Having fallen well short of a Hawthorn side on the rebound last week, and with just two wins from the opening six rounds, Richmond now confronts the highly-fancied Geelong outfit, which is coming off its first loss of the season (to Port Adelaide).

Throw in the fact the Tigers have lost their past nine games against Geelong, and the formidable nature of the challenge facing them at the MCG on Sunday is crystal clear.

Richmond, however, has received a significant boost, through the return from injury of its best running player, Brett Deledio, and its best key defender, Alex Rance.

The Tigers have also recalled Ty Vickery and Aaron Edwards, in a bid to bolster their strike-power up forward, which has been a major problem area for them so far this season.

Geelong’s line-up has been strengthened, too, with dynamic, goalkicking midfielder Steven Motlop coming in for his first game of the season, after being sidelined with a knee injury.

While the Cats go into the Round 7 clash as red-hot favorites, it’s been a big week of soul-searching at Tigerland, so the Yellow and Black faithful can rightfully expect to see a vastly-improved showing from their team.


Where:  MCG
When:  Sunday, May 4, 3.20pm (EST)
TV coverage:  Channel 7 (live from 3pm); Fox Sports (live from 3pm)
Radio coverage:  3AW, Triple M, AFL Live, K-Rock

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The Richmond team
B:  Chaplin, Astbury, Rance
HB:  Houli, Newman, Morris
C:  Grigg, Jackson, Conca
HF:  Martin, A. Edwards, Deledio
F:  S. Edwards, Riewoldt, Vickery
R:  Hampson, Ellis, Cotchin
IC:  McDonough, Vlastuin, Gordon, Lloyd

Em:  Petterd, Stephenson, Thomas
In:  Deledio, Rance, A. Edwards, Vickery
Out:  Grimes, Griffiths, Arnot, Petterd (all omitted)
Milestones:  Steven Morris, 50^th game


The Geelong team
B:  Rivers, Lonergan, Guthrie
HB:  Enright, Taylor, Sheringham
C:  Horlin-Smith, Selwood, Bartel
HF:  Stokes, Blicavs, Murdoch
F:  Duncan, Hawkins, Varcoe
R:  McIntosh, Hunt, Kelly
IC:  Burbury, Johnson, Simpson, Motlop

Em:  Schroder, Bews, Walker
In:  Simpson, Motlop
Out:  Thurlow (inj – back), Walker


See the full team list and how Hawthorn will line-up, presented by Sportsbet.com.au


Richmond v Geelong recent history
Round 3, 2013 at the MCG
Richmond            4.1          8.4          11.7        13.9  (87)
Geelong               3.3          9.3          15.7        20.11  (131)
Goals – Richmond:  King 4, Riewoldt 3, Martin 2, Ellis, Grigg, Knights, McGuane.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  S. Edwards 30, Grigg 25, Knights 24, Martin 22, Deledio 20, King 20, Vlastuin 20.
Goals – Geelong:  Christensen 3, Bartel 2, Duncan 2, Hawkins 2, Johnson 2, Smedts 2, Stokes 2, Blicavs, Enright, Murdoch, Selwood, West.
Leading possession-getters – Geelong:  Johnson 31, Christensen 28, Enright 28, Stokes 28, Bartel 27, Duncan 27, Corey 23, Selwood 23, Kelly 21.

Round 4, 2012 at Simonds Stadium
Richmond            3.1          3.6          7.10        9.11  (65)
Geelong               4.1          7.3          10.4        11.9  (75)
Goals – Richmond:  Nahas 2, Foley, Grigg, Jackson, I, Maric, Riewoldt, Vickery, White.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Deledio 31, Grigg 28, Tuck 27, Cotchin 24, Foley 24, Martin 23, Newman 23, Houli 22, Conca 21.
Goals – Geelong:  Chapman 2, Stokes 2, Christensen, Duncan, Hawkins, Hunt, Motlop, Podsiadly, Selwood.
Leading possession-getters – Geelong:  Taylor 29, Selwood 27, Enright 25, Christensen 23, Bartel 22, Johnson 21, Motlop 20.

Round 18, 2011 at Etihad Stadium
Richmond            1.2          1.4          5.5          7.9  (51)
Geelong               4.2          11.5        16.9        17.11  (113)
Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 3, Nahas 2, Foley, Vickery.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Cotchin 38, Deledio 34, Tuck 32, Foley 27, Jackson 24, Nahas 23, Martin 21, Houli 20.
Goals – Geelong:  Hawkins 3, Varcoe 3, Byrnes 2, Christensen 2, Stokes 2, West 2, Bartel, Corey, Duncan.
Leading possession-getters – Geelong:  Kelly 32, Corey 28, Scarlett 27, Selwood 27, Christensen 26, Duncan 26, Bartel 25, Mackie 22, Stokes 22.

Round 6, 2010 at Simonds Stadium
Richmond            0.2          2.5          4.9          7.11 (53)
Geelong               7.2          13.7        19.10     24.17 (161)
Goals – Richmond:  Riewoldt 3, Nason 2, Farmer, Nahas.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Tuck 38, Deledio 34, Newman 28, Cousins 26, Collins 19.
Goals – Geelong:  Johnson 5, Mooney 5, Podsiadly 5, Byrnes 3, Chapman 2, Duncan 2, Hawkins, Varcoe.
Leading possession-getters – Geelong:   Selwood 37, Chapman 33, Kelly 29, Enright 28, Johnson 26, Bartel 25, Mackie 25, Varcoe 24, Hogan 22, Milburn 22, Byrnes 21, Wojcinski 21.

Round 2, 2009 at Simonds Stadium
Richmond            1.1          4.2          12.6        13.7 (85)
Geelong               5.3          8.9          11.11     15.15 (105)
Goals – Richmond:  Brown 2, Morton 2, Richardson 2, Bowden, Deledio, Edwards, Foley, Hislop, Riewoldt, Schulz.
Leading possession-getters – Richmond:  Deledio 30, Brown 29, Richardson 28, Jackson 25, Newman 25, Tuck 24, Foley 20.
Goals – Geelong:  Johnson 4, Chapman 2, Hawkins 2, Ablett, Corey, Enright, Gamble, Mooney, Rooke, Varcoe.
Leading possession-getters – Geelong:  Ablett 29, Milburn 28, Bartel 25, Corey 25, Johnson 24, Selwood 22, Ling 21, Enright 20, Mackie 20.


Richmond v Geelong head-to-head

• Richmond and Geelong have played 187 times with the Tigers winning 85, drawing three and losing 99.
• Richmond last defeated Geelong in Round 9, 2006 at Simonds Stadium – 17.8 (110) to 12.18 (90).
• Richmond has lost 16 of its past 17 games against Geelong, including the last nine in-a-row.
• Richmond and Geelong have met in nine league finals all-up, with the Tigers winning seven and losing two.
• Richmond and Geelong have met in two league Grand Finals, with the Tigers winning one (1967) and losing one (1931).
• Richmond’s best winning sequence against Geelong is 10, from 1939-47.
• Richmond’s longest losing sequence against Geelong is 10, from 1990-96.
• Richmond’s highest score against Geelong is 25.23 (173), in Round 7, 1944 at Punt Road.
• Richmond’s lowest score against Geelong is 4.5 (29), in Round 5, 1910 at Corio Oval.
• Richmond’s greatest winning margin against Geelong is 118 points, in the 1969 first semi-final at the MCG.
• Richmond’s greatest losing margin against Geelong is 157 points, in Round 6, 2007 at Telstra Dome.
• The most goals kicked by a Richmond player in a match against Geelong is eight by Kevin Bartlett in the 1980 second semi-final at Waverley Park, and eight by Michael Roach, in Round 10, 1986 at Kardinia Park.
• Richmond’s biggest-ever crowd against Geelong is 109,396 in the 1967 Grand Final at the MCG. 
  

Fast Fact:  Richmond’s last victory over Geelong at the MCG was 15 years ago – Round 12, 1999.