RICHMOND needs to turn the tables on a side that coach Damien Hardwick admits "embarrassed" his Tigers only last month if it expects to secure a coveted top-four spot.

Hardwick's men are amid a ladder logjam, and could finish as high as third or as low as sixth if they again lose to St Kilda.

The Saints must back up their 67-point win over Richmond from round 16 at Etihad Stadium if they are to have any hope of returning to the finals for the first time since 2011.

Both teams will know the finals calculations when they set foot on the MCG on Sunday afternoon, with only the Adelaide-West Coast game to follow theirs in the last round.

But Hardwick said getting caught up in that would be counterproductive for his players in a game that could be the last stop for St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt.

"They had an outstanding game that night – they were brilliant," Hardwick said of the Saints.

"We tried a lot of things and we couldn't quite stem the flow at any stage. Sometimes that happens – perfect storm. They played very, very well and looked like they had 25 players on the field at various stages, and we just couldn't contain them.

"The lessons we learned from that game are incredibly valuable to us … they're going to come out all guns blazing for that slim finals chance they've got, but, more importantly, they're playing for a legend of not only their club but also the game."

The Saints smashed the Tigers in a first-half blitzkrieg last time, going to half-time with an 82-point buffer and dominating disposals (248-142), contested possession (84-55), inside 50s (43-14) and clearances (23-9) while restricting Brownlow Medal favourite Dustin Martin to just six first-half disposals.

Richmond responded wonderfully to the defeat, winning five of its next six matches.

"It was sort of a blessing in disguise in a way," Hardwick said.

"We don't want to get obliterated – that's obviously not the case – but (I'm) really pleased with the ability for our guys to understand the concepts we didn't nail that well, and it's held us in good stead from that game onwards."

The Tigers could enter the St Kilda clash unchanged, with Sam Lloyd – fresh from 50 disposals and four goals in the VFL last week – Connor Menadue and Anthony Miles the potential inclusions.

Shaun Hampson, Ben Griffiths and Reece Conca will again play in the VFL as they look to break into Richmond's senior side for the finals.

Josh Caddy, who ran laps at training on Friday, will return from a hamstring complaint for the Tigers' first final, while Nathan Drummond (knee) is the only other player on the injury list.

"We've probably managed it pretty well. We did have a bit of a wretched time through the middle of the year," Hardwick said.

"We didn't openly discuss our injury list, but we've got only a couple of guys on the outskirts at the moment, so it's always a good place to be. Things quickly change, though, in AFL footy."