In stark contrast to the last time Richmond played Fremantle, back in Round 11 this season at the MCG, conditions are expected to be excellent for Saturday’s Round 21 clash between the two teams at Perth’s Patersons Stadium.

The Tigers lost to Fremantle by 12 points in that mid-season encounter on a cold, wet Melbourne afternoon.

This time, however, a warm, sunny day is forecast for Perth on Saturday - and that suits Tiger coach Damien Hardwick and his charges just fine . . .

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“We probably didn’t play to the best of our ability that day, didn’t handle the conditions overly well, either,” Hardwick said.

“It was a tough, solid game and it could have gone either way.

“I think a lot of the KPI indicators were very similar, but they just got the better of us on the day . . .

“We’re looking forward to, hopefully, turning the tables this time.
“The conditions over at Perth are going to be nice and we play a good style of footy that, hopefully, suits those conditions . . .

“At the end of the day, the Dockers would like a contested game - we’ve got to make it as uncontested as we can.

“The ability to get the ball outside against them is important.  They play a very defensively-structured game and we’ve got to be at our best to try and get the game on our terms, which is easier said than done versus the Dockers.

They defend the ground very well and they’re a very good footy side.

“But it’s a ground that we think we can play well at.”