AFL 2020: Tigers will look to depth to manage the compressed fixture

Tight turnarounds with four games in 20 days means Richmond could have players miss matches through management, including captain Trent Cotchin.

Dustin Martin holds aloft the premiership trophy as his Richmond teammates celebrate. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin will be back for next Wednesday’s clash against the Western Bulldogs.

But coach Damien Hardwick knows the skipper’s injury history means he’ll need to be managed through the compressed fixture block.

Cotchin didn’t recover from his hamstring issue sufficiently to play in Friday’s Grand Final rematch with GWS, and Hardwick said conversations with medical staff would be taking up more of his time as the Tigers prepare to play four games in 20 days from next week’s game.

Hardwick was looking at the positives of the rapid-fire fixtures but knows managing his squad to get the best results will be extra important.

“It’s something we haven’t really seen before but it’s an exciting opportunity for us,” Hardwick said on Thursday.

“There certainly will be a lot of conversations about who is fit and ready to go, but we won’t go in with a fixed plan. We’ll be very agile with our thinking, see how players feel.

“Our players are really enjoying the experience up here. And the players just love playing games. If you gave them the choice out of training or playing, they’ll take playing every day of the week.”

Hardwick said the tight turnarounds could be a “hurdle” which limits how many games two-time premiership skipper Cotchin plays over the next four rounds.

“We probably will have a plan with Trent about the games he does play. Obviously with his injury history we’ve got to be very careful and manage that,” he said.

“He’s had a great training block, his speed is incredible at the moment and he’s back above what he was playing at before.

“But obviously the condensed fixture will provide a little bit of a hurdle with regards to which games he will play.”

With management on the mind, Hardwick reeled off a long list of players who could find themselves in the Richmond line-up as games start to back up.

“Riley Collier-Dawkins isn’t too far away, Thomson Dow we are really excited about, a kid like Jack Ross we are dying to get in the side as well,” Hardwick said.

“What this condensed season does, it’s going to give us opportunities to get those players in the side and see what they have got.”

Distraught Giants Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio after last year’s Grand Final smashing. Picture: Ryan Pierse/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Richmond enter the Grand Final rematch on a three-game winning streak. The GIants have lost four of seven games this season and are under the pump.

But Hardwick dismissed any notion the Tigers had a mental edge over GWS despite last year’s 89-point mauling in the premiership decider.

“That game‘s done and dusted,” he said.

“We realise we’re playing a reasonable brand of football. We’re not quite at our best but I don’t think we’re far off it. Our system is something we’re very, very confident in.”