3 minute read

Racing and Sports will provide analysis of many games in the 2022 AFL Season.

We'll endeavour to run through the form, incorporate appropriate stats and also supply a betting prediction which won't always just be who will win.

SYDNEY V RICHMOND

Friday 27 May @ SCG

The old and new (and you can read who fits either descriptor however you desire) clash on a Friday night at what might be a heaving SCG.

What a conundrum of a clash it will be. Maybe this is a complete misread but how are Richmond such outsiders – at the least by as far as the current settings.

Sydney and Richmond have tended to play each other away from the SCG over a period of time. In fact they have only met once in the last seven at Anzac Parade and that was the famous final round of 2016 when the Swans put 113 points between them.

There have been other interesting fixtures in recent seasons – the bore fest game at the Gabba (4 goals to 3) with accusations of parking the bus, the goal after the siren win for Richmond and last year's demolition by the Bloods.

Sydney has lost three of its last four games but ironically played reasonably well in two of them. The Brisbane game was back and forth and the Carlton game saw them basically lose control for 25 minutes in the second quarter. 9 goals to 3 was the difference in the end.

Sure there are deficiencies and worries with refining required but they showed after the early Carlton onslaught that they had the resolve to come back and with a bit more luck from officialdom, it might have made their opponents hear the footsteps.

Losing their all-time great Josh Kennedy for three months (or something worse) is a drain on resources. But his participation this year has almost been a mentoring one as the handover in the middle to the likes of Warner, Rowbottom, Mills and sometimes Florent, Papley and Heeney has taken sway.

They simply can't afford those in-game streaks. For the first time in a long while the McCartins couldn't keep a grip of things. They were entitled to lose it though given the lack of contested ball numbers. Also the fact they'd barely been beaten all year. They have been great.

Now they all have to resist the Tigers who are slowly purring. It's been an improve by stealth – much in the manner of the creeping version of their mascot.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a bit their mantra. Slowly but surely they get troops back in the right positions and they could end up pouncing.

Smartly they withstood the anticipated early attack by Essendon who were bound to give a good account. Hardwick, being an ex-Bomber, knew what to expect.

After Quarter-time they established the margin and held it all the way through.

When you have players as good and in as good a form as Shai Bolton you will always have an attacking weapon either through the middle or forward of the play.

Injuries to Lambert and Lynch aren't so pretty. One is a defensive mechanism that has Martin's back and the other is the big bopper who brings it to ground for the mosquitos. Two vital arms on any ground but so much so needed at the SCG.

With both not playing that makes Richmond play a different tack. They may simply try to outrun the Swans and with forward momentum, always a good theory when on the ice-skating rink that is the SCG at night, their plan has good foundation.

One thing that is noteworthy is the growth of Logan McDonald. He now starts to feel part of the team and not just Lance's replacement following a lovely haul last week.

It will soon be his forward line but if he begins to have 2/3 majors a game, the kicking inside 50 becomes more than just Buddy-centric.

Again the price with Richmond where they are is surely only based around those outs. It doesn't reflect the way they are playing. Hickey's loss to Sydney almost as bad.

Sydney could easily win – that is undeniable but purely on a price basis, you have to tip and back Richmond.

Match Selection: Richmond by 8 points

Suggested Bets: Richmond 1-39 @ $2.90