Round 20 – Richmond v Geelong: The Benchmark v The Tom Toms

In his weekly preview, Sal presented the following thoughts about tonight’s big clash.

 

Who do you think will win?

 

The Benchmark ($1.44) vs The Tom Toms ($3.25)

 

The Cats have primed themselves for this one against the Tiges, they thought they were close in this contest about six weeks ago.  They are in form and have Tom Hawkins on fire, unfortunately they will be missing Tom Stewart at the other end.  His loss in defense could be made up by the move of Joel Selwood to the back half – great one on one player and good decision maker – might be a key move for this year’s assault.  That is provided they are a contender, the news cycle is so short a mere five quarters ago the Cats were in all sorts of bother and playing in their own backyard.  The Tigers are the benchmark, the mounting injury list could have some impact.  Their cornerstones though are resilient.  Richmond have been beaten by teams that have contested well against Rance and his cohorts, for the Cats to win they will need to ensure they do the same.  Just not sure the Geelong forwards provide the right level of defensive pressure so the Tigers to continue on.

 

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Comments

  1. Stainless says

    Pretty much the perfect summation, Sal.
    So my question is – Is that the best you got, Geelong? I’ll concede a moral victory for persistence and I’ll concede a psychological victory in matching Scott’s pre-match tough talking. But seriously, there were three times where Richmond played with the Cats as their namesake plays with a mouse, tossing it around but eschewing the opportunity for a quick kill. We nearly paid the price for that.
    As the Cats lick their wounds, they would do well to note that, by 2018 standards this was a shoddy Richmond performance, perhaps one where a shock loss might have been a deserved kick in the bum. We looked tired, played in fits and starts, some key absences were notable, and our finishing inside 50 was deplorable. Our defence certainly squashed any thoughts that Tom Hawkins might be a match winner, but at times, made some very uncharacteristic blunders.
    By contrast what improvement is possible at Geelong? It’s hard to imagine Geelong’s holy trinity giving much more than they did last night and they had plenty of other strong contributors. I didn’t see Stanley’s late withdrawal as costly, given the fine performance of debutant Abbott and the fact that his inclusion would have left Geelong looking top-heavy on a wet, slippery night.
    Whatever the case, this was a critical four points – lost and gained. Geelong are good enough to play finals but are now unlikely to challenge for the Premiership, or get another opportunity to play Richmond. The Tigers are now a near certainty to finish top-two. They can and should use the next three weeks to manage some tired bodies and trial a few back-up options (e.g. Soldo as a support for Nankervis). It’s a good spot to be in but we’ll want to reflect on last night as a warning sign – don’t flirt with your form.

  2. Joe De Petro says

    Three redeemed, ten to go.

  3. Sublime nonsense there Stainless. Hubris may yet bring the Tigers down.

    By the way, we are a very good chance to see you in September. Get nervous we are closing in!

  4. Stainless says

    Ah yes, hubris! Always a danger. Recollections of years like 2008 are keeping me level-headed!

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