Richmond coach Adem Yze is refusing to buy into the narrative that his side can't compete against the fourth-placed Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.
The Tigers haven't won a game at Geelong's home ground since 2006, but it's a stat that doesn't concern Yze or his young Tiger brigade.
"We've got a young side that will go there with a lot of spirit and energy and with nothing to lose," Yze said on Friday.
"We'll go down there with a plan and on a mission to create a big upset. Nothing will change, we'll go down there and try to play our way and make sure our Tiger Army are proud of our effort.
"They're a quality team, they're in the top group of the ladder for a reason, but there have been teams that have gone down there and tested them. We've looked at all the ways we can, hopefully we can go and implement it."
The energy and belief in his young group extends past the Round 17 clash, with hopes of ruffling some feathers before the season comes to an end.
"The next part of the season, we're going to be coming up against teams who are looking forward and looking to finals ... and we've got an opportunity to really go and play our way, test them and flip the narrative," Yze said.
"No one gave us a chance against Carlton in Round 1, that's going to be the narrative all season. The risk with doing that is you start thinking of the result, rather than the process. The last couple of weeks, we have drifted away from our process."
In exciting and timely news for Richmond, Sam Lalor returns from his hamstring setback, with expectations that he can impact Richmond's forward half pressure and scoring avenues.
"Last week, we took a really cautious approach with Sammy. We took the opportunity to train him," Yze said.
"Having his magnet to fill in for Lynchy (Tom Lynch), is like an old head going in on a young body. We've been struggling to score, so he'll help with that."
Meanwhile, defender Josh Gibcus will make his highly anticipated return from his ACL injury, taking to the field for the first time in over a year via the VFL.
The 22-year-old will take part in Sunday's VFL clash against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium, with Yze keen to see the youngster competing again.
"He's been chomping at the bit for the last few weeks and he's finally got that opportunity," he said.
"A big smile came on my face when you said his name. I can't wait."
Additionally, Taj Hotton will play a full game against the Cats in the VFL, marking his third match since returning from an ACL injury.
"This week, we'll unleash him and just let him go. He gets to play as much game time as he can. Then it's around recovery and how he pulls up," Yze said.
"We've got to make sure when he comes in that we want him to stay in."
Richmond takes on Geelong at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday at 4.15pm.
