By Mic Cullen 10:34 AM
Thu 21 May, 2009
Where and when: MCG, Saturday, May 24, 7.45pm AEST
Head to head: Richmond 82 wins, Essendon 98 wins, four draws
Last time: Richmond 16.12 (108) d Essendon 15.14 (104), round 16, 2008, at the MCG
MISSING IN ACTION
Richmond
Ben Cousins (fractured hand) - 1 week
Kane Johnson (knee) - 1 week
Alex Rance (fractured cheekbone) - 1-2 weeks
Matthew Richardson (hamstring tendon) - indefinite
Essendon
Dustin Fletcher (fibula) - 3-4 weeks
Scott Gumbleton (back) - indefinite
David Hille (knee) - season
Jason Laycock (foot) - test
Mark McVeigh (ankle) - test
Kyle Reimers (quad) - test
Hayden Skipworth (hamstring) – test
Andrew Welsh (ankle) - test
John Williams (finger) - 3 weeks
FORM
Richmond: LWLLL
Essendon: LWLWL
SUMMARY Last week, Essendon paid the price for inconsistency when it let St Kilda off the chain early. Despite winning the next three terms – when the Saints had dropped just one since round two – the Bombers went down by 19 points.
The Tigers threw away a game against Port Adelaide that they should have won, coughing up a 16-point lead midway through the last. Post-match, forward Mitch Morton reportedly earned the wrath of coach Terry Wallace. On Tuesday, media flocked to Punt Road after speculation Wallace had been sacked. But it's business as usual for coach and club, starting with Saturday night's Dreamtime at the 'G clash.
Nobody gave the Bombers or Tigers much of a chance in those recent losses, so there were positives to be taken from them. Essendon, which looked headed for a record defeat after 25 minutes, showed that it could fight back when everything seemed stacked against it: not a quality displayed too often last year.
Richmond fought back from five goals down in the third quarter, which until then had also been an unfamiliar sight in 2009.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Robin Nahas (Richmond)
The elevated rookie kicked five against the Power to easily be Richmond's best forward in that game and probably any this season. It would have done his confidence no harm, especially when also considering his defensive nous. Nahas is the leading tackler in attack for the Tigers despite missing two matches.
Tayte Pears (Essendon)
After only five games last season, Pears has played all eight this year and has improved with every one of them. The 19-year-old had a great match against the superb St Kilda forwards last week, gathering 26 touches and taking seven marks. He could even better against the underperforming Richmond forwards.
QUESTION MARKS
Can Richmond get away from the honourable-loss syndrome and win a game? It claimed this encounter last year.
Can Essendon recover from the emotional rollercoaster of its spirited effort against St Kilda to beat a team it's expected to?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
The Tigers have had yet another horrendous week off the field and despite the players saying it has no effect, in reality it will.
Essendon will be buoyed by its gains on St Kilda, going closer than any team bar the Sydney Swans to knocking the ladder leader off.
The Tigers have won six of their past seven against the Bombers at the MCG, including both games last year. But currently sitting in 15th, ahead of just Melbourne on percentage, the Tigers have their work cut out against the eighth-placed Bombers.
PREDICTION
Essendon by 21 points
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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