Damien Hardwick believes a cauldron-type MCG atmosphere will help his Richmond side in their crucial AFL battle against a Greater Western Sydney side making a rare appearance at the code’s most celebrated venue.
In almost six seasons, Sunday’s game will be just the 11th for the Giants at the MCG, where they they have a 1-9 record and haven’t played since round one of last year.
“We feel we get our home crowd there it’s certainly tough playing away (to us),” Hardwick said..
“We knew that and we hope to get 50,000 people there on the weekend, to help get us over the line.
“If you create that loud cauldron type effect, its certainly going to help our boys get up and about to play some good footy.”
While local rivals Sydney have four games scheduled at the MCG this season, the Giants won’t play there again after Sunday unless it’s in the finals.
“Not sure what we’ve done to the AFL House to deserve (only) one (game there) but we love playing at The G,” Giants co- captain Phil Davis said on the club’s podcast.
“Obviously it’s where the biggest game of the year’s played so it’s always nice to get down there because you’ve got to learn to play well; if you ever get the opportunity to play there on the last Saturday in September.”
GWS came from behind to pull off a last-gasp win over Richmond earlier this season at Spotless Stadium after trailing for almost the entire game.
“Sides have changed a little bit but we owe them one, it would be fair to say,” Hardwick said.
The two sides are separated by just four points, but their form graphs are going in opposite directions.
Richmond have dropped just one of their past five, while GWS have only won once over the same span and are coming off a chastening loss to Sydney.
“If we want to play good consistent footy deep into the finals, we’ve got to play a lot better than that,” Davis said.
Hardwick remans wary of the Giants speed but said there was a number of things he felt the Tigers could exploit.
Richmond named an unhanged side while the Giants made just one change, naming midfielder Will Setterfield for his debut in place of Matt de Boer.