Preventing St Kilda from chipping the ball around will be high on Richmond’s agenda, in Sunday’s Round 22 twilight match at the MCG.

The Tigers go into the clash as warm favorites, on the back on seven successive wins, but know they have to guard against the Saints taking the initiative through their preferred method of ball movement.

“We can’t give them an opportunity to get those little hit-ups.  If we cast our mind back to the Fremantle game that they won, they were just able to control the football through short kicks and uncontested marks . . . They were able to get across their (Fremantle’s) half-back line and into their forward 50,” Richmond assistant coach Danny Daly said on this week’s ‘Roar Vision Spotlight’.

“Our ability to locate, and not allow them run from behind and get those little kicks, is going to be crucial.

“So, it’s a big one for our forwards and ‘mids’ this week.

“It sounds strange, but if the backline come up with their players, it forces the midfielders to come down, which forces the forwards to do their work, so it’s a bit of a domino effect.

“Being in charge of the forward line, I’ll be having a real emphasis on making sure they don’t get too many switches, double switches, and uncontested marks.

“If we can force them to have to kick the ball long, or even go for those little kicks, but turn them over, it gives us an opportunity to score.

“So, that’s going to be a massive focus for us this week.”


Where:  MCG
When:  Sunday, August 24, 4.40pm
TV coverage:  Fox Footy (live from 4.30pm)
Radio coverage:  SEN, ABC


The Richmond team
B:  Chaplin, Batchelor, Rance
HB:  Houli, Newman, Morris
C:  Foley, Cotchin, Miles
HF:  Conca, Griffiths, Deledio
F:  S. Edwards, Riewoldt, Gordon
R:  Maric, Ellis, Lennon
IC:  Petterd, Vlastuin, Grigg, Grimes
Em:  Dea, A. Edwards, Jackson
Milestone:  Shane Edwards, 150th game, Jake Batchelor, 50th game

The St Kilda team
B:  Shenton, Delaney, Wright 
HB:  Dempster, Fisher, Gilbert 
C:  Ray, Hayes, Newnes 
HF:  Montagna, Riewoldt, Armitage
F:  Schneider, Stanley, Curren 
R:  Longer, Steven, Weller 
IC:  Jones, Ross, White, Murdoch 
Em:  Gwilt, Dunell, Pierce 
In:  Jones, White, Murdoch
Out:  Savage (arm), Saunders, Gwilt 



Richmond v St Kilda recent history

Round 15, 2014, Etihad Stadium
Richmond            6.2          10.4        13.7        18.9  (117)
St Kilda                 1.2          5.4          9.7          11.7  (73)
Goals – Richmond:  Cotchin 5, Newman 2, Riewoldt 2, Vickery 2, Conca, Deledio, S. Edwards, Ellis, Grimes, Thomas, Vlastuin.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Ellis 36, Cotchin 31, Deledio 30, Miles 27, Conca 26, Martin 24, Foley 22, Thomas 22, S. Edwards 20.
Goals – St Kilda:  Minchington 2, Stanley 2, Hayes, Longer, Milera, Riewoldt, Shenton, Simpkin, Steven.
Leading possession-getters – St Kilda:  Montagna 27, Savage 26, Steven 23, Gwilt 20, Ross 20.

Round 14, 2013, MCG
Richmond            4.4          10.9        15.13     17.17  (119)
St Kilda                 3.2          4.4          7.5          8.7  (55)
Goals – Richmond:  Jackson 3, Riewoldt 3, Deledio 2, Foley 2, Grigg 2, Conca, A. Edwards, Ellis, King, Vickery.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 24, Deledio 24, Foley 23, Martin 23, Conca 22, S. Edwards 21, Jackson 21.
Goals – St Kilda:  Dennis-Lane 2, Dal Santo, Jones, Montagna, Murdoch, Riewoldt, Steven.
Leading possession-getters – St Kilda:  Armitage 25, Dal Santo 25, Jones 24, Steven 23, Montagna 22.

Round 2, 2013, MCG
Richmond            4.5          8.10        12.12     14.15  (99)
St Kilda                 3.1          6.6          11.7        12.10  (82)
Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 7, McGuane 2, Conca, King, Maric, Newman, Vickery.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 31, Deledio 27, Conca 25, Martin 24, Chaplin 22, Grigg 21, Tuck 21, Petterd 20.
Goals – St Kilda:  Riewoldt 4, Maister 2, Saad 2, Gilbert, McEvoy, Milne, Stanley.
Leading possession-getters – St Kilda:  Montagna 27, Dal Santo 25, Hayes 24, Jones 24, Steven 23, Riewoldt 20.

Round 10, 2012, Etihad Stadium
Richmond            3.7          9.8          12.11                     18.13  (121)
St Kilda                 3.4          9.6          10.14                     16.17  (113)
Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 8, Edwards 2, Nahas 2, Deledio, Ellis, I. Maric, Martin, Tuck, Vickery.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 29, Deledio 29, Grigg 26, Martin 26, Tuck 24, Batchelor 22, Foley 20, I. Maric 20, Morris 20, Riewoldt 20.
Goals – St Kilda:  Riewoldt 3, Saad 3, Armitage 2, Gram 2, Milera 2, Dal Santo, Goddard, Koschitzke, Milne.
Leading possession-getters – St Kilda:  Gilbert 25, Goddard 25, Hayes 24, Armitage 22, Dal Santo 22, Gram 22, Montagna 21.

Round 2, 2011, MCG
Richmond            2.4          9.5          10.9        14.11  (95)
St Kilda                 4.6          7.10        9.12        13.17  (95)
Goals – Richmond:  Martin 3, King 2, Vickery 2, Cotchin, Deledio, Edwards, Grigg, Helbig, Jackson, Morton.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Deledio 29, Grigg 29, Jackson 21, Martin 21, Cotchin 20, Newman 20.
Goals – St Kilda:  Milne 4, Riewoldt 3, Armitage, Blake, Gamble, Goddard, McEvoy, Ray.
Leading possession-getters – St Kilda:  Armitage 25, Milne 24, Gram 23, Dal Santo 22, Fisher 22, Montagna 22.


Richmond v St Kilda head-to-head
- Richmond has played St Kilda 178 times for 106 wins, 69 losses and three draws.
- Richmond last defeated St Kilda in Round 15, 2014 at Etihad Stadium – 18.9  (117) to 11.7  (73).
- Richmond has won four (the last four) and drawn one of its past 10 games against St Kilda.
- Richmond and St Kilda have never met in a Grand Final.
- Richmond and St Kilda have met in just three finals all-up, with the Tigers winning one and the Saints two.
- Richmond and St Kilda have played in three drawn games - Round 3, 1978, Round 3, 1980 and Round 2, 2011.
- Richmond’s best winning sequence against St Kilda is 15, from 1940-49.
- Richmond’s longest losing sequence against St Kilda is 13, from 2003-11.
- Richmond’s highest score against St Kilda is 34.18 (222), Round 16, 1980 at the SCG.  This is the Club’s all-time record score.
- Richmond’s lowest score against St Kilda is 0.8 (8), Round 16, 1961, at Junction Oval.
- Richmond’s greatest winning margin against St Kilda is 152 points, Round 16, 1980 at the SCG.
- Richmond’s greatest losing margin against St Kilda is 103 points, Round 17, 2006 at the MCG.
- The most goals kicked in a match by a Richmond player against St Kilda is 10 (twice) by Michael Roach - Round 18, 1979, and Round 16, 1980.
- Richmond’s biggest-ever crowd against St Kilda is 102,494, in the 1971 preliminary final at the MCG.