Tigers looking for a grind
4:36:23 PM Thu 22 May, 2003
Ashley Browne
afl.com.au
Richmond goes into Saturday night’s match-of-the-round against West Coast at Subiaco aiming to put the clamps on the home team’s ability to score quickly.
Tigers coach Danny Frawley told afl.com.au that slowing West Coast down is a primary goal of the side, which heads to Perth confident of its ability to pull off a rare Victorian win on West Australian soil.
“We have to turn it into a grind,” he said. “They can score very quickly but if we can slow it down we have some sort of chance.
“But we will have to play at somewhere near our best to win.”
Richmond isn’t fearful of the travel, and there is a belief within the club that gave a good account of itself at AAMI Stadium against Port Adelaide in round six. After conceding Port a start, the Tigers fought back and took the lead for a time, before the home team steadied and won.
Frawley admitted that the ruck duel between in-form combatants Greg Stafford and Michael Gardiner may determine the outcome. “It’s pivotal,” he said. “We have to try and get first use of the ball, but Greg has been rucking as well as he ever has and has been good for us all year.”
Frawley said skipper Wayne Campbell will play after missing two weeks with a calf strain, although he doesn’t expect Campbell to be as effective as he was before the injury, but said his leadership will be invaluable in a hostile environment.
He also admitted to no clue as to who may stand the dangerous Matthew Richardson. “They have a few blokes who we may struggle to match up on, so it is nice to present a dilemma to them as to who will play on ‘Richo’. It could be Ashley McIntosh, Darren Glass or Glen Jakovich, if he comes back and depending on who it is, we may play him deep in the forward line or further up the ground.”
4:36:23 PM Thu 22 May, 2003
Ashley Browne
afl.com.au
Richmond goes into Saturday night’s match-of-the-round against West Coast at Subiaco aiming to put the clamps on the home team’s ability to score quickly.
Tigers coach Danny Frawley told afl.com.au that slowing West Coast down is a primary goal of the side, which heads to Perth confident of its ability to pull off a rare Victorian win on West Australian soil.
“We have to turn it into a grind,” he said. “They can score very quickly but if we can slow it down we have some sort of chance.
“But we will have to play at somewhere near our best to win.”
Richmond isn’t fearful of the travel, and there is a belief within the club that gave a good account of itself at AAMI Stadium against Port Adelaide in round six. After conceding Port a start, the Tigers fought back and took the lead for a time, before the home team steadied and won.
Frawley admitted that the ruck duel between in-form combatants Greg Stafford and Michael Gardiner may determine the outcome. “It’s pivotal,” he said. “We have to try and get first use of the ball, but Greg has been rucking as well as he ever has and has been good for us all year.”
Frawley said skipper Wayne Campbell will play after missing two weeks with a calf strain, although he doesn’t expect Campbell to be as effective as he was before the injury, but said his leadership will be invaluable in a hostile environment.
He also admitted to no clue as to who may stand the dangerous Matthew Richardson. “They have a few blokes who we may struggle to match up on, so it is nice to present a dilemma to them as to who will play on ‘Richo’. It could be Ashley McIntosh, Darren Glass or Glen Jakovich, if he comes back and depending on who it is, we may play him deep in the forward line or further up the ground.”
