Brisbane vs Richmond AFL R10 betting tips – Friday, May 21

Two of the strongest teams in the AFL will face off this Friday night when the Richmond Tigers travel to the Gabba to tackle the Brisbane Lions.

Although injuries have ruled out most of their midfield, the Tigers have won three of their last five matches and are coming off an important win against GWS.

Chris Fagan’s Lions broke one of the AFL’s longest head-to-head losing streaks in their win over the Tigers last season, snapping Richmond’s 15-game run of victories in last year’s qualifying final.

With Ryan Lester (hamstring) and Darcy Gardiner (shoulder) going down last week against the Suns, the Lions will need to make two changes to their backline for their clash with the reigning premiers.

Brisbane Lions vs Richmond match preview

Travelling to the Gabba has been no issue for the Tigers in recent times, but that will not be the case this week given their shortage of experienced midfielders. Brisbane stars Jarryd Lyons and Hugh McCluggage are in excellent form, which should allow the Lions to dictate terms at the stoppages.

The Tigers need a big game from their best ball-movers across half-back, as they must get up the ground to support the midfield. Jayden Short has collected 20 or more disposals in every game this season and has been a consistent performer against the Lions. You can find Short at $2.10 with Sportsbet to accumulate 25 or more disposals this Friday night.

BrisbaneLions

• Keidean Coleman
• Harris Andrews
• Brandon Starcevich
• Daniel Rich
• Marcus Adams
• Grant Birchall
• Dayne Zorko
• Zac Bailey
• Hugh McCluggage
• Callum Ah Chee
• Joe Daniher
• Lincoln McCarthy
• Daniel McStay
• Eric Hipwood
• Charlie Cameron
• Oscar McInerney
• Jarryd Lyons
• Mitch Robinson
• Deven Robertson
• Jaxon Prior
• Rhys Mathieson
• James Madden
• Thomas Berry (Emg)
• Tom Fullarton (Emg)
• Connor Ballenden (Emg)
• Carter Michael (Emg)
• Coach: Chris Fagan

RichmondTigers

• Jack Riewoldt
• Dustin Martin
• Tom Lynch
• Jason Castagna
• Patrick Naish
• Daniel Rioli
• Marlion Pickett
• Riley Collier-Dawkins
• Kamdyn McIntosh
• Hugo Ralphsmith
• Nick Vlastuin
• Jayden Short
• Dylan Grimes
• Noah Balta
• Nathan Broad
• Toby Nankervis
• Liam Baker
• Jack Graham
• Jack Ross
• Bachar Houli
• Jake Aarts
• David Astbury
• Thomson Dow (Emg)
• Josh Caddy (Emg)
• Callum Coleman-Jones (Emg)
• Will Martyn (Emg)
• Coach: Damien Hardwick

Key matchup: Dayne Zorko vs Dustin Martin

Dustin Martin was back to his best against the Giants last week with 28 disposals and four goals, while Dayne Zorko collected 34 touches against the Suns to go with his one major. These two midfield stars bring X-factor to their sides and both know where the goals are. Martin has kicked 29 goals in his 16 matches against Brisbane, whereas Zorko has slotted 13 from his 12 encounters with the Tigers. Expect big performances from these two veterans on Friday night.

Brisbane Lions vs Richmond betting tips

Brisbane Lions to win by 1-39 points

Losing Lester and Gardiner will hinder the Lions in the backline, but we think this game will be won in the middle. Damian Hardwick’s younger players will be undersized against the seasoned Lions, and that advantage out of the centre could prove costly given Brisbane’s talent up forward. The home side should come away with a hard-earned victory.

Dayne Zorko anytime goalscorer

The Brisbane captain has been plagued by inaccuracy this season, kicking 4.8 from his nine matches thus far. Zorko has kicked three goals in his past four outings and is beginning to push forward more often, as he can rely on his teammates to get the job done in the middle. The $2.30 value is more than enough for us to jump on the classy Lion.

Same game multi: 3 legs @ $10

The Lions have won five matches consecutively and are starting to get back into their groove, so we are backing them to beat the reigning premiers. Jayden Short will provide great run for the Tigers off half-back, while we are taking a leap of faith on Dayne Zorko to kick straight this week.