Head to head: Richmond 75 wins, Western Bulldogs 67 wins, two draws
Last time: Western Bulldogs 24.13 (157) d Richmond 14.5 (89), round 11, 2009 at Etihad Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Richmond
Nathan Foley (ankle) - indefinite
Ben Griffiths (shoulder) - 1-2 weeks
Western Bulldogs
Jamason Daniels (knee) - 2 weeks
Christian Howard (hip) - 6 weeks
Sam Reid (groin) - 4 weeks
Stephen Tiller (groin) - 2 weeks
Callan Ward (groin) - 2 weeks
SUMMARY
The Bulldogs provided the league's leakiest defence in round one by giving up 129 points, four more than the Tigers (the third most permeable), underscoring exactly how much they missed the keystone of their defence, Dale Morris.
However, they scored 50 per cent more in the plus column than the Tiges, and the Richmond will not be able to apply anything like the pressure across the ground that the very impressive Magpies did last Sunday.
The Dogs have the wood on the Tigers in recent times, it being five years since the boys from Punt Rd had a win (Terry Wallace's third game in charge at Tigerland), and that was also the last time the Tigers won a match in round two of the season.
The Bulldogs are often characterised as quick - they're not, but the way they move the ball often makes them look speedy. What they are, and have been for years under coach Rodney Eade, is tough, and the Tigers are set to feel the full force of that steel as the boys from the West set out to make amends for their round one jitters.
PLAYER TO WATCH
There's no doubt that the player the Dogs missed most in last week's loss to Collingwood was key defender Dale Morris. Often asked to fight out of his weight division in an undersized backline, Morris can play tall or small, but his real value lies in the way he marshals the troops and clearly has a settling influence on those around him, such as star full back Brian Lake.
Richmond's Daniel Connors is being reinvented as a running half-back after missing most of 2009 with hand and hamstring injuries. Recruited as a half-back flanker, Connors' stints in the forward line and in the middle under Wallace are over and the 21-year-old is back where he played as a junior. Topped the Tigers for disposals against the Blues with 24, just one short of his career best.
QUESTION MARKS
How many goals will Barry Hall kick? The Tigers have no-one who can match the former Swan for size and speed, and if the Dogs midfield gets its expected ascendancy over its Tiger opponents and is able to deliver the ball to Hall lace out, it could get messy.
How important is Dale Morris to the Bulldogs' back half? Look for a far better and more settled performance from the Doggies defender with Morris back in the line up.
Can the Tigers win a quarter? Richmond is the only team not to have won a term this season.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Despite coach Rodney Eade's relaxed post-match demeanour after their round one loss, the Dogs will be seething about the way fellow top-four side Collingwood treated them on Sunday. They will be out to make a big statement in a year which saw them win the NAB Cup and be installed as one of the flag favourites. The Tigers had a dip for most of the game against the Blues, but the Dogs are a far better side than Carlton and you can expect the result to reflect the gulf between the teams.
PREDICTION
Western Bulldogs by 53 points
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
