Richmond Tigers v Collingwood Magpies: Preview, teams, history and odds of Friday's AFL Preliminary Final

Mick Stirling

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Richmond Tigers v Collingwood Magpies: Preview, teams, history and odds of Friday's AFL Preliminary Final image

This is the match-up the AFL has been praying for – a Richmond v Collingwood preliminary final. Sure, it would have been even better if it happened one week later, but the League’s still got Melbourne up its sleeve and a possible Grand Final for the ages.

But it doesn’t get much better than Tigers v Pies, both with rags-to-riches back stories to give video-montage editors wet dreams and enough rabid supporters to fill the MCG three times over, giving local residents good reason to install security cameras and electric fences this week.

Adrenalin junkies can save themselves a fortune on skydiving tickets and instead take a walk down Swan Street at 10.30 Friday night.

MORE: Dustin Martin could have 'significant knee injury' 

HOW TO WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT’S AFL PRELIMINARY FINAL ACTION

Channel 7 is finally getting into the end-of-season spirit and starting its football nonsense a bit earlier with The Kick at 6.30, before crossing to the MCG at 7.00pm for everything you need to know about Nathan Buckley’s beard and Damien Hardwick’s lady-wife. Foxtel isn’t one to be left behind and if you can stand an extra half hour of Dermott then tune into Fox Footy (channel 504) from 7.00. 

CAN I WATCH IT OVERSEAS?

Let’s face it, no Richmond supporters booked overseas trips this September and the only Collingwood fans ‘out of country’ are in Kerobokan jail where I imagine there is limited television access.

However, lovers of the game who may have decided this is a good time to leave the streets of Melbourne and head to the relative safety of Lebanon, Syria or the backstreets of Mexico City can catch the action on either the Foxtel app available to all Foxtel subscribers, or AFL Live Pass.

AND THE RADIO?

Yep, even the radio has apps. If you haven’t got one of the many available, such as SimpleRadio that’ll get you all stations, then download it now.

WHAT TIME IS THE GAME ON?

The ball is bounced at 7.50pm AEST. If you're going to the ground give yourself a fair bit of extra time to get in. Not only will there be close to 100,000 fans trying to stream inside but preliminary final weekend is the time all those corporate types who never actually go to a game through the year start showing up. Not only don't they know the numbers on the players' backs, they have a lot of trouble working out gate, section and seat numbers too.

RICHMOND TIGERS’ LIKELY LINEUP

B: 2 Dylan Grimes, 18 Alex Rance, 15 Jayden Short
HB: 1 Nick Vlastuin, 12 David Astbury, 14 Bachar Houli
C: 3 Dion Prestia, 9 Trent Cotchin, 6 Shaun Grigg
HF: 11 Jason Castagna, 10 Shane Edwards, 17 Daniel Rioli
F: 22 Josh Caddy, 8 Jack Riewoldt, 28 Jack Higgins
R: 25 Toby Nankervis, 4 Dustin Martin, 34 Jack Graham
Int: 30 Reece Conca, 33 Kamdyn McIntosh, 35 Nathan Broad, 23 Kane Lambert

Small forward Dan Butler is the only player in contention for a call up, but he hasn’t played since round 16 and there’s no obvious candidate for him to replace. Housemate Jason Castagna hasn’t been in sparkling form, but has made up for a lack of goals with a raised level of intensity and tackling.

WHAT’S IN THIS GAME FOR THE TIGERS?

They’ve been red-hot flag favourites since the middle of the year and many think it’s just a formality, but the people in power at Richmond will be only too aware premiership windows can close pretty quickly and stay shut for many, many years so they won’t be taking anything for granted.

KEY RICHMOND PLAYERS

There’s no secret about who the Tigers stars are but it’s not just a matter of shutting down the big names to defeat the beast. The most important midfielders this Friday night will be Dion Prestia and Kane Lambert who need to make sure there’s constant drive coming out of the centre.

Toby Nankervis is the very definition of a hard-working footballer, but he’ll have to lift it a notch to cover Brodie Grundy’s effectiveness all around the ground.

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES’ LIKELY LINEUP

B: 37 Brayden Maynard, 38 Jeremy Howe, 25 Jack Crisp
HB: 8 Tom Langdon, 6 Tyson Goldsack, 36 Brayden Sier
C: 7 Adam Treloar, 10 Scott Pendlebury, 21 Tom Phillips
HF: 32 Will Hoskin-Elliott, 41 Brody Mihocek, 18 Travis Varcoe
F: 2 Jordan De Goey, 46 Mason Cox, 35 Jaidyn Stephenson
R: 4 Brodie Grundy, 22 Steele Sidebottom, 13 Taylor Adams
Int:, 24 Josh Thomas, 19 Levi Greenwood, 14 James Aish, 16 Chris Mayne

It’s hard to see the Pies changing a winning line-up, but Mason Cox may have a bit of reason to worry after a poor qualifying final and then a fairly quiet semi, especially with Darcy Moore banging on the door.

WHAT’S IN THIS GAME FOR THE MAGPIES?

It’s been somewhat of a fairytale story this year for Collingwood and fairytales don’t end with the milk maid dancing with the prince and then going back to live out her boring life on the farm. The black and white army want a happy ending but there’s no warm inner glow after losing to arch enemy Richmond.

KEY COLLINGWOOD PLAYERS

Mason Cox is not the best footballer in the AFL, he’s not the best footballer at Collingwood, he’s not the best footballer in the Magpies’ forward line, but he is their most important player this week. Cox is Collingwood’s point of difference and, if he’s clunking marks and presenting as a target, he will throw the well-organised Richmond backline into disarray.

The Pies’ small defenders are also in for a big day and, as good as Brayden Maynard was against Toby Greene, he, and his teammates, will need to adapt to a different threat from the Tigers fast and furious forwards.

Travis Varcoe is another Magpie that can slip under opposition radars a bit, adding pressure and classy ball use.

LAST FOUR MEETINGS

Rd19, 2018, Richmond Tigers 16.9 (105) d Collingwood Magpies 12.5 (77) at the MCG
Rd6, 2018, Richmond Tigers 16.17 (113) d Collingwood Magpies 10.10 (70) at the MCG
Rd2, 2017, Richmond Tigers 14.15 (99) d Collingwood Magpies 11.14 (80) at the MCG
R20, 2016, Richmond Tigers 14.8 (92) d Collingwood Magpies 11.11 (77) at the MCG

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

The home and away season finished a little shaky for Richmond, but a dominant qualifying final win over Hawthorn suggests the Tigers have clicked into September-mode and they start the week as $1.40 favourites.

Collingwood’s doing nothing wrong though and will doubtlessly come in from its $3.00 opening price once all the Magpie fans see what cash they’ve got left after buying tickets to the game.

WHO WILL WIN?

These Magpies are on a roll and with a belief they’re on a mission from God, however, the result against GWS last weekend was only their second win against a top-eight team this year.

The Tigers on the other hand are going for consecutive win number 23 at the MCG. The way they turned their whole game up a notch in the first week of finals suggests there is a calculated science behind the frenetic passion they play with and it’s not about to fall apart just yet.

Richmond by 27 points.

Mick Stirling