Tigers lick lips at game bonanza

RICHMOND says it supports a packed early-season schedule with multiple games a week as the club places strict demands on its players to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The Tigers will take on Carlton in front of an empty MCG on Thursday, having trained behind closed doors at Punt Road yesterday before their final training tomorrow.

Richmond would be perfectly placed to maximise a schedule that saw teams playing five games in three weeks from Round 2 or 3 given no injuries and exceptional depth.

Before then the Tigers will tackle injury-hit Carlton, with defender Sydney Stack and ruckman Callum ColemanJones in strong positions to replace premiership players Brandon Ellis (Gold Coast) and Toby Nankervis.

Nankervis still needs match fitness after a VFL practice match against Coburg was cancelled over the weekend, but otherwise the Tigers are perfectly poised for their premiership defence.

The AFL is set to institute a register of personnel who can gain entry to the MCG, but clubs are not limited to a certain number of officials who can be at the ground.

Balme said yesterday the Tigers had told their players to minimise contact with others and basically train and stay at home apart from shopping for essential services.

“We are trying to be as normal as we can be in terms of living, but we have suggested to players they are very conservative with their social lives and hopefully they understand that means they aren’t going to the pub. They have to live but they aren’t just normal members of the community in relation to this.”

Balme said clubs were open to the possibility of playing midweek games to fast-track the AFL schedule before the inevitable mid-season shutdown for several months.

“We will listen to all of that. As long as it’s fair for everyone. We understand what they are trying to do, which is get as many games as we can in so I think that’s quite a reasonable response. I think they are going to talk to the coaches and float ideas in terms of the games they might play, shorter games, more interchange.”