Richmond know better than anyone that Collingwood and Mason Cox at their best are up there with the AFL’s toughest propositions.

But with Magpies coach Nathan Buckley bemoaning a patchwork quilt of form and Cox struggling to impose himself on games, the Tigers have a massive opportunity in Friday night’s blockbuster at the MCG.

Billed as the game of the season, it should attract a crowd of around 80,000 despite the chance of rain.

Richmond are fifth and on a three-game winning streak, while Collingwood are fourth and struggling for consistency.

GWS jumped Collingwood in the first quarter last weekend, after the Magpies’ outstanding one-point away win the week before against West Coast.

Collingwood also have beaten Richmond convincingly in their last two clashes, with Cox famously dominating in the preliminary final last September and the Magpies picking the Tigers apart in round two.

“It’s not hard – we know Collingwood at their best,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.

“Sides go through the ups and downs of a season and in fairness to Collingwood (last week), it was one bad quarter.

“GWS are capable of doing that to any side.

“Regardless of the players they have in and out of the side, they have a really good system that holds up and we’ve been on the back end of that the last couple of times.”

Collingwood have made four changes, with Jamie Elliott, Josh Thomas, Josh Daicos and Matthew Scharenberg returning.

If Richmond swing no late change, it will be first time this season they have named the same line-up in successive weeks.

Tigers defender Bachar Houli will reach 200 games and Trent Cotchin is expected to play his 150th game as Richmond captain.

But that hinges on Cotchin’s wife Brooke, who is due to give birth to their third child at any time.