Head to head: Richmond eight wins, Adelaide 19 wins, no draws
Last time: Richmond 7.12 (54) def by Adelaide 15.14 (104), round seven, 2010 at AAMI Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Richmond
Will Thursfield (concussion) - available
Kelvin Moore (leg) - test
Matthew White (leg) - test
Jordan McMahon (ankle) - 1-2 weeks
Matt Dea (foot) - 2-3 weeks
Tom Hislop (patella) - season
Nathan Foley (leg) - season
Adam Thompson (groin) - season
Ben Griffiths (shoulder) - season
Adelaide
Graham Johncock (suspension) - 1 week
Simon Goodwin (ankle) - test
Andrew McLeod (knee) - 1-2 weeks
Brett Burton (ankle) - test
Chris Knights (side strain) - test
Trent Hentschel (hamstring) - available
James Craig (hamstring) - season
Sam Shaw (back) - indefinite
Brad Moran (knee) - 3 weeks
Andy Otten (knee) - season
Daniel Talia (knee) - season
Jared Petrenko (foot) - season
FORM
Richmond: WWWLL
Adelaide: WWWWL
SUMMARY
Both teams had their form bubbles burst in recent weeks. The Tigers were the talk of the town after winning four on the trot but heavy losses to North Melbourne and Collingwood have brought them back down to earth with a thud. The Crows, so disappointing early in the season, revived their finals hopes with a four-win run of their own, but made it difficult for themselves - if not impossible - by putting in a shocker against the Power after upsetting the visiting Cats the week before. The Tigers will fancy themselves against the Crows who have not travelled well this season and will play on the MCG for the first time since round three when they lost to the Demons.
PLAYER TO WATCH
David Astbury has impressed in his debut season and with 20 possessions against the Pies showed he’s not just a stopper. He’s a big lad and with the big forwards of Adelaide coming to town he looms as a key player.
Kurt Tippett has largely disappointed this season and hit a new low in the loss to the Power - five disposals and no goals isn’t nearly going to get it done. Needs a big, confidence-boosting game.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Tigers re-light the fire? The Jack Riewoldt-led recovery had the Tiger Army dreaming of better days - was it a false dawn?
Can Adelaide deal with expectation? The Crows played well when the season seemed lost, but crumbled just when finals started to come back into the picture.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Neither team showed much last week, so it will be down to who can get back on the horse the quickest. Graham Johncock is a big loss for Adelaide who will also be missing Andrew McLeod and, most likely, skipper Simon Goodwin. The start will be vital and you fancy if the Tiges can bounce out of the blocks they’ll go on with it, but the Crows get the nod on the proviso last week was a blip on the radar and not the start of a trend.
PREDICTION
Adelaide by 11 points.
Chat with host Jason Phelan and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 12.40pm Sunday or join the conversation on Twitter: #afltigerscrows
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
