Is the clearance game Richmond’s crack in their armour?
The Tigers sit 17th for average clearances per game and were exposed by the Cats in the area during their last-minute win.
Dual premiership player David King is worried about how this could hurt the Tigers as the season rolls on.
“I think the clearance game is such a problem for Damien Hardwick right now, it’s like playing tennis and always returning serve,” King told SEN’s Crunch Time.
The Tigers are minus 18 for clearances across their last two games and midfielder Kane Lambert said it is something they need to address.
“I think it’s been a little bit of a problem for us, our clearances throughout the year, so I’m sure that’s something we’ll look out for and hope to rectify during the week,” Lambert said.
“The clearances that we’re losing, they’re not coming out the front door so to speak, they’re pretty ‘dirty’ balls and more than often.
“We’d rather win the clearance ourselves, but if we’re going to give up clearances we want to make sure they’re ‘dirty’ ones.
“It’s something we need to rectify because clearances and contested ball come crunch time of the year is crucial. It’s something we’re trying to fix.”
The Tigers will travel north to take on Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium next weekend. The Suns are ranked sixth in the competition for clearances themselves.
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