Round 3 of the 2020 Australian Football League Season kicks off on Thursday Night, June 18th with the Richmond Tigers taking on the Hawthorn Hawks at the MCG.
In Round 2 we saw some upsets and the Tigers played in the first draw of the 2020 AFL Season against Collingwood last Thursday Night.
The Hawks were disappointing last Friday Night in Geelong, losing to the Cats by 61 Points and the question is whether or not they can bounce back from such a colossal defeat.
Be sure to check back each week for Free AFL Footy Tips, AFL Predictions and AFL Previews for each match during the 2020 Aussie Rules Season.
Here is a quick preview of this Thursday Night Football Encounter and why each side can win this match.
Results so Far
Last Round – 6/9 = 66.7%
Season – 13/18 = 72.2%
Richmond Tigers vs Hawthorn Hawks
Last Meeting
Round 9 2019 – Richmond 14.11 95 – Hawthorn 8.11 59
(Richmond by 36 Points)
Last 5 Meetings
Richmond – 4 Wins
Hawthorn – 1 Win
Current Head to Head Odds
Richmond – $1.41
Hawthorn – $2.95
Why the Tigers Can Win
Richmond comes into this game with no real injury concerns, and their defensive side was in fine form last week against the Magpies in which resulted in a Draw.
They got off to an average start in that match, but managed to come back and mount a comeback in the second half and probably should have won the game. Two of their more experienced campaigners started finding the football with Bachar Houli and Trent Cotchin having big matches.
The Tigers have beaten the Hawks on four consecutive occasions, and Dustin Martin was unstoppable last time these two sides met with 37 Possessions, 10 Clearances and 2 Goals.
The Hawks were very average against the Cats last week and Richmond will be playing them at the right time and should take advantage of the situation. The Tigers are a reliable team everywhere and showed a glimpse of their best in the second half last week. They are the Favourites in this match and rightly so.
Why the Hawks Can Win
The Hawks were horrendous last week against the Cats, and it isn’t easy to mount a case for them in this match.
They may get Jaeger O’Meara back from injury which will boost their midfield, but massive improvements will need to be implemented if they are any hope in this match. They looked out of sorts last week and will need to improve their skillset coming into this match.
If anybody can sort out a gameplan for the Hawks to get up, then it’s their Coach Alistair Clarkson. One of the greatest coaches of the modern era, Clarkson has his work cut out for him but has done it on many occasions in the past, and a change in the game plan may be the only hope the Hawks have to snap a four-game losing streak to the very talented Tigers Team.
Prediction
The Tigers are just too good a team, and the Hawks looked terrible last week. Star Tiger, Dustin Martin is out for this one, but our tip still remains the same.
Our Tip – Richmond Tigers (Win)
Be sure to check out our Preview for each AFL Team this season.
There are not a lot of sports to follow right now, but if you want to get into golf, check out our RBC Heritage Preview for this week.