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Racing and Sports will provide analysis of many games in the 2021 AFL Season.

We'll endeavour to run through the form, incorporate appropriate stats and also supply a betting prediction which won't always just be who will win.

GEELONG V RICHMOND

Sunday 25 July @ MCG

The Grand Final replay snuck away on a Sunday afternoon? Then again the way this season might end up, it could be played on a Nuriootpa cow paddock on a Tuesday night such is the need to get games away.

Geelong doesn't really want to remember that game at all. They had a great chance prior to half time and then it slowly got ripped away – mainly they got 'Dustied' as has happened twice before.

The big news of the week was that he now won't be there for the rest of 2021 after his sad injury on the Gold Coast. His durability has been remarkable and something Richmond has been able to rely on.

Now they have to not only replace him with an inferior product (as everyone is an inferior product) but also replace him with lessening stocks too given their overall injury problems.

Can Richmond change their style or do they really need to change their style? Whatever the circumstances they need to do it with five weeks to the finals.

Geelong has set themselves up for another good crack at it as has been their want. Consistently they are in the finals, usually with a double chance. The issue is that it has been a decade since they won it but by their own admission, it is now that is the time.

Trading and drafting has been for the now. You don't get Cameron, Smith and Higgins in at their ages and with their clicks on the odometer without trying to win in 2021.

With that comes the need for a well-orchestrated and well timed campaign. They couldn't/shouldn't be peaking in June but be at their best come late September.

It's no wonder they gave Selwood a game off and Dangerfield's injury could have a silver lining in that he will have plenty of petrol in the tank.

Reality is a Jeremy Cameron return from the hamstring is critical. They've put plenty of eggs in that basket and don't want it scrambled.

Their backline is so solid, if not slightly undersized. It's hard to knock Tom Stewart but sometimes they also need Blicavs coming back along with Henderson. Then the ruck stocks are another query and boy will that get a testing this week.

Richmond has sorely missed Toby Nankervis. His bash and crash style, imposing his frame and attacking the man much like a Mumford would do has made them vulnerable in the middle of the contest without him.

He showed straight away that inflicting a splitting of the packs causes mayhem and the spilt ball is what Richmond love. Naturally they'd prefer Martin on the end of it but it doesn't mean they won't still get plenty of it in this game.

The question will be can they do enough with it. They still have Riewoldt and Lynch forward as targets but they can no longer swing Martin there.

It might well be that now is the time for Shai Bolton to justify his requirement of the big pay day. He gets command of the excitement factors in the middle. And he will have to step up more. He'd be much more advantaged if Prestia was there too.

You can see this being tight for a way. Richmond will have garnered some much needed confidence from the Brisbane win breaking that losing streak. But will the psychology of losing their biggest name impact greatly?

Technically Geelong just need a break even in the ruck work but you can often lose the tap outs and still win the clearances. Richmond has never been that elite contested ball team but relied on winning the next contest and setting the runners free via handball or even tap ons.

There shouldn't be that big a margin in the market. Reckon it will be tight but Geelong to just prevail as long as Nankervis doesn't run rampant.

Match Selection: Geelong by 13 points

Suggested Bets: Geelong 1-24 @ $2.90