In the absence of feisty Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne, due to injury, the match-winning ability of his little teammate Michael Walters has taken on even more significance in Richmond’s planning for Saturday’s big twilight match against the ladder leader at the MCG.
Walters has been in fine form for the Dockers throughout the season, kicking 28 goals so far and posing major problems for opposition defences with his lively forward play.
WATCH: Damien Hardwick’s press conference from the ME Centre on Thursday
“He kicked 3.3 against us last time (in Round 10 at Domain Stadium), so it’ll be a big match-up in our backline,” Richmond assistant coach Brendon Lade said on this week’s edition of ‘The Spotlight’.
“Hopefully, someone like Taylor Hunt or Nick Vlastuin could go to him and shut him right out.
“His importance in their forward line is massive. He can kick the ball off one step as well, and kick goals, so the challenge for us will be keep goalside of him all the time and not let him have easy possessions.
“We think we’ve got a good match-up for him, though . . .
“Our defence has been our strong point all year and it’s the reason why we’re high up on the ladder at the moment.
“We need that to continue and, hopefully, pick up our attacking side.
“Earlier in the year, we were probably going for too many risky kicks and not getting away with it and the opposition was scoring easy goals. So we’ve settled down a little bit in that area at the moment.”
Where: MCG
When: Saturday, July 25, 4.35pm
TV coverage: Fox Footy (live from 4.30pm)
Radio coverage: 3AW, SEN, Triple M, ABC
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The Richmond team
B: Grimes, Batchelor, Rance
HB: Houli, Vlastuin, Chaplin
C: Ellis, Cotchin, McIntosh
HF: Martin, Hampson, Miles
F: Riewoldt, Deledio, Griffiths
R: Maric, Grigg, Hunt
IC: Newman, Lambert, Lennon, Lloyd
Em: Dea, Thomas, McDonough
In: Griffiths, Lloyd
Out: Gordon (omitted), McDonough (omitted)
Find out how Fremantle is lining up for Round 17 this weekend
Richmond v Fremantle recent history
Round 10, 2015, Domain Stadium
Richmond 8.1 12.3 13.4 15.7 (97)
Fremantle 3.1 5.2 8.5 10.10 (70)
Goals – Richmond: Vickery 3, Deledio 2, Griffiths 2, Riewoldt 2, Edwards, B. Ellis, C. Ellis, Grigg, Martin, Morris.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond: Martin 34, B. Ellis 26, Cotchin 25, Edwards 25, Miles 24, Houli 23.
Goals – Fremantle: Walters 3, Crozier 2, Ballantyne, Barlow, Fyfe, Sandilands, Taberner.
Leading possession-getters – Fremantle: Neale 28, Fyfe 26, Hill 2 1, Barlow 20.
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.
Richmond v Fremantle head-to-head
Richmond and Fremantle have played 31 times with the Tigers winning 17 and losing 14.
Richmond last defeated Fremantle in Round 10, 2015 at Domain Stadium – 15.7 (97) to 10.10 (70).
Richmond has won five of its past 10 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.
