Round 15 match preview: Melbourne v Richmond

Match details
Saturday, July 7, 2.10 pm (local time), MCG 

Broadcast guide

Form
Melbourne: L, L, L, L, L, L, L, L, L, W, L, Bye, W, L
Richmond: L, L, W, L, L, W, W, L, W, W, L, W, Bye, L

Ladder position
Melbourne: 16th
Richmond: 11th

Head-to-head
Played: 182
Melbourne: 79
Richmond: 101
Drawn: 2

At this ground
Played: 127
Melbourne: 59
Richmond: 67
Drawn: 1

Last time they met
Round 3, 2012: Richmond 20.13.133 d Melbourne 11.8.74 at the MCG

Recent streak
Melbourne has won four of its past seven matches against Richmond. But the Demons have lost their past two against the Tigers.

Memorable match
Round 15, 2006: Melbourne 9.16 (70) d Richmond 7.10 (52), MCG
This match marked the end of a four game winning streak for Melbourne against the Tigers, with the Demons running out victorious by three goals at the end of a great tussle. In front of 60,086 at the MCG on a Friday night, Melbourne proved far superior despite Richmond coming close in the last quarter. Russell Robertson - with three Brownlow votes for his efforts - turned on a remarkable marking display to accompany his four goals. Matthew Whelan shut down Nathan Brown, and Simon Godfrey - who took home two Brownlow votes - kept Shane Tuck quiet. James McDonald led the statistics with 25 possessions.

Milestones
Melbourne: Matthew Bate (100 AFL matches)
Richmond: Nil

Coaching record
Mark Neeld: 13 matches, 2 win, 0 draws, 11 losses
Damien Hardwick: 57 matches, 20 wins, 1 draws, 36 losses

Injury list
Melbourne: Clint Bartram (knee) - season, Mitch Clark (foot) - season, Aaron Davey (hamstring) - test, Michael Evans (back) - 2-3 weeks, Max Gawn (knee) - season, Brad Green (quadriceps) - test, Tom McDonald (lung) - 1-2 weeks, Mark Jamar (calf) - test, Nathan Jones (calf) - test, Liam Jurrah (ankle) - 2-4 weeks, James Sellar (thigh) - test, Jai Sheahan (ankle) - test, Rory Taggert (back) - indefinite

Richmond: Brad Helbig (foot) - 2-3 weeks, Nathan Foley (heel) - test, Dylan Grimes (hamstring) - indefinite, Jake King (knee) - 4 weeks, Ty Vickery (shoulder) - season

Players to watch
Melbourne: Stef Martin  
The versatile tall returned for just his third match of the season last round after battling hip/quadriceps injuries. He had to resume and work his way back through the VFL, but he impressed against the Lions - his first since lining up against Richmond in round three. His ability to ruck and push forward and back makes him one of Melbourne’s most versatile players. He has a great opportunity to show his wares in the second half of the season.

Richmond: Shane Tuck
The veteran Tiger has bounced back this season to be one of his side’s most integral ball winners. Against the Crows last round, he notched up a team-high 31 disposals. Tuck has averaged 29.6 touches in his past five matches, with 35 possessions against Hawthorn in round nine his best effort for the season.

Match-up to watch
James Frawley v Jack Riewoldt
With Tom McDonald sustaining bleeding on the ribs in a contest against Lion strong man Daniel Merrett last round, expect the 2010 All-Australians to be pitted against each other. The duo has had some fascinating tussles in the past - expect it to be no different this time around.

Most disposals
Melbourne: Nathan Jones (292)
Richmond: Brett Deledio (359)

Most marks
Melbourne: Jeremy Howe (77)
Richmond: Alex Rance (77)

Most tackles
Melbourne: Jordie McKenzie (76)
Richmond: Shane Tuck (82)

Most goals
Melbourne: Mitch Clark (29)
Richmond: Jack Riewoldt (38)

How’s stat?
Francis Vane ‘Checker’ Hughes is one of the most remarkable characters ever to have played his part at two football clubs - Melbourne and Richmond. Starting off life as a player at the Tigers, he played 87 games between 1914 and 1923 (including a wartime recess), and was a member of their 1920-21 premiership sides. But it is in the coaching arena that he gained most fame. Starting with his old team, Richmond, he coached 120 games between 1927 and 1932, including a premiership in 1932 and four runners up finishes during his tenure. To this day, he remains at fourth place on the Tigers’ coaching list for the number of games coached. At Melbourne, ‘Checker’ became a coaching legend. Second to Norm Smith, he coached the Demons for 258 games between 1933 and 1941, 1945 and 1948, and for a brief return during the chaos of 1965.  Throughout these 258 games are the 1939-40-41 hat-trick of flags as well as the 1948 premiership win over Essendon, following the first ever drawn Grand Final. Whether in red and blue, or yellow and black, or whether coaching or playing, to this day ‘Checker’ Hughes retains a legendary statistical status.

Foot in both camps
Those who have been involved with both clubs include: Les Abbott, Ken Albiston, Gerry Beare, Ross Brewer, Jack Bristow, Blair Campbell, Doug Chapman,  Cameron Clayton, Matt Connors, Daryl Cumming, Leo Dobrigh, Phil Egan, Simon Eishold, Percy Ellingsen, Frank Ellis, Jim Fitzpatrick, Laurie Fowler, Graham Gaunt, Andy Goodwin, Herbert Hill, Max Hislop, Ben Holland, John Howat, Frank Hughes Jnr, Len Incigneri, Les Irwin, Mick Maguire, Addam Maric, Herbie Matthews, Craig McKellar, Brad Miller, Vern Moore, Billy Nettlefold, Steven O’Dwyer, Michael Pickering, Howard Richardson, Haydn Robins, Leo Rush, Alex Salvado, Peter Schofield, Ben Sheppard, George St John, Troy Simmonds, Chris Sullivan, Scott Sutcliffe, Ken Webb, Graeme Wilkinson, Mark Williams.

What Mark Neeld says …
“In terms of the brand of footy we played, we were quite pleased [last round]. We had a reasonable tackle result [and] we had a contested possession result we were pleased with. That means the younger players coming into the side are understanding the way we want to play.”

Key Melbourne question
Can Melbourne bounce back from its 61-point loss to Brisbane Lions and get one back on Richmond, after the Tigers smashed the Demons in round three?  

Key Richmond question
The Tigers are still in the hunt for the finals. Will they even the ledger and notch up their seventh win of the season from 14 matches? 

Summary
The Demons had their best month of the season in June, notching up two wins from three matches, including their only two victories of the season over Essendon in round 10 and Greater Western Sydney in round 13. The Dees also produced a reasonable showing against the top-of-the-table Magpies after a sluggish start. But Melbourne had a disappointing match against Brisbane Lions last round, losing by 61 points at the Gabba. After a competitive first term, the Lions dominated after the opening break, as the Demons booted just one goal from the second and third quarters. Melbourne has already met Richmond once this year and it wasn’t pretty. The Tigers blitzed the Demons with a stunning nine goal to one third term, resulting in a comprehensive 59-point win. Richmond has since played some fine football in 2012. Again, this round won’t be easy for the red and blue, but it is a challenge that it can meet head on.