Richmond will make its second trip to Perth this season to battle the West Coast Eagles on Saturday.
As the Tigers search for their first win of the season, here are some burning questions which could determine the result of the game.
Which young guns will take control?
There will be no shortage of exciting young talent running around Optus Stadium for both teams on Saturday.
After their first game together last week, 2025 draftees Sam Cumming and Sam Grlj will be full of energy. Grlj won the AFL Rising Star for his 21-disposal performance in Round 7, while Cumming impressed in his debut with 13 disposals, five inside-50s and a goal.
Patrick Retschko, Kane McAuliffe and Tom Brown will be heading into Perth full of confidence after impressive efforts last week, while the likes of Seth Campbell, Steely Green, Tom Burton, Oliver Hayes-Brown, Campbell Gray, Tyler Sonsie, James Trezise, and others, will all be looking to make a big impact.
On the other side of the park, the Eagles possess plenty of eye-catching youngsters, including two of the past three number one draft picks, Harley Reid and Willem Duursma, Josh Lindsay, Cooper Duff-Tytler, and plenty more.
“Two young teams, two highly talented teams going at it, and we can’t wait to get out there, perform, and show what we’ve got,” coach Adem Yze said.
“[West Coast] has been really impressive in a couple of their wins and competitive performances.”
Who wins the contest and clearance battle?
Richmond legend Matthew Richardson has put the emphasis on contested possessions for Saturday’s game, believing it will be one of the key indicators of success.
“If [Richmond] can be even, or just in front of contested possessions in Perth, [Richmond's] going to be right in the game for the whole game,” Richardson said on Talking Tigers.
Not only will winning the contested possession battle be important, but capitalising on the advantage will be just as vital. In last week’s loss to Melbourne, Richmond kicked seven goals straight from stoppage, which was the fourth best rate in the AFL in Round 7.
If the Tigers can replicate that damage from contest and clearance at Optus Stadium, it could go a long way in determining the result.
Can Richmond play a forward-half game?
Speaking on SEN on Friday morning, Tigers key defender Ben Miller highlighted the key to victory being Richmond controlling field position and getting rewards on the scoreboard.
“We’re big on time in half, that’s what we want, and we’re big on pressure as well,” Miller said.
“If we can bring our pressure in the contest and hopefully play a bit more of a front half game, hopefully we can put a bit more pressure on the West Coast backs and get a few more scores on the board.”
The Tigers have shown the ability to generate repeat inside-50s and scoring opportunities at times throughout the season, and doing so on Saturday will be crucial.
