Richmond Tigers v Melbourne Demons
Australia : Football : AFL Aussie Rules
Date: 25-06-2011 Time: 14:10 AEST
Venue: MCG, Melbourne

---

This will be a good game to watch as two young sides clash. I think only one of these sides will feature in the finals and it will be this game that goes a long way to deciding which one.

Both teams are coming off very impressive wins, the Demons probably a bit more so, however this game is likely to be an enticing one for viewers.

Richmond Tigers (10th 5-6-1)

The Tigers went up to Brisbane at the weekend and after a sluggish start dominated the game for large portions to win by 31 points. They found numerous avenues to goal and I think it will be that again which gives them a huge chance to win this one.

In defence Rance and Post are the young guys who will be trying to do jobs on a potent Melbourne forward line up. The more experienced players such as Newman and Deledio will be there to keep the youngsters steady and to provide a bit of run out of half back. Houli will be expected to show a little bit going forward too.

Through the centre of the field the Tigers are getting stronger but it is a select few who offer the class that makes things tough for opponents. The two in question are Martin and Cotchin. Martin kicked 5 from the midfield and absolutely destroyed his opponents. It is extremely rare for a midfielder to kick 5 goals, and at only 19, Martin has a massive upside. Nahas offers a bit of silk at times and it is Foley and Jackson who get in and under to win the ball for the flashier members of the side.

At the top of the ground the Tigers have a fair few goal kicking options. King is a little pest and will fight for every contested ball whenever he is around and Edwards is someone in a similar vein. Vickery is a big target who could be damaging if things went right for the Tigers and of course Riewoldt is capable of kicking a few too as the key forward.

Melbourne Demons (9th 5-6-1)

The Demons are coming off a massive victory at "the G" against the Dockers on the weekend. I am not sure what happened with the Dockers but this game will be closer and I am interested to see how the Demons fare after such a big result only a week earlier.

In defence the likes of Rivers, Frawley and Garland will have a tough time containing an explosive Richmond offense, but I think it could be a day where the young Demon defenders could step up and show why their team will be a future contender in 2-3 seasons.

Through the middle the Demons are quite an interesting team. Sylvia is young but probably the most experienced important midfielder and then the rest is left up to Moloney, Petterd and Scully. These young midfielders are quite exciting and are really exciting prospects for supporters of the club.

In the forward line the most important name is Green. He always seems to pop up and kick his 3-4-5 each week. Since leaving the middle and becoming a more permanent fixture up forward he has helped the Dees immensely. Watts and Jurrah will provide the spark that makes the fans eyes light up and they will need strong games in order to match the Tigers numerous scoring options.

The Verdict

Richmond to win the game in a shootout

The Pick :

Richmond Tigers 111-98 Melbourne Demons

PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :

Richmond win 75 chance%

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

The Bet :
Take Richmond to win at 1.88 at Centrebet.