RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace has underlined the importance of Saturday's blockbuster against Carlton, calling it a "line in the sand" clash.
The Tigers are using the game to celebrate their club centenary and will hold a gala function the night before.
They are also starting to generate some momentum with successive wins over Melbourne and Port Adelaide.
Carlton had been in strong mid-season form, but gave up its spot in the top eight with Sunday's loss to Essendon.
The two clubs will have their round-14 break after Saturday, and Wallace said the Tigers are determined to take a three-game winning streak into the spell.
"It's been a great build-up with the results of the last couple of weeks," Wallace said.
"We were under a lot of pressure a couple of weeks ago.
"Obviously it's a line in the sand with a week off.
"It would be great for our club to get to the break with three [wins] in a row."
Captain Kane Johnson, Daniel Jackson, Will Thursfield and Jake King could all be available for selection as they recover from their injuries.