Chris Greenway's Crystal Ball Report

Throughout the 2004 season, Aussie Chris Greenway wrote his game predictions. They're all here! Round 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22

Melbourne V Richmond Rd 2 02/04/2004 MCG (N)

Well, the old crystal ball must have been a bit blurry last week, because I read the winner as Collingwood when that must have said LOSER. Not that I am complaining, mind you.

With one round down it becomes a little easier to pick real form as opposed to the false form you get from the Wizard Cup. Before I can preview this match I need to revisit the results of Rd 1. Richmond used their height in attack, led by a resurgent Matthew Richardson and their quick, fit, fast young midfield, rotating the likes of: Brown, Rodan, Campbell, Johnson, Coughlan and Krakouer in and out to feed that big, strong forward line to hand out a 40 point drubbing to their more fancied opponents in Collingwood.

Richmond's opponent this week went down to an injury hit Hawthorn by over 40 points in what everyone involved has described as a pretty ordinary effort.

I don't rate Melbourne this year and not many people do. Their main deficiences are lack of height in both defence and attack and a thin midfield, these areas were all Richmond's strengths in the Collingwood game. I am sure that the bucketing the Dees cop in the media this week will inspire them to strive more than against Hawthorn, but players don't sprout inches overnight and their midfield will take literally years to develop. There are also injury worries about the Dees inspirational, goal kicking skipper David Neitz and one of their acquisitions; former Richmond key position player Ben Holland accumulated a grand total of two possessions against Hawthorn. I can't see Matthew Richardson and Shane Morrison making life any easier for him.

I'm tipping the Tigers to bare their teeth and claws and beat holy hell out of the Demons come Friday night.

29 March 2004
Pssssst! A note from the webmaster:

Oh great wizard! Surely you see Chaffey in the crystal ball this weekend!!! I've got my fingers crossed!

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