RICHMOND will recall ruckman Toby Nankervis for the Tigers' battle with Eagles star Nic Naitanui in Thursday night's hotly-anticipated clash at Metricon Stadium.
The Tigers will also blood a debutant with their first pick from last year's NAB AFL Draft, Thomson Dow, to don the yellow and black for his first game.
Nankervis has had an injury-hit season, but has recovered from the syndesmosis ankle injury that has sidelined him since round five and will take on the in-form Eagles.
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"He'll come back into the side. We love what 'Nank' brings to the side, he's a little bit smaller in stature for a ruckman but he makes up for it in all heart and his intensity," coach Damien Hardwick said.
"We've been looking forward to welcoming him back at some stage and this is the week. It's a big test to come up against a quality midfield contingent with West Coast, but we'll be ready for them."
That midfield will include Dow, the younger brother of Carlton's Paddy, who was pick No.21 at last year's draft.
Hardwick expected the speedy midfielder with good smarts to make an impact right away.
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"He's going to get a fair initiation [against] one of the form sides of the competition … but we think he'll learn on the run and we think he's going to be a really good player for us over a long period of time," Hardwick said.
Sydney Stack will miss the clash with the Eagles, who have won their past eight games, due to a hip injury.
Meanwhile Hardwick was satisfied that Richmond pair Nick Vlastuin and Dylan Grimes were both cleared by the AFL Tribunal of their staging offences this week.
"We're just pleased with the process we went through. Those guys are very proud men and these things happen in football all the time," he said.
"I'm not going to sit there and say I didn't do it - I certainly staged at various stages as well, and it's something that prevalent in AFL footy.
"We're happy with the process we went through to get those boys cleared."
