There's no shying away from it, the task confronting Hawthorn on Thursday night is one of the toughest assignments in football at the moment.

Taking on Richmond at the MCG, a venue which has become a fortress for Damien Hardwick's side throughout its current dynasty.

But what makes the Tigers so great? What has helped them win two of the last three premierships? What are their key strengths?

Jaeger is back as the Hawks set their sights on atonement

The Tigers are tenacious, that is their brand.

They chase, harass and run, both with the ball and without it.

They have recorded more tackles than their opponents in 19 of their last 27 outings, despite losing just six of these games.

Their running power is also overwhelming, winning the running bounces count in all bar four of these matches.  

This pressure helps them kick winning scores - they've lost just 18 of their past 76 games.

But there is a chink in their armour that might take you by surprise.

Richmond won the clearance count just five times across 25 games in the 2019 premiership year.

And, with Dustin Martin out of the Round 3 clash, that presents a further opportunity for the Hawks to hone in on this area.

Martin is the Tigers' number one inside 50 deliverer, and ranked in the top two for clearances, contested possessions and goals for the club in 2019.

Meanwhile, the Hawks will regain Jaeger O'Meara to its midfield stocks, a man that himself ranked in his side's top two for disposals, clearances, tackles and contested possessions last year.

The midfield battle is always an important factor in football games but it seems it will be a deciding factor on Thursday night.