Richmond will enter Sunday afternoon’s important clash against Melbourne with an unchanged starting line-up to the side that defeated Hawthorn last week.

Last week’s substitute debutant Matthew Coulthard has been named among the emergencies alongside Noah Cumberland, Samson Ryan, and Hugo Ralphsmith, with the Club to confirm Sunday’s substitute 60 minutes before the opening bounce.

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Speaking to the media on Thursday, Interim Head Coach Andrew McQualter said that the side was excited about the opportunity to play one of the competition’s benchmark teams.

“It is a big test… we feel like we are getting better, with still scope to grow, and are really excited about the opportunity to play a top-four team,” he said.

“Melbourne are really consistent with what they do, so we know it is going to be a tough game, and we are up for the fight.”

The Demons rank #1 in the AFL for contested possessions pre- and post-clearance, making the midfield battle vital to this weekend’s result.

Richmond has named in-form trio Tim Taranto, Dion Prestia, and Shai Bolton as its starting on-ball brigade, with ruck Ivan Soldo set for his biggest test of the season against the experienced Max Gawn.

Jayden Short had initially been named to rejoin the squad of 26 after missing the past three matches with a hamstring injury before he was withdrawn today.

The Club will take a cautious approach toward the long-kicking defender's return, given there are just five days between Sunday’s match and next Friday night’s game against the Western Bulldogs.

Richmond General Manager- Football Performance, Tim Livingstone, said the no-risk approach would set Short up for the back end of the year.

“Jayden is such an important player for us, so we have decided not to take any risks with his return to play,” he explained.

“We want to ensure he has the best chance of playing not just this week but every week for the rest of the season. He has attacked his rehab brilliantly well and trained to a high standard, which is exciting.”

Sunday’s clash against Melbourne commences at 3.20 pm at the MCG, a fixture that McQualter hopes the Tiger Army can attend.

“We spoke about the crowd in the last quarter of the Hawthorn game,” he said.

“Our players spoke about how loud the Tiger Army was, so if we can get as many of them there on Sunday, they make a huge difference to the way we play.”

The Round 20 match will be an opportunity to celebrate the Tiger Army reaching an incredible 100,000 members for the sixth year in a row.

Sunday's game will also be broadcast live on Channel 7, FOX FOOTY and Kayo Sports.

Round 20, Richmond v Melbourne, Sunday, July 30, 3.20pm AEST, MCG (Swipe across on mobile)

In:
Out: Matthew Coulthard (sub)