2018 First Preliminary Final: Collingwood v Richmond

2018 AFL First Preliminary Final COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND Time & Place: Friday September 21, 7:50pm EST MCG TV: 7mate 7:30pm / Fox Footy 6:30pm Weather: Min 8 Max 18 Chance of rain 10%: < 1mm Wind: W 8kph Betting: Collingwood $3.15 Richmond $1.38

 TEAM
No Change

B: Brayden Maynard, Tom Langdon, Jack Crisp

HB: Jeremy Howe, Tyson Goldsack, Travis Varcoe

C: Adam Treloar, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips

HF: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Jordan De Goey

F: Josh Thomas, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom

Int: Brayden Sier, James Aish, Chris Mayne, Levi Greenwood

Emg: Jarryd Blair, Callum Brown, Jack Madgen, Ben Reid

AFL 2018 FIRST PRELIMINARY FINAL COLLINGWOOD V RICHMOND Collingwood has named an unchanged team for Friday night’s massive Preliminary Final clash with Richmond at the MCG. The only alteration to the 26-man squad that was named for the semi-final against Greater Western Sydney is the addition of Jarryd Blair to the list of emergencies. Blair has taken the place of Josh Daicos. Pies coach Nathan Buckley had hinted during his Wednesday press conference that his team would be unchanged after confirming that neither Darcy Moore nor Ben Reid would be selected. Brayden Sier, who has been under an injury cloud, was named on the bench. Of more interest are the changes since the Pies last played the Tigers back in round 19. Collingwood went down by 28 points that day but was without Adam Treloar, Jordan De Goey and Tyson Goldsack. That day the Pies also lost Jeremy Howe to concussion during the first quarter, while Matt Scharenberg suffered a season-ending knee injury and Brody Mihocek was affected by an ankle injury in the second half. So, the full list of changes from Collingwood’s most recent match against Richmond goes like this: IN: Adam Treloar, Jordan De Goey, Tyson Goldsack, James Aish, Brayden Sier OUT: Callum Brown, Josh Daicos, Matt Scharenberg, Darcy Moore, Sam Murray Could it be third time lucky for the Pies against the Tigers in 2018? We’ll find out on Friday night. LADDER POSITIONS Richmond: 1 Collingwood: 3 WHAT TO WATCH FOR Collingwood Levi Greenwood is the popular choice to tag Dustin Martin and has been playing in defence, so may follow the 2017 Brownlow medallist everywhere he goes. But could the Pies instead opt for Tom Langdon or Tyson Goldsack to go to Martin when he sneaks into attack? Richmond kicks 47 per cent of its goals from general play, as opposed to set shots, and the Pies allow their opposition to score 39 per cent of goals that way (ranked fifth-best in the AFL). Collingwood's pressure and fall-of-the-ball work will need to be sharp. David Astbury was an unlikely thorn in the Pies' side in the clubs' round 19 meeting. He kept Mason Cox to two goals and helped himself to 21 disposals, seven marks and five rebound 50s. Cox will have to be more defensively diligent this time around. Richmond Dylan Grimes looms as the man to stop Magpie match-winner Jordan De Goey. Grimes is tall enough to defend key forwards, but also quick enough to man smaller opponents. De Goey is somewhere in between those two things and this could be Grimes' biggest challenge in 2018. The Tigers aren't traditionally a strong contested ball side, but there's no reason they can't be, especially when it is a priority against Collingwood. Greater Western Sydney's best period last Saturday night came when it briefly wrested control from the Pies in clearances and contested possessions. Richmond rarely tags through the midfield, but Damien Hardwick has an ideal option in Dion Prestia if he wants  not only to curb one of the Magpies' Fab Four (Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom and Taylor Adams), but also hurt them the other way.   WHAT THE COACHES SAY Nathan Buckley: "They've been the best team since the last one to two months before last year's finals and they finished top this year. Everyone's waiting for them to fall over, but they're not going to fall over. They have to be beaten. We believe they can be beaten and our best footy will stack up, but talking about it and doing it are two separate things." – after beating the Giants on Saturday night. Damien Hardwick: "I thought they were the best side we've played this year, with their pressure and their ability to hunt around the contest. We knew it was going to be a fight coming in and that was certainly what we got for close to three quarters. It was very much a grind for those three quarters and then we managed to get the game a little bit more on our own terms." – after the round six victory over Collingwood. INJURY LIST Jordan De Goey (ankle) – available Brayden Sier (corkie) – available Darcy Moore (hamstring) – test Jamie Elliott (hamstring) – season Kayle Kirby (medical condition) – season Matthew Scharenberg (knee) – season Tim Broomhead (broken leg) – season Lynden Dunn (knee) – season Daniel Wells (foot) – season SUMMARY Friday night's blockbuster preliminary final between Richmond and Collingwood is 38 years in the making. The two powerhouses haven't met in the post-season since the Tigers hammered the Pies by 81 points in the 1980 Grand Final, and this one is set to nudge a six-figure crowd. For all of Collingwood's defiance of its lengthy injury list, it must defeat the reigning premier to have any hope of winning a first flag in eight years. The midfield battle will be titanic – Martin, Cotchin, Prestia and Lambert v Pendlebury, Treloar, Sidebottom and Adams – but can the Pies withstand Richmond's famed pressure to kick a winning score? AFL THE SIX POINTS The final quarter was the difference between the sides in both games this season. In round six, Richmond led by 11 points at three-quarter time before kicking eight goals to three. Then in round 19, the Tigers' advantage was just four points at the final change, only for them to boot five goals to one. There is a huge contrast in styles between the teams. Collingwood is the highest-ranked disposal team this season, with an average of 401.2, while Richmond's 367.7 per game ranks 14th. The Tigers are placed second for goals per game this season with 14.1, and the Magpies' 13.3 ranks third. Richmond is second for inside 50s and the Magpies third, while the Tigers are second for marks inside 50, but Collingwood is mid-table at equal eighth. Richmond and Collingwood have met in 16 finals, with the black and yellow army winning nine games to seven, including the last six since 1969. The Tigers are aiming for their fifth consecutive post-season win, something they haven't achieved since 1973-75. If they win, it will be back-to-back Grand Final appearances for the first time since 1973-74. Collingwood last made the Grand Final in 2011. The ruck battle could go a long way to deciding this match. Magpie Brodie Grundy is the top-ranked ruckman at No.5 overall in the Schick AFL Player Ratings, while Tiger Toby Nankervis is only 63rd. IT'S A BIG WEEK FOR …  Levi Greenwood Nathan Buckley doesn't task his players with a tag on an opponent too often, but it's not every week you come up against reigning Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin. Levi Greenwood will almost certainly get the job on Martin again, but can you trust him to do it through the middle as well as when Dusty plays out of the goal square? AFL LAST FIVE TIMES R19, 2018, Richmond 16.9 (105) d Collingwood 12.5 (77) at the MCG R6, 2018, Richmond 16.17 (113) d Collingwood 10.10 (70) at the MCG R2, 2017, Richmond 14.15 (99) d Collingwood 11.14 (80) at the MCG R20, 2016, Richmond 14.8 (92) d Collingwood 11.11 (77) at the MCG R2, 2016, Collingwood 13.9 (87) d Richmond 12.14 (86) at the MCG PREDICTION Richmond by 32 points