RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has urged Tigers supporters to respect Tom Stewart, saying the Tigers hold no grudges against the champion Geelong defender.

Geelong and Richmond face-off on Friday night for the first time since Stewart was banned for a month after knocking out Tigers midfielder Dion Prestia with a high bump in round 15 last year.

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Stewart in hot water after Prestia KO'd in this incident

Tom Stewart will face a nervous wait after a high bump knocks out Dion Prestia

Published on Jun 25, 2022

Stewart said this week he was expecting "a lot of noise" when the Cats and Tigers meet at the MCG.

But Prestia, who will play his 200th AFL game, said in an interview on Wednesday he would prefer if the Tigers supporters didn't boo Stewart.

Fan behaviour has been thrust into the spotlight this week after Lance Franklin was jeered by Collingwood supporters every time he touched the ball last Sunday, leading to the Magpies, Swans and AFL issuing statements of support for the Sydney legend.

Hardwick said Richmond would not be using last year's incident between Stewart and Prestia as motivation for the match.

"Fans are fans, 80 per cent of the people would cheer and be excited," he said at Punt Rd on Thursday.

"Tom Stewart is an incredible player, so all I'll say is give him the respect he deserves.

"From our point of view what happened in the past is in the past and we move on.

"We're happy to just hopefully give them a fierce contest and hopefully walk away with a win.

"The game is combative in nature, we understand that accidents will happen like it did last year. But we don't hold any grudges, we just get on with it and play the game."

Prestia also urged Richmond fans to not boo Stewart, but added he thought the month-long ban the Cat received was light.

"I know that’s not in his demeanour at all [but] honestly, I thought he should have got more," he said.

Dion Prestia is helped from the ground during Richmond's clash with Geelong in round 15, 2022. Picture: Getty Images

"I look at different incidents that happen throughout the season and think he should have got more, but it is what it is.

"I appreciate he [Stewart] reached out to me and Joel Selwood as well reached out at the time. I know it was something he definitely didn't go out and try to do during the game, it was a brain fade.

"(There is) no grudge at all. I think you go into the game with so many other things going through your head and what you need to do. It's not something that I'm going to worry about."