RICHMOND and Collingwood have named unchanged teams for Friday night's first preliminary final at the MCG with Tigers defender David Astbury to line up despite being hospitalised with a virus late in the week.
The traditional rivals will be contesting a final for the first time in 38 years, having not met in September since Richmond's then-record 81-point triumph in the 1980 Grand Final.
FOLLOW IT LIVE Tigers v Magpies
When the teams submitted their final teams 90 minutes before the opening bounce, the Tigers ended any remaining doubt over whether Dustin Martin would be sidelined by the corked thigh that had bleed into his knee, retaining the reigning Brownlow medallist in their selected 22.
Astbury was also named although he was the last Tiger to take to the field for the warm-up and looked lethargic and proppy as he went through his paces.
It is understood he was quarantined from his teammates on Thursday, with young defender Ryan Garthwaite kept on standby to replace him.
Assistant coach Blake Caracella told ABC Grandstand before the game the key backman was hydrated in hospital "only as a precaution" in the lead-up.
But, he is set to line up in the Tigers' unchanged 22.
The crowd is building at the MCG ahead of the game's 7.50pm start with the attendance expected to get close to 100,000.
If the crowd does reach six figures, it will be just the fifth time that has happened in a preliminary final.
Defending premier Richmond will be bidding for its fifth consecutive finals win and has won its past four clashes against Collingwood.
The Magpies are seeking to return to the Grand Final for the first time since their 2011 loss to Geelong.
Richmond v Collingwood at the MCG, 7.50pm AEST
NO LATE CHANGES
FINAL INTERCHANGES
Richmond: Jason Castagna, Bachar Houli, Reece Conca, Jack Graham
Collingwood: Adam Treloar, James Aish, Travis Varcoe, Brayden Sier
