Tigers players look dejected after Round 1 loss to Gold Coast. Source: Bradley Kanaris / Getty Images
LOOK up "pressure" in the dictionary this week and you would be forgiven for thinking you might stumble across mention of the Richmond and Carlton football clubs.
There were other clubs to feel the Round 1 cauldron — that means you Collingwood, Sydney and North Melbourne.
But the heat already on the Tigers and the Blues is set to escalate to even higher levels when the two old rivals fight it out in Thursday night's blockbuster return to the MCG.
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The attention will be inescapable. The pressure on the loser of this match will be intense. And, as early as it is in season 2014, the game might be the difference between playing finals and being also-rans.
For me, Richmond is the team capable of responding better to the challenge this week and putting itself back in the finals frame.
Here are five reasons why I believe the Tigers will account for the Blues in what is already looming as a critical game for both sides.
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1. CARLTON'S SHAKY BACK HALF WILL STRUGGLE WITH RIEWOLDT AND VICKERY
If the Blues couldn't contain Justin Westhoff and the Port Adelaide forwards last week, what hope have they got of stopping Jack Riewoldt and Ty Vickery? The Tigers' forward double act was not on song against the Suns, but keeping them quiet two weeks in a row won't be easy. Richmond had plenty of the ball against Gold Coast, but the big men up front could not quite manage to get the job done. Vickery had plenty of chances, but kicked only two goals, and Riewoldt was out of sorts. A return to the MCG will suit both of them and that could spell bad news for the likes of Matthew Watson and Michael Jamison, as well as for Blues fans.
2. HAMPSON'S INSIDE KNOWLEDGE WILL HELP
Shaun Hampson could be the most important Tiger going into this match. He would know the Blues' structure and exactly what Mick Malthouse has been trying to get them to do over the past year and a bit, and I'm tipping Tigers coach Damien Hardwick will milk it for all it's worth. Just look at what happened last week. Leon Cameron used to forwards coach at Hawthorn and he used his inside knowledge of Buddy Franklin to ensure the young Giants defenders did their best to get him off his game. It worked. You could see it from the start, when Phil Davis tried to work him over physically. We also saw it with Shane Mumford using what he knew of the Swans to the advantage of his new side.
Shaun Hampson of the Tigers battles the ruck last week. Source: News Corp Australia
3. WHAT HAPPENED LAST SEPTEMBER STILL BURNS DEEP
Carlton has had the wood on Richmond in recent years and the Blues' performance to win last year's elimination final will have sat sickeningly in the Tigers' stomach ever since. It would have driven them over the pre-season and the chance to get one back on the Blues will be an important driving factor. Hardwick would have used it over the summer months. Revenge can be a more powerful driving force than some people imagine, and the Tigers will not be lacking any motivation.
Carlton's Jarrad, Tom Bell and Matthew Kreuzer celebrate on the siren. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: News Limited
4. CARLTON'S LACK OF FITNESS IN RUNNING OUT GAMES
Mick Malthouse said it all last week — the Blues ran out of gas at the business end against Port Adelaide because the team is not where it wants to be fitness wise. Leaving aside the many operations that team memberssurgeries Carlton players had over the summer, the fact remains they stopped almost to a walk against the Power. Carlton had only a handful of tackles in the final term and was completely overrun by a fitter, more determined team. I always found that if you are not fit at this early stage of the season, you are going to struggle. You don't get fitter during the season. If anything, it can drop off. For mine, the Tigers will outrun the Blues when it matters most.
Tigers Coach Damien Hardwick talks tactics last week. Source: Getty Images
5. BETTER STRUCTURES, AND A COACH GIVING HIS PLAYERS A GOOD PROD
Richmond seems to have a better balanced, more structured team at the moment, with a good understanding of how Hardwick wants them to play. I'm not saying that's not the case at Carlton. It's just that the Blues are still coming to terms with what Mick Malthouse wants them to do. Also, Hardwick put the acid back on some of the players he was disappointed with last week. It was an unusual tactic for a man who almost always limits criticisms to the team, not the individual. But when he mentioned the likes of Brandon Ellis and Reece Conca as players who needed to lift, and talked about what Riewoldt and Vickery must bring, you got a sense of how frustrated he was with the efforts of some. That makes me things they are good things to beat Carlton.
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