RICHMOND will name Jack Riewoldt for Saturday night's crunch game against Port Adelaide, with coach Damien Hardwick confident the star forward will be will be cleared of an ankle injury.
Riewoldt suffered an ankle sprain late in last Sunday night's loss to Melbourne and has been racing the clock to face the Power when the Tigers' season goes on the line.
The 27-year-old took part in Thursday's light training session and completed goal kicking work, but a decision will likely be made later in the week.
"Jack's very diligent in his recovery and he's been at the club up and down icing and all those things that are required from a professional athlete," Hardwick said.
"Jack's given himself every chance to play. We do a limited amount today.
"I'm very confident he'll play."
The Tigers will regain vice-captain Brett Deledio for his first game this season having overcome a quad injury after the club declared he was available earlier this week.
Tall forward Ben Griffiths could return, with Hardwick looking for a "taller, athletic key position player" to come in after All Australian defender Alex Rance was suspended for two matches.
Small defender Nick Vlastuin is not available because of a knee injury and ran laps at Thursday's session along with tall forward Liam McBean, whose right calf was heavily strapped.
Third-year prospect Ben Lennon, who has been in and out of the team this season, trained with the forwards and did not appear troubled by a head knock he suffered in the VFL at the weekend.
Hardwick praised Rance for the way he handled the furore surrounding his suspension for striking Jack Watts in the back of the head but said the team had to move on quickly.
With Port Adelaide similarly reeling and under pressure at 2-3, the coach expected a desperate contest at the MCG.
"I'd be disappointed – and Ken (Hinkley) would be the same – if we didn't get that," Hardwick said.
"It is a very important game this week, make no doubt about that, and Port Adelaide would be saying the same thing.
"You can't keep giving sides a three or four-game head start and expecting to reel them back in towards the end."
Rather than 'putting the acid' on his team after its disappointing start to the season, Hardwick said he had tried to reinforce "the things we know work".
He dismissed criticism of the club's list management strategy, which has included aggressive mature-age recruiting in both the NAB AFL Draft and Rookie Draft.
"It does get questioned this time of year when you're not performing well," he said.
"As I said earlier this year, I think our squad is in a good place … we'll get some players back over the next two to three weeks and we'll start to see some better football.
"But I've got a group of 22 players who are going to represent our club this week who I expect a high level of performance from."
