Reigning premiers Richmond will attack an unprecedented block of rapid AFL games with an open mind and few plans, although captain Trent Cotchin will be one notable exception.
The Tigers’ grand-final rematch against GWS on Friday night will be the first of four matches they play in 16 consecutive days.
Coach Damien Hardwick suggested his club will “learn on the go” during coming weeks, making calls on players’ availability before every clash rather than trying to draw up a master plan in terms of how to best manage.
However, that mantra won’t apply to Cotchin.
Cotchin, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury since the Tigers shifted into a Queensland hub, will sit out the clash at Giants Stadium before returning against Western Bulldogs.
“He’ll play next Wednesday,” Hardwick said.
“He’s the one guy we did manage a bit.
“He was very close this week and we thought we’d take the extra bit of time to get him right.
“We’ll probably have a rigid plan with Trent around the games that he does play. With his history of injuries, we’ve got to be very careful to manage that.”
It is unclear how many games the dual premiership captain might be rested from, but Hardwick admitted the condensed fixture will be “a bit of hurdle”.
“He’s had a great training block. His speed is incredible, he’s back above what he was (before suffering the injury),” he said.
“We’re really excited when he does get back that he’ll be available for the vast majority of games”.
Hardwick added that key defender David Astbury is “very unlikely” to return against the Bulldogs next week, having suffered a setback in his recovery from knee surgery.
“We won’t push the envelope on that one. We’ll give him time to heal,” he said.
The Tigers face GWS, the Bulldogs, second-placed Brisbane and ladder-leading Port Adelaide during a potentially season-defining stretch.
“We’re evolving (plans) as we speak. We haven’t done this before,” Hardwick said.
“What I am sure is that the first week will look different to the second week, and the third week … we’ll see what works.”
