Full-strength Roos, but Hardwick expects game to stay the same
The Kangaroos elimination final team may look very different to the one that lined up last week, but Richmond is expecting them to play the same style of game.
By a quirk of fate, the two sides that met in the final minor round game will front up again in this week’s final, after North Melbourne controversially rested a swag of players with AFL approval.
They’ll be back to full strength for the knockout fixture, but Tigers coach Damien Hardwick insists his charges will also be fit and firing, apart from injured ruck-forward Ben Griffiths, and he’s confident the Kangaroos will bring the same gameplan, which resulted in a dour arm wrestle for a half of football before Richmond’s stars got off the leash.
“From a game style point of view nothing will change,” Hardwick said.
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“The personnel will change but the way they play the game will be pretty much the same so our plan will be pretty much identical to what it was last week.”
A swag of stars are out to prove their fitness as the first weekend of the finals series looms. Fremantle star Nathan Fyfe failed to train yesterday, while Hawthorn speedster Isaac Smith flew to Perth early with a small group of players, with the rest of the Hawks’ travelling party flying out today ahead of their clash with West Coast.
Smith strained ligaments in his left knee during Saturday’s win over Carlton, while Fyfe is nursing a leg injury and has not played since his side lost to North Melbourne in Round 21.
Adelaide’s All-Australian defender Brodie Smith has been in a moon boot this week as he races the clock ahead of the Crows’ elimination final on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs.
-with AAP
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