WEST Coast coach Adam Simpson has urged the Eagles crowd to get stuck into Richmond forward Ty Vickery on Friday night in the tall Tiger’s first visit to Domain Stadium since knocking Dean Cox unconscious in 2014.

Vickery was suspended for four weeks after striking Cox with a roundhouse right at a boundary throw-in in Richmond's 17-point win over the Eagles in round 18, 2014.

Cox has subsequently retired and is now an assistant coach with the Eagles.

Simpson said he would have no issue if the crowd gave Vickery a vocal reception.

"Why not? Get into him," Simpson said on Thursday. 

"(Dean's) nose is still a little bit out of whack, so I'm sure he thinks about it most days."

Richmond is under some pressure after consecutive losses to Collingwood and Adelaide, but Simpson said the Tigers are playing better than their results suggest.

Match preview: West Coast v Richmond

"They're doing a lot of things right," Simpson said.

"They took 15 marks inside 50 (last week).

"They're getting good supply so there's a lot to like there, which I'm sure they'll use as good evidence that they're not far away.

"We're preparing for the Tigers at their best. They play this ground well and I'm sure they're not afraid about coming over here."

Richmond has won its last three matches at Domain Stadium, but will be without experienced ruckman Ivan Maric for another week.

The Eagles' ruck combination of Nic Naitanui and Scott Lycett took control of the Western Derby last week following the serious injury to Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands early in the second term.

However, Simpson said his ruckmen would not have it all their own way again against the Tigers, despite Maric's absence.

The Eagles have had some injury concerns of their own this week following a bruising derby.

A number of players pulled up sore this week and Simpson said there were some question marks on a few players coming off a second consecutive six-day break.

Simpson said Eric Mackenzie (toe) and Jamie Cripps (thigh) both trained yesterday and looked likely to play, but he said he would finalise the team on Friday.

Dean Cox was an Eagles favourite, and West Coast fans took his felling badly. Picture: AFL Media