A major focus for the Richmond team, in Saturday’s Round 3 match against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium, is putting the Crows on the defensive.

Tigers assistant coach Mark ‘Wilbur’ Williams acknowledged this will be a significant challenge against an Adelaide outfit that has played some extremely impressive, attacking football over the first two rounds of the 2016 season under new coach Don Pyke.

“They’ve improved their ball movement . . . it’s really slick,” Williams said on this week’s episode of Roar Vision’s ‘Opposition Analysis’.

“They always pick a side (of the ground) to attack down, and off they go.  So they’re playing exciting footy . . .

“They’ve been able to play their style of footy and smash teams in the first quarter and build a lead.

“We’ve got to make sure that we get the game on our terms, and not their terms . . . Stay in the game, win that contested ball, and play the game in our forward half.  That’s probably the most important part.

“If we can make them defend, put some score on the board, and a bit of pressure on them, then we’ll be well and truly in the game.”

Williams outlined a straightforward solution for the Tigers’ quest to nullify the potent Crows’ forward line, led by their captain Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch . . .

“If we win the contested ball and send it our way, then we starve them of possession.  And, the more we starve them, the further they come up the ground, and the more frustrated they get,” he  said.

“So, the key to the game is winning the contested ball, getting it forward, and playing the game in our half.”

Richmond also is mindful of the importance to Adelaide’s game plan of rebounding defenders such as Brodie Smith, Rory Laird and Jake Lever.

“Once again, you’ve got to starve them of opportunities,” Williams said.

“So, we’ve got to lower our eyes, take marks, get shots at goal.  And, if the ball does hit the ground, we’ve got to get our ‘smalls’ in there, putting pressure on them – chasing, tackling, and not allowing them just to walk the ball out. 

“If they walk the ball out, that’s when we’re in trouble . . .

“They’ve got an inexperienced backline, but they’ve got a very exciting backline in regard to their run-and-carry. 

“We need to expose their inexperience.”