Garry Lyon and Tim Watson have gone in-depth about the biggest unanswered questions ahead of Thursday night’s blockbuster Qualifying Final between Richmond and Hawthorn.
Starting with the Richmond side of things, here’s the questions Watson believes are hanging over the heads of the Tigers.
“They need to decide whether to bring Dan Butler back into the side for a start. Kane Lambert, is he fit and ready to go?” he told SEN Breakfast.
“There’s a couple of questions they need to ask about the composition of their side.
“If Lambert’s fit, he’s in. I’m not sure about Butler though, whether he is a walk-up start to come back into that team.
“Should they be reconsidering their back-up ruck situation?”
Lyon believes the Tigers will back in what has worked.
“I don’t think they’ll change the ruck set up because it’s held them in such good stead,” he said.
The former Melbourne captain has his own question he’d like Richmond to answer.
“I think the burning question about Richmond is the last month’s minor drop off in terms of the things so dear to them,” he said.
“Is it a cause for concern or is it just a little hiccup as they start to gather themselves for September.
“His (Damien Hardwick's) question I think he has to say is going into that last round, they didn’t play their best footy and they need to get it back for the first final and if not, there’s a problem. That’s the burning question.”
As for the Hawks, the questions surround their own ruck choices.
“Will Hawthorn play two ruckmen against Richmond?” Watson asked.
Lyon thinks they should.
“That’s the same question I’ve got, do they go in with Ben McEvoy and Jon Ceglar? I would,” he said.
“I think you’ve got to compete in your forward six in the air against the best intercept marking team in the competition.”
One of the burning questions for the Hawks according to Lyon is whether they look at what the Western Bulldogs did to the Tigers in Round 23.
“A lot of teams will try and change directions and go from one side of the ground to the other on a slow player and bring it through to the other side of the ground,” he said.
“You can get teams caught out if they’re not set up really well behind the footy. Richmond handles that okay, but shorter changes of direction and quicker changes and then go.
“Imagine the ground is in eight lanes across the ground and lane one is on the far right. So rather than go from lane one to lane eight, go to lane two, quickly to three and then go.
“So you just have different attacking avenues. I think they sort of move in a structure and all of a sudden you’ve been split down an area of your defence you’re not expecting.
“The other theory is if you’re maintaining possession, Richmond’s pressure can’t get you if you’re taking uncontested marks. The pressure Richmond brings is taken out of the equation.”
Watson believes Hawthorn can take advantage of that very thing.
“The slow deliberate movement of Hawthorn, that’s something that they do really well,” Watson said.
“They can retain possession of the ball better than any side in the competition.”
Should both teams consider tagging roles in the midfield? Lyon doesn’t think so.
Watson: “Do you tag Dustin Martin or Trent Cotchin? Who do you go after if you’re Hawthorn?”
Lyon: “I don’t think you tag. Not the way these games are played.”
Watson: “What if you’re Richmond, do you tag Tom Mitchell?”
Lyon: “Nup. They’re the premiers. They’ve gotten by not tagging. Maybe Jack Graham, but I just reckon they’ll back their own midfield in.”
Who wins and advances through to the Preliminary Finals?