What time does the 2017 AFL Grand Final start?
GIVEN that Richmond's famous theme song speaks – indeed, shouts – about 'yellow and black', why all the angst about the Tigers being directed to play in their predominately yellow 'clash' strip in the Grand Final?
Well, perhaps superstitious Tiger fans, praying for the end of 37 years of premiership torment, have had a wary eye towards the team's defensive performances in the alternative guernsey in 2017.
While the Tigers have won two of four games in the jumper, they have conceded an average of nearly five more goals against them compared to their matches in the club's other guernseys, including the Dreamtime at the 'G special edition.
After Richmond's stirring preliminary final victory on Saturday, the AFL announced that the side would be made to wear its predominantly yellow clash guernsey.
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The decision was met with outrage from many fans, including 403-game club great Kevin Bartlett, who expressed his anger on Twitter.
"Richmond should and must tell the AFL to get stuffed and it will not wear its clash jumper against Adelaide. The club must not roll over," he tweeted.
Most of the outrage was directed at the AFL's reluctance to embrace tradition in the side's first Grand Final since 1982, but the team's performances in the alternative jumper have not been particularly convincing either.
The team's two biggest losses this year occurred in the yellow jumper they will sport in Saturday's Grand Final, one of them the round six thrashing at the hands of Saturday’s rival Adelaide.
The Crows thumped Richmond by 76 points on that occasion, while the Tigers' next biggest loss was to St Kilda by 67 points in round 16.
This year Richmond has averaged nearly identical points for, but conceded 27 more points against, when forced to play in the yellow with black sash.
And it must be noted that the team was able to perform well in the strip on two occasions, first in its win over Port Adelaide in round 15 before destroying Fremantle by 104 points in round 22.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick is not concerned about the jumper change, highlighting after his side's win last week that his players would not be deterred by the alteration.
"We would play in a hessian bag to be perfectly honest," Hardwick said.
Tigers in their clash strip in 2017
R6: Adelaide v Richmond at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 21.14 (140) d Richmond 10.4 (64)
R15: Port Adelaide v Richmond at the Adelaide Oval, Richmond 11.10 (76) d Port Adelaide 8.15 (63)
R16: St Kilda v Richmond at Etihad Stadium, St Kilda 21.12 (138) d Richmond 10.11 (71)
R22: Fremantle v Richmond at Domain Stadium, Richmond 25.5 (155) d Fremantle 7.9 (51)
