MORE FIERCE by Meggs

[Demonland 70,902]

We’re back!  Winning the last three matches has recaptured our Demon spirit and, with superstar players returning from rehab, our Season 2024 dreams are not over yet.  

So come along 5.05 pm Saturday afternoon to watch this Round 9 ladder-defining match at the Field of Dreams. Expect the Tigers to be fierce, but surely the Demons will be more fierce.

Playing conditions are expected to be a dry 15 degrees with a typically gusty Cranbourne wind.

The media opprobrium of the ill-considered AFLW draw was in full swing this week. Unbelievably Melbourne plays their 4th game in 17 days while Richmond plays their 4th game in 21 days.

Eden Zanker commented after her impressive return from injury last week that she felt much fresher than her poor old teammates. Oddly, having a large cohort of stars returning from rehab advantages Melbourne by cushioning player exhaustion caused by the AFLW fixture.

Pleasingly, our injury list continues to dissipate with first-ruck Lauren Pearce and Irish star Blaithin Mackin returning this week.

Looking at the current ladder and remaining 3 rounds of the fixture, 7 wins will likely get you into finals.  

The Dees play Richmond, Hawthorn and Collingwood and must win all three games.

Richmond FC, coached by ex-Demon Ryan Ferguson, have been terrific this year with 6 wins and 2 losses.

With Melbourne, Essendon and Hawthorn in their final three rounds, they will have to win at least one game to stay in the eight.  

2020 AFLW number one draft pick Ellie McKenzie is having her best season and is 9th in the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year.  Her sublime left foot kicking skills complements their best player Monique Conti (currently 5th in coaches award votes) and together with Grace Egan, Eilish Sheerin and ruck Poppy Kelly they form a formidable engine room. A huge challenge for our midfield group this week.

Captain Katie Brennan, Caitlin Greiser and Emelia Yassir are dangerous goalkicking forwards and the Tiges have good overhead marks across the ground.

The bookies prefer Richmond ($1.66) but Meggs is quietly optimistic we can be much more fierce on Saturday.

Selection this week

Rhi Watt has been more than reliable as the number one ruck but with Lauren Pearce now fully fit, she will take a back seat to the club’s leading tall. Blaithin Mackin would be an automatic return to the midfield so Hill and Pisano will sit this one out along with Paxy who is being managed and gets to rest.

Colvin is still recovering from concussion; Saraid Taylor gets her opportunity to debut ahead of young speedsterJemma Rigoni. 

Meggs’ view

Richmond defeated Geelong last week by matching the physical intent, winning contests and using long kicks to aerial strengths, Brennan and Greiser.  

Supercoach Mick Stinear has revived the team’s season, and his group of talented Demons possess more than enough countermeasures to win on Saturday:  

• Tyla Hanks and Kate Hore, who have led this season’s renaissance brilliantly.  

• Alyssa Bannan has some good form building and kicking goals.

• Eliza McNamara, Megan Fitzsimon and Maeve Chaplin are in career-best form.  

• Young Georgia talls, Campbell and Gall, showing heaps of potential.  

• A bevy of freshened star players making a timely return from rehab.

Keep the dream alive Dees!  

Melbourne by 2 points

THE GAME

Melbourne v Richmond Saturday 19 October 2024 at 5.05pm at Casey Fields – Wurundjeri/Boon Wurrung

HEAD TO HEAD

Overall Melbourne 2 wins Richmond 0 wins
At Casey Fields Melbourne 1 win Richmond 0 wins
The Coaches Stinear 2 wins Ferguson 0 wins

MEDIA

TV – Fox Footy, Kayo

THE LAST TIME THEY MET - 2022 Season 6 Round 2 Melbourne 8.6 (54) defeated by Richmond 6.2 (38) at Punt Road, 14 January 2022

MELBOURNE 1.0 6.3 7.6 8.6 (54)

RICHMOND 2.1  2.1 4.1 6.2 (38)  

Richmond applied lots of pressure early and were on top at quarter time.

The pressure of Eliza West played a big part in wresting back control in the middle alongside her excellent teammates Tyla Hanks, Paxy Paxman and Lauren Pearce.

Tayla Harris was brilliant, crashing packs, taking marks and kicked 2 goals.

Melbourne survived the early scare to defeat the fierce Tigers by 16 points.

GOALS  

MELBOURNE Bannan Harris Hore 2 Paxman D Pearce

RICHMOND Brennan Lavey 2 Conti Dargan

BEST   

MELBOURNE L Pearce Paxman Birch Hanks West

RICHMOND Lavey Brennan Conti Seymour

CROWD 1,517 at the Swinburne Centre

THE TEAMS

MELBOURNE

B D Taylor Gillard

HB Chaplin Lampard Goldrick 

C B Mackin Hanks McNamara 

HF Fitzsimon Mithen Zanker

F Bannan Gall

FOLL Pearce Hore Heath

I/C Campbell Purcell S Taylor Watt Wotherspoon

EMG Pisano E Johnson Rigoni

IN B Mackin Pearce S Taylor

OUT Hill (omitted) Paxman (managed) Pisano (omitted)

RICHMOND

B Seymour Miller

HB Lynch Bacon Graham

C Shevlin McKenzie Dempsey

HF Dallaway Brennan Hosking

F Greiser Yassir

FOLL Kelly Sheerin Conti

I/C Egan Ford Hicks Lavey McClelland

EMG Ryan Woods Eastman

IN McClelland Shevlin

OUT Luke (shoulder) Ryan (omitted)

Injury List: Round 9

MELBOURNE

Lauren Pearce Wrist Test
Blaithin Mackin Calf Test
Gaby Colvin Concussion 1 week
Grace Beasley ACL Season
Tayla Harris Shoulder Season
Jacinta Hose ACL Inactive
Aimee Mackin  ACL Inactive

RICHMOND

Maddie Shevlin Ankle Test
Tamara Luke Shoulder TBC
Montana McKinnon ACL Inactive
Katelyn Cox Knee Inactive
Shelby Knoll ACL Inactive
Amelia Peck Knee Season