Respected AFL football commentator and former Essendon champion Tim Watson believes robust Richmond midfielder-turned-forward Jacob Townsend can parlay his super-impressive late-season form into something significant in September.

Townsend kicked 11 goals as a forward in the final two home-and-away rounds (six v Fremantle, Round 22 and five v St Kilda, Round 23), in what were his only two senior games for the Tigers this year, after having a major impact at VFL level during the season through the midfield.

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Watson is bullish about Townsend’s prospects of exerting a strong influence for Richmond in its 2017 finals campaign, starting with Friday night’s qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG.

“He is one of those players that wants to make something happen,” Watson said on ‘SEN Breakfast’.

“He wants to push up to the ball. He pushes to the contest every time.

“We talked all year about how they are going to find this next key marking forward, well, they have hit on something else that has worked two weeks for them, and there is no reason why they aren’t going to play him exactly the same way this weekend.

“I don’t think you can fluke 11 goals in two games. Nobody else has been able to fluke 11 goals in two games.”

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Given the fact Townsend combined impressive goalkicking exploits with trademark intensive defensive pressure throughout his two senior AFL appearances this season, Watson wouldn’t be surprised if he was assigned the task on experienced, key Geelong defender Harry Taylor this Friday night.

“He’s played that role there, where he has gone after two defenders in his two games that he has played. He did a really good job on (Michael) Johnson (v Fremantle) and he did a really good job on Jake Carlisle (v St Kilda),” Watson said.

“If Harry Taylor plays down there, he might go after Harry Taylor this week and draw the ball.”