Richmond coach Damien Hardwick has forecast far greater offensive output from his side after the dour draw against Collingwood, but the Tigers will have to begin their attacking reboot without injured superstar Dustin Martin.
The Brownlow Medal winner will not play against Hawthorn at the MCG on Thursday night after he was unable to overcome bruised ribs.
Martin’s absence is not only a huge blow for the Tigers but also a rarity.
Since making his AFL debut in round one of the 2010 season, Martin has played 226 of the Tigers’ 233 matches and has never played fewer than 20 games in a season.
Speaking to reporters before dropping his selection bombshell, Hardwick said the reigning premiers had put a heavy emphasis on improving scoring avenues after managing only five goals against the Pies.
“I expect both Richmond and Collingwood to be a little bit better at going across the (forward 50m) arc this week,” Hardwick said.
“We had pretty much the same amount of inside-50s each as everyone else, we just couldn’t score because we’re going up against the two best defensive sides in the AFL.
“We did a fair bit of work on that this week, it would be fair to say, and hopefully we come across with a better result.
“More goals is always good.”
Liam Baker (family bereavement) is also out of the side, with Josh Caddy and Jack Ross included.
Richmond’s 5.6 (36) against Collingwood was their lowest total since 2016 but can be partly attributed to playing about 20 per cent less game time this season.
The Tigers coaching staff have been monitoring scoring trends as teams adapt to shorter quarters, though Hardwick noted there is only a small sample size available after two rounds of an interrupted season to date.
“Our game was incredibly short last week and the scoring will improve as the season goes on because you need to get that score on the board relatively early,” Hardwick said.
“But … what’s happened is that sides score generally more towards the back end of the quarters as compared to the front end.
“It’s something I think will change over the course of the season as we do evolve and look at it.”
Tom Lynch was named despite the key forward being placed on light duties at training on Wednesday.
