Richmond preparing for a fired up Melbourne looking to bounce back in Anzac Day eve blockbuster at MCG

RICHMOND is preparing for a contested ball battle against a Melbourne team determined to bounce back after a heavy loss to Hawthorn last weekend but the Tigers have goals of their own, Dylan Grimes says, with top spot on the ladder up for grabs.

Dylan Grimes says the Tigers know the Demons will come out firing on Tuesday night.

RICHMOND is preparing for a contested ball battle against a fired up Melbourne on Tuesday night with top spot on the ladder in the Tigers’ sights.

The two teams will face off in front of an estimated crowd of 85,000 at the MCG for their now traditional Anzac Day eve clash, with the reigning premiers wary of a wounded Demons outfit.

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Melbourne is coming off a 67-point loss to Hawthorn but still ranks as the No.1 team in the competition for contested possessions and inside 50s.

Richmond defender Dylan Grimes said those stats indicated the midfield battle would be crucial and his side would have to be switched on from the first bounce.

“They’re going to come out absolutely firing and scrutiny or no scrutiny we know they’re going to be a hard-fought team,” Grimes said.

Dylan Grimes says the Tigers know the Demons will come out firing on Tuesday night.

“Their offence is certainly their weapon and also their contested ball. We know that if we’re not 100 per cent on defensively and team defensively, not just the back seven, we’re going to have a really challenging game trying to score from our back half which isn’t how we like to play.

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“The challenge for us is to bring the heat early and bring out brand which is the Richmond pressure and contested ball also and hopefully that holds up under their pressure also.”

Teams for the match will be named on Monday night but the Tigers will be forced to make at least one change with midfielder Jack Graham serving a one-match suspension.

Richmond recorded a come-from-behind win over Melbourne in last year’s Anzac Day eve clash. Picture: Getty

Sam Lloyd, Jack Higgins and Nathan Broad were all pulled out of the club’s VFL match on Sunday as potential replacements.

Richmond has firmed to an equal flag favourite at $7 with TAB on the back of a 3-1 start to the season and Grimes said while the side was pleased with how it was tracking there were more gears to go up.

“Even from last year we’re showing a lot of signs of improvement and we genuinely feel as players and as a team we’ve got a lot of improvement to go,” he said.

“We’re certainly not putting a ceiling on our season or any sort of expectations. We’ve got a lot that we’re working on at the moment and we’re hoping to do some of that this week for sure.”