RICHMOND is likely to make only one change for the Grand Final against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, and that will be to find a replacement for injured midfielder Jack Graham.
Tigers defender Nathan Broad had been in doubt after suffering concussion in the preliminary final victory over Geelong but assistant coach Justin Leppitsch declared Broad would be fit to combat the Giants' dangerous attack.
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"Broady's fine. He's passed all his tests and he's right to go," the Tigers backline coach told reporters before a closed session at Punt Road Oval on Thursday morning.
Asked whether the Tigers would make just one change, Leppitsch said: "It looks like it at this stage, yes – one change."
Graham is expected to be replaced by either like-for-like teenager Jack Ross (who hasn't played at AFL level since round 22), versatile 2017 premiership player Kamdyn McIntosh (round 17), mid-season recruit and would-be debutant Marlion Pickett and possibly even first-year sensation Sydney Stack.
Leppitsch said Tigers selectors faced an agonising choice.
"Every player we bring in we think has got a great role to fill – Kamdyn's a great, experienced player, Jack Ross is a great, hard, inside mid that's a good, ready-made replacement for Jack Graham; Marlion adds a bit more X-factor," he said.
"We've got a feeling that three or four of them are probably of the same level at the starting gate – that's what's made this decision so tough. We're still talking about it now."
Leppitsch spoke glowingly of Pickett, a noted big-occasion performer at state league level who was best-afield in Richmond's VFL premiership on Sunday.
A debut for the 27-year-old West Australian would make him just the sixth player in League history to be blooded in a Grand Final, and the first in 67 years.
"If it was round 17 it (wouldn't) be as big an issue," Leppitsch said.
"Given all the circumstances I think most of us would crumble … but our recruiters are of the opinion he's done things like this a lot through his football career.
"He's had a history in his life that has been troubled that he's been able to overcome to get to AFL, so this is probably nothing compared to most of that."
The decision to leave out the courageous Graham had been an emotional one for player and club.
However, it's just another challenge for the Tigers in a season in which they have endured injuries to key players.
"One thing about our group which we're all pretty confident in is the fact we're facing a fair (amount of) adversity this year within games and within the season," Leppitsch said.
"(The Grand Final is) going to bring up adversity for us. We know it's going to happen, whether it's at the start of the game, the second quarter, wherever – it's just how we respond to that, and we've done it well this year as a club and as a playing group.
"When that moment happens that's going to be the key for us."
Leppitsch was a key member of Brisbane's triple premiership teams of 2001-02-03 but he said the Tigers were also unique.
"This group's completely different to the one I played with. The (Lions) group are probably a little bit more an in-your-face type of team and I think the Richmond group now are probably a more classy and family-type team," he chuckled.
"One thing this group has more than any other team I've (seen) is resilience.
"The one I played with is probably more of a tougher, bash-up group; this (team) you're just going to have to be there until the end to beat the Tigers, and I think everyone knows that."
