The battle between two of the competition’s highly-regarded, emerging midfield groups, shapes as a key highlight of Saturday night’s Richmond and Gold Coast 2014 season opening round clash at Metricon Stadium.

For the Tigers, how players such as captain Trent Cotchin, vice-captain Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin, Reece Conca, Brandon Ellis and Matt Thomas fare against their Suns’ counterparts in Gary Ablett, Harley Bennell, Dion Prestia, Michael Rischitelli, David Swallow and Jaeger O’Meara, will go a long way towards determining the outcome of the contest.

If Richmond can at least break even in this crucial area, it should have sufficient fire-power in attack, through the likes of tall marking options Jack Riewoldt, Ty Vickery, Ben Griffiths, and small forwards Shane Edwards and Chris Newman, plus the resting ‘mids’, to kick a winning score.

Where:  Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast
When:  Saturday, March 15, 6.40pm (local time, 7.40 Daylight Savings Time)
TV coverage:  Channel 7 (live) and Fox Footy (live)
Radio coverage:  Triple M, 3AW, SEN, ABC

 

The Richmond team

B:  Chaplin, Rance, Astbury

HB:  Houli, Newman, Morris

C:  Grigg, Martin, Ellis

HF:  Petterd, Conca, Vlastuin

F:  Griffths, Vickery, Riewoldt

R:  Hampson, Cotchin, Deledio

IC:  S. Edwards, McDonough, Thomas, Foley

Emerg:  Lloyd, A. Edwards, Gordon
See the full team list, presented by Sportsbet.com.au

 

The Gold Coast team

B:  Warnock, May, Broughton

HB:  Lemmens, Cameron, McKenzie

C:  Shaw, Ablett, Harbrow

HF:  A. Hall, Lynch, Martin

F:  Day, Dixon, Matera

R:  Nicholls, Rischitelli, Prestia

IC:  O’Meara, Boston, Swallow, Stanley

Emerg:  Sumner, Sexton, Russell

 

Richmond v Gold Coast recent history

Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium

Richmond            1.3          4.10        5.13        6.17  (53)

Gold Coast          3.3          4.4          5.6          6.8  (44)

Goals – Richmond:  Jackson 2, Arnot, Ellis, Foley, Riewoldt.

Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Martin 31, Cotchin 29, Deledio 24, Jackson 24, Petterd 24, Rance 20.

Goals – Gold Coast:  Bennell, Brown, Day, McKenzie, O’Meara, Shaw.

Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Prestia 27, Ablett 26, Broughton 24, McKenzie 24, Shaw 22, O’Meara 21, Russell 20.

 

Round 16, 2012 at Cazalys Stadium

Richmond            2.2          4.3          10.7        13.10  (88)

Gold Coast          4.2          7.9          9.9          13.12  (90)

Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 5, Nahas 4, McGuane 2, Graham, A. Maric.

Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 38, Deledio 36, Ellis 24, Grigg 24, Tuck 24, Conca 23, Houli 21, A. Maric 21.

Goals – Gold Coast:  J. Hall 2, Hunt 2, Matera 2, Ablett, Bennell, Brown, Caddy, A. Hall, Harbrow, Swallow.

Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Ablett 33, Bennll 30, McKenzie 26, Stanley 22, Harbrow 20, Matera 20.

 

Round 17, 2011 at Cazalys Stadium

Richmond            6.8          6.9          8.16        9.16  (70)

Gold Coast          1.2          7.6          7.9          12.13  (85)

Goals – Richmond:  Cotchin 3, Foley, Grigg, King, Nahas, Newman, Riewoldt.

Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Grigg 32, Newman 31, Deledio 30, Houli 30, Nahas 28, Rance 25, Cotchin 24, Martin 21.

Goals – Gold Coast:  Brennan 3, Stanley 3, Swallow 2, Ablett, Iles, Rischitelli, Toy.

Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Ablett 27, Rischitelli 24, Swallow 24, Iles 23, Bock 21, McKenzie 21, Stanley 21.

 

Richmond v Gold Coast head-to-head

  • Richmond and Gold Coast have played three times, with the Tigers winning one and losing two.
  • Richmond last defeated Gold Coast in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond and Gold Coast have never met in a final.
  • Richmond’s best winning sequence against Gold Coast is one.
  • Richmond’s longest losing sequence against Gold Coast is two (2011-12).
  • Richmond’s highest score against Gold Coast is 13.10 (88), in Round 16, 2012 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s lowest score against Gold Coast is 6.17 (53), in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s greatest winning margin against Gold Coast is nine points, in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s greatest losing margin against Gold Coast is 15 points, in Round 17, 2011 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • The most goals kicked by a Richmond player in a match against Gold Coast is five by Jack Riewoldt, in Round 16, 2012 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s biggest-ever crowd against Gold Coast is 11,197 in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.

Fast fact:  Richmond and Gold Coast have won six quarters apiece out of the 12 all-up that they have played in three games since the Suns’ inception.