AAP
Richmond fear no one, even if it's a desperate Adelaide being urged to fight to the death.
Buoyed by the outstanding round-10 away win over West Coast, Tigers coach Damien Hardwick says his team can handle whatever Adelaide throw at them in Saturday's crucial AFL match at the MCG.
"Realistically, it's up to your playing group," Hardwick said before Thursday's training.
"As a coaching group, we can sit there and we think we have all the answers, but the players control the destiny of the football club.
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"They play a controlled brand of footy that offensively can get us up and going.
"We don't think we fear anyone in the competition."
But Hardwick has warned the Tigers of a much different Adelaide to the rabble that surrendered so meekly to Sydney last weekend.
Crows coach Brenton Sanderson said this week that his team cannot afford a loss to Richmond and said they must "fight to the death".
The Tigers are ninth and Adelaide are one spot below them, with a game in hand.
Hardwick doubts he has seen a side play as well as Sydney did against Adelaide, but added the Crows had a bad day.
He doubts last year's preliminary finalists will turn up their toes again a week later.
"We spoke to our players about Adelaide, both (on) Tuesday and today, just about (how) every side is entitled to have a bad game," Hardwick said.
"Adelaide are a better side than that and they'll come out and play a better brand of football.
"It will be more physical, as Brenton said this week, so we're certainly under no illusions ... we're going to have our hands full."
Richmond are coming off the bye and Hardwick said it had been good for his team, despite the potential loss of momentum.
"The pleasing thing for us is we certainly get some players back over the course of having (a week) off," he said.
"From our point of view, it came at a good time.
The Tigers have regained Reece Conca and Brandon Ellis from injury.
Conca has not played since round four because of a foot problem.
Shane Edwards has also recovered from the eye injury he suffered against West Coast.
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