BY ITS OWN admission, Richmond did not play its best football over the last month of the home and away season.
However, the minor premier was the benchmark side across the year for a reason and Hawthorn and its coach Alastair Clarkson have their work cut out if they want to cause an upset.
Richmond finished three games ahead of Hawthorn at the end of round 23 and beat the Hawks by 13 points in the teams' only meeting, in round three.
The Tigers led virtually all day, extending their advantage to a game-high 39 points early in the last quarter before Hawthorn closed to within 14 points with just under three minutes left.
MEGA-PREVIEW Richmond v Hawthorn
What the Hawks cannot do is bomb the ball forward aimlessly and allow Alex Rance and Nick Vlastuin – like they did when the teams squared off in that game – to pick off high kicks going inside 50.
Instead, the Hawks must be patient with their ball movement, but pick the right moments to take calculated risks and centre the footy to create one-on-one contests forward of the ball.
AFL.com.au has taken a look at how Richmond and Hawthorn structure up ahead of Thursday night's qualifying final clash at the MCG.
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Richmond
How they play
The Tigers are an elite pressure side and their modus operandi is to force the ball forward into their attacking half of the ground and keep it there. Richmond forces the opposition into turnovers, with the Tigers outscoring their rivals by an average of 23 points per game (ranked No.1 in the competition) in that area of the contest.
Attack
Ranked behind only Melbourne for points per game (97.4) in 2018, Richmond's spread of scoring options points to how dangerous it can be. Coleman medallist Jack Riewoldt booted 65 goals for the season, while also ranking 12th in the AFL for goal assists. Shane Edwards (2nd) and Dustin Martin (eq. 5th) also thrive in dishing the ball off to teammates. The Tigers had four players kick more than 20 goals for the season (Riewoldt, Josh Caddy, Dustin Martin and Jason Castagna).
Defence
All Australian Alex Rance is the general in defence and often acts as the 'goalkeeper' or anchor, where he sits out the back of the contest and directs his teammates' positioning. Alternatively, he comes up at the ball to impact ground-level or aerial contests. With Rance's offsiders David Astbury and Dylan Grimes able to lock down on an opponent, the Tigers' defence would be close to the most organised in the League.
Ball movement
Richmond is not a high-possession team and instead relies on a direct brand of football, characterised by forward handballs to teammates and knock-ons to advantage. The pressure of their small forwards and midfielders around the ball is crucial and they sweat on the opposition making a mistake. First-year forward Jack Higgins has generated 80 points from turnovers caused by his pressure, ranked fourth in the competition.
How to beat them
All four of the Tigers' losses this season have come on the road: against Adelaide (round two), West Coast (round nine), Port Adelaide (round 12) and Greater Western Sydney (round 17). Meanwhile, they have won 21 successive games at the MCG. However, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs showed late in the season that Richmond are fallible and provided opposition teams with an example of how to beat the reigning premier, although they narrowly failed themselves. The Cats and Dogs attacked the corridor and tried to move the ball with pace, pulling the trigger on 'inside 45 kicks' (centralised kicks on a 45-degree angle back inboard) and being prepared to kick to contests in the middle of the ground. The Tigers are reliant on winning the ball back from sides by creating pressure around the ball, so if teams exit stoppages with speed and not allow their stable defence to setup effectively in transition they can be vulnerable in one-out contests.
Hawthorn
How they play
The Hawks like to control the tempo of the game by possessing the ball and wearing the opposition out by piling up uncontested mark, forcing them to defend and win the ball back. Hawthorn has improved its ability to score from stoppages in the second half of this season and Alastair Clarkson's side is highly efficient when they get the ball inside attacking 50.
Attack
The Hawks rank third in the AFL for points per game from turnovers, punishing teams when they make mistakes. They have improved their ability to move the ball out of a stoppage and once they get the ball forward they have damaging players, led by All Australians Luke Breust and Jack Gunston inside 50.
Defence
The Hawks allowed their opposition to go from defensive 50 to inside 50 just 14 per cent of the time – the lowest percentage Champion Data has ever recorded. They are organised behind the ball, often creating a structure where they play with seven or eight defenders and outnumber the opposition. Ben Stratton is Hawthorn's most flexible backman – he can play as a drop-off defender, he can play tall or small and he often lines up on the opposition’s most dangerous player inside forward 50.
Ball movement
The Hawks refer to 'keeping the ball in motion' and constantly flick the ball around to keep the opposition on their toes. They move the ball with precision, honouring hit-up leads and if that option is not on Ben McEvoy and Jon Ceglar are excellent bail-out options to kick the footy to up the line. They use their control of the ball as a form of defence.
How to beat them
Stopping Tom Mitchell is a good start, with the Brownlow Medal favourite often the catalyst for winning a crucial clearance or a ground ball at the bottom of a pack. And if the Hawks are able to feed the ball back cleanly to teammates out of a contest, they can then set the field up the way they like. Denying them space and pressuring the ball carrier is crucial against Hawthorn.
