RICHMOND vice-captain Brett Deledio will return for Saturday night's do-or-die clash against Port Adelaide as the Tigers fight to keep their finals chances alive.
Reeling at 1-4 and with tough matches looming against Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans, the Tigers have declared they expect Deledio to play his first match for the season.
Key forward Jack Riewoldt is racing the clock to be fit, however, after suffering an ankle sprain in Sunday night's clash against Melbourne that has left him a "50-50" proposition this week.
Deledio has been sidelined with a persistent quad injury and, having lost 12 of the past 15 games he has missed, the Tigers would be desperate for him to return.
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"Brett is available for selection this week," football manager Dan Richardson told AFL.com.au.
"We didn't want to take the risk with him last week, but he'll train fully this week and we expect to see him play his first game of the season this weekend."
Deledio was named for the Tigers' Anzac Day eve clash against Melbourne last Sunday but was withdrawn 90 minutes before the match, which Richmond lost by 33 points.
Riewoldt, who leads the Tigers with 13 goals this season, went down with an ankle injury late in the match and could be missing when the club's season goes on the line on Saturday night.
"His ankle is still quite swollen, so he's 50-50 at the moment and we'll make a call on him later in the week," Richardson said.
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Riewoldt, who has been icing his ankle around the clock since Sunday night, said he was giving himself "every chance to play".
He pleaded with supporters to stick with the club ahead of Saturday night's clash.
"We're trying our hardest, we don't go out on the weekend and not try our hardest … and we are Richmond and we need to rally," Riewoldt told Fox Footy.
"We stick strong inside our four walls and we'd like to think our fans would back us in and believe in us like we believe in ourselves."
Ruckman Shaun Hampson has recovered from a corked quad and is available for selection.
