Preview of AFL round one matches (time AEDT):
Thursday, March 22
Richmond v Carlton at MCG 7.25pm
Head to head: Tigers 91 Blues 125 drawn 2
Last clash: Round 21, 2017 - Tigers 11.18 (84) bt Blues 8.10 (58) at MCG
Tab Sportsbet odds: Tigers $1.18 Blues $5.00
William Hill: Tigers $1.18 Blues $5.00
Richmond launch their premiership defence against a Blues side simply hoping to improve on their 16th-placing last season. While finals appear on a distant horizon for Carlton, the Tigers are expected to again feature in the upper echelon. Richmond will unveil their latest premiership flag before a crowd tipped to rise towards 95,000 and with impressive pre-season form behind them. Coach Damien Hardwick has implored his team to maintain their benchmarks for manic pressure which led to their grand final triumph. But only time will tell if they can avoid the rapid slide of the 2016 premiers, the Western Bulldogs.
Key: Can Carlton contain Dustin Martin? The Richmond megastar won everything last season: Brownlow medal, premiership medal and Norm Smith medal for best-afield in the grand final - the first player to achieve that triple feat.
Tip: Tigers by 46 points.
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