers play Subiaco very well and understand the importantareas of the ground to defend.
WHENLAST WE MET
Subiaco Oval, round 10, 2006. Fremantle 15.10(100) d Richmond13.11 (89)
Richmond v Fremantle: 55.56 per cent
Richmond @ Subiaco: 21.05 per cent
Fremantle @ Subiaco: 54.14 per cent
Richmond v Fremantle @ Subiaco: 37.50 per cent
MATCHNOTE
The Tigers have lost their last seven gamesat Subiaco Oval. Richmond’s last win in Perth came in round 10,2001 – a 38-point victory over the Dockers.
Fremantle has lost two of its last threegames played: a 25-point loss to Geelong(Skilled Stadium); a 46-point win over St Kilda (Subiaco); and a nine-pointloss to Collingwood (MCG).
Theviews in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of theclub.
