HEAD TO HEAD: Melbourne 78 wins, Richmond 99 wins, two draws
LAST TIME: Melbourne 17.16 (118) d Richmond 13.13 (91), round 14, 2011 at the MCG
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A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Melbourne: WLLLL Richmond: LLBLW
SUMMARY
Round 22 kicks off with a tantalising clash on Friday night between top four sides Carlton and Hawthorn, and while that might be the most anticipated match this weekend, the final game of the round also looms as an intriguing contest.
Although neither Melbourne nor Richmond will feature in finals action, both will be keen to finish off the year on a high and carry that confidence into their preparations for season 2012.
Melbourne's horror month has been well documented but despite losing to West Coast on Sunday, the Demons showed great endeavour and were only let down by their poor skill execution.
The Tigers will head into Sunday's twilight clash full of confidence after they broke a six-game losing streak with a 43-point win over the Sydney Swans.
Trent Cotchin, Bachar Houli and Brett Deledio were all in fine form and will need to fire again this week.
The midfield battle between these two young sides will be an intriguing contest but if Melbourne are to win, they will need a lift from some of their more senior players in Brent Moloney, Brad Green and Colin Sylvia.
QUESTION MARKS
Can Todd Viney notch up his first win as caretaker coach? Melbourne defender James Frawley says Viney has had a positive influence on the players and they are keen to repay him with wins in the final three rounds.
Can Jack Reiwoldt keep his Coleman medal hopes alive? The Richmond forward has 56 goals to his name this season and currently sits second behind Hawthorn star Lance Franklin (62) on the leaderboard. Franklin kicked eight goals last week putting some distance between the two, and Riewoldt will need to reply this week if he wants to walk away with back-to-back Coleman medals.
PREDICTION
Melbourne by 13 points
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Dream Team coaches all over the country are feeling sick at the thought of trading out their star Geelong players this week, but it's crunch time and you've got to do everything in your power to win. If you're looking for a midfield replacement then take a look at Richmond's Trent Cotchin ($393,00). He has averaged 114 points in his last five games, and is only in four per cent of teams and could prove the difference in a lineball game.
Follow the game live in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au and join the conversation on Twitter using #afldeestigers
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
