SECOND time’s a charm.

Carlton gets another chance to take on Richmond at the traditional home of football this Sunday.

The Tigers got the best of the Blues last time these two sides met in the 2019 season opener, but it will be a far more confident Blues outfit that runs out in Round 21 action.

Details: MCG, Sunday 11 August, 3:20pm (AEST)
Broadcast: Click here for the broadcast guide and here for all game day info.

THE GAME IN FOCUS:

The Blues will have their work cut out for them when they take on the fourth-placed Tigers on the MCG.

Richmond heads into the clash having won their last six matches, hitting red-hot form as the home-and-away season draws to a close and the battle for top-four heats up.

Despite the differential in ladder position, Carlton paints a challenging prospect for Richmond, having impressed with five wins in its last eight matches.

Carlton will be hoping to return to its winning ways, and what better way to do it than to take down the heavily favoured Tigers on their own turf?

LAST TIME WE MET:

Bluebaggers need not cast their minds too far back for the last time we faced Richmond, with the traditional Round 1 clash once again kicking off Carlton’s 2019 campaign. 

The Tigers started strong in the season opener, kicking away to a 40-point lead early in the second quarter in what looked to be a comprehensive takedown of the Blues.

It took skipper Patrick Cripps (32 disposals)  and debutant Sam Walsh (24 disposals) to spark the Blues, with their efforts kicking off a fightback which saw the Blues draw within two goals in the third term.

However, the Tigers ran out the game to finish 33 points the better side to start their 2019 campaign on the front foot.

BLUE FOCUS:

Blues supporters will be eager to see what Mitch McGovern can produce at full fitness in his return to the senior line-up this Sunday.

Spending a month on the sidelines completing a conditioning block, the Blues’ big man gets the chance to prove himself in Navy Blue over the remaining rounds.

McGovern joins Levi Casboult and Harry McKay up forward, adding another tall option in the air to either mark or bring the ball to ground.

GET EXCITED ABOUT:

The Blues will face one of the competition’s premier forward lines on Sunday, but supporters will breathe a sigh of relief when they see defensive duo Dale Thomas and Liam Jones run out on the turf of the MCG.

Thomas and Jones will add a wealth of experience to the Blues’ backline for what is one of the competition’s toughest defensive asks in 2019.

The duo joins Jacob Weitering, Lachie Plowman, Nic Newman and Kade Simpson in what has been a tight defensive unit throughout the 2019 campaign.

BLUE VIEW:

Every week the Blues’ belief is growing, so why can’t they take down the top-four Tigers?

There is something brewing at Carlton, with its growth in form coming with a growth in confidence that will become very hard to beat in years to come.