Gold Coast’s potent, big key-forward duo of Tom Lynch and Charlie Dixon have figured prominently in Richmond’s planning for Sunday’s important Round 20 clash between the two teams at the MCG.

Lynch and Dixon have kicked 69 goals between them this season (Lynch 34, Dixon 35) with 20 of those coming in the past three games.

The Suns, understandably, base much of their game plan around exploiting the advantage they have with those two talented ‘talls’ up forward.

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“They get the ball into them quickly with long kicks,” Richmond assistant coach Brendon Lade said on this week’s ‘Spotlight’ episode. 

“They’ve got these two big targets, and they can both mark the ball very well . . . they are really good in the air.

“They don’t lose too many one-on-ones.  They mark a lot, but they definitely halve a lot of them as well. 

“So our key defenders will have their work cut out.  They’ll need to make sure they’re on their game the whole time.  But hopefully the ‘mids’ can cut the supply a little bit as well . . . 

“Lynch has been in great form.

“Two goals a game he averages, and he’s an elite runner, so he gets up and down the ground really well, and takes some big, contested marks.

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“So, whether it’s ‘Chappy’ (Troy Chaplin) or whether it’s ‘Rancey’ (Alex Rance), hopefully they can do the job on him . . . 

The Tigers also are wary of the smaller Gold Coast forwards...

“They’ve also got those three little high forwards that come up the ground and get back – (Harley) Bennell, (Jack) Martin and (Aaron) Hall,” Lade said.

“They’re guys we’ll have to keep an eye out for as well. 

“But for us, it’s about getting it into our forward line, keeping it in there, and keeping them under the pump.” 

Where:  MCG
When:  Sunday, August 16, 1.10pm (EST)
TV coverage:  Fox Footy (live from 1pm)
Radio coverage:  SEN

The Richmond squad (finalised at 5pm on Friday)

B: Newman, Batchelor, Rance
HB: Houli, Vlastuin, Chaplin
C: Ellis, Cotchin, McIntosh
HF: Martin, Lennon, Lambert
F: Riewoldt, Deledio, Vickery
R: Maric, Grigg, Hunt
IC (from): Dea, Miles, Lloyd, Morris, Thomas, Gordon, McBean

In: Deledio, Dea, Thomas, Gordon, McBean, Morris
Out: Grimes (inj – hamstring), Conca (inj – hamstring), Hampson (omitted)

Find out how Gold Coast is lining up for Round 20 this weekend

Richmond v Gold Coast history

Round 1, 2014, Metricon Stadium
Richmond            3.1          5.6          6.7          10.9 (69)
Gold Coast          5.4          6.7          7.13        12.15 (87)

Goals – Richmond:  Vickery 2, Cotchin, Deledio, S. Edwards, Griffiths, Martin, Petterd, Riewoldt, Vlastuin.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 38, Deledio 33, Grigg 30, Thomas 29, Martin 25, Conca 23, Houli 21, Petterd 20.
Goals – Gold Coast:  Ablett 2, Day 2, Lynch 2, Stanley 2, Matera, O’Meara, Prestia, Swallow.
Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Ablett 41, Prestia 32, Rischitelli 28, Swallow 27, Broughton 24, Harbrow 22, O’Meara 22.

Round 16, 2013, Cazalys Stadium
Richmond            1.3          4.10        5.13        6.17 (53)
Gold Coast          3.3          4.4          5.6          6.8 (44)

Goals – Richmond:  Jackson 2, Arnot, Ellis, Foley, Riewoldt.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Martin 31, Cotchin 29, Deledio 24, Jackson 24, Petterd 24, Rance 20.
Goals – Gold Coast:  Bennell, Brown, Day, McKenzie, O’Meara, Shaw.
Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Prestia 27, Ablett 26, Broughton 24, McKenzie 24, Shaw 22, O’Meara 21, Russell 20.

Round 16, 2012, Cazalys Stadium
Richmond            2.2          4.3          10.7        13.10 (88)
Gold Coast          4.2          7.9          9.9          13.12 (90)

Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 5, Nahas 4, McGuane 2, Graham, A. Maric.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 38, Deledio 36, Ellis 24, Grigg 24, Tuck 24, Conca 23, Houli 21, A. Maric 21.
Goals – Gold Coast:  J. Hall 2, Hunt 2, Matera 2, Ablett, Bennell, Brown, Caddy, A. Hall, Harbrow, Swallow.
Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Ablett 33, Bennll 30, McKenzie 26, Stanley 22, Harbrow 20, Matera 20.

Round 17, 2011, Cazalys Stadium
Richmond            6.8          6.9          8.16        9.16 (70)
Gold Coast          1.2          7.6          7.9          12.13 (85)

Goals – Richmond:  Cotchin 3, Foley, Grigg, King, Nahas, Newman, Riewoldt.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Grigg 32, Newman 31, Deledio 30, Houli 30, Nahas 28, Rance 25, Cotchin 24, Martin 21.
Goals – Gold Coast:  Brennan 3, Stanley 3, Swallow 2, Ablett, Iles, Rischitelli, Toy.
Leading possession-getters – Gold Coast:  Ablett 27, Rischitelli 24, Swallow 24, Iles 23, Bock 21, McKenzie 21, Stanley 21.

Richmond v Gold Coast head-to-head

  • Richmond and Gold Coast have played four times, with the Tigers winning one and losing three.
  • Richmond last defeated Gold Coast in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond and Gold Coast have never met in a final.
  • Richmond’s best winning sequence against Gold Coast is one.
  • Richmond’s longest losing sequence against Gold Coast is two (2011-12).
  • Richmond’s highest score against Gold Coast is 13.10 (88), in Round 16, 2012 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s lowest score against Gold Coast is 6.17 (53), in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s greatest winning margin against Gold Coast is nine points, in Round 16, 2013 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s greatest losing margin against Gold Coast is 15 points, in Round 17, 2011 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • The most goals kicked by a Richmond player in a match against Gold Coast is five by Jack Riewoldt, in Round 16, 2012 at Cazalys Stadium.
  • Richmond’s biggest-ever crowd against Gold Coast is 19,425 in Round 1, 2014.