The changes
Richmond has already ruled vice-captain Brett Deledio out of Sunday’s clash with Hawthorn at the MCG after he sat out the second half of last week’s win over Essendon.

The Tigers’ VFL side had a bye last weekend which will make selecting Deledio’s replacement that little bit more difficult.

There are a number of players who would be putting their hand up though, with Kane Lambert, Reece Conca and Adam Marcon the most likely to be considered.

What to expect
Although they had their struggles earlier in the year when they won just one of their first seven games, the Tigers have responded well to win six of their next nine.

The focus appears to be developing some of the club’s younger players in an effort to increase Richmond’s depth and decrease the reliance they sometimes have on their star players.

Dustin Martin is having a terrific season averaging 30.2 disposals per game and has come into Brownlow Medal contention after some eye catching performances in recent weeks.

Interestingly, nearly every time he has had less than 30 disposals in a game this season the Tigers have lost (the exception being Round 8 vs Sydney Swans), so the Hawks will want to put some work into curtailing his influence on the game.

Ben Griffiths has also showed some promising signs this season as Richmond continue to search for their best mix of players up forward.

The key tall took 12 marks and kicked three goals against Essendon last week while Jack Riewoldt went goalless, a sign that perhaps the Tigers learning how to cope if their best players don’t fire.

Players to watch
Jack Riewoldt will be very keen to bounce back after not scoring a major against the 16th placed Bombers last week and will have his mind set on returning to form against the Hawks, who he’s kicked 19 goals in 14 outings against.

Captain Trent Cotchin has also been exceptional in recent weeks and is averaging 28.7 disposals per game since returning from a fractured cheekbone he suffered against Port Adelaide in Round 6.