In different circumstances, having Jack Riewoldt stationed at one end of the ground and Ben Brown at the other would raise hopes of an old-fashioned AFL shootout.

But defence has been the name of the game during the compromised 2020 season and Richmond are as frustrated as any club by the rise in negative tactics as they prepare to take on North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night.

Key forwards are suffering, and out-of-form Riewoldt has managed just six goals from six matches this year.

Three of those came in the first half against Carlton back in round one and the Tigers’ three-time Coleman medallist has hit a rough patch since the season restart.

Riewoldt’s only major in last week’s dour win over Sydney came from a contentious free kick for a deliberate rushed behind after he pushed Callum Mills over the line.

“There’s a lot of key forwards around the league that are probably being stifled a little bit because of numbers behind the ball,” Riewoldt told Fox Footy.

“Sides are probably just feeling their way out in the season.

“We still are only six games into the season and sides tend to start to evolve a bit over the next period of football.

“I’ve got to find other ways – as Lynchy (Tom Lynch) does and other key forwards do – to impact the game other than just touching the ball.”

It has been a similar story for North Melbourne and Brown.

The Kangaroos’ leading goal kicker for the past four seasons has managed just seven majors for the year and two in the past three weeks.

Neither Riewoldt nor Brown rank in the competition’s top-20 goal kickers this year.

“Ben’s competing really hard, he’s working really hard and we haven’t really helped our forwards in terms of our entries inside 50,” North coach Rhyce Shaw said.

“He’s a bit dictated by what happens up the ground and we’re a work in progress on that.

“We’ll address a few things and hopefully we can help our forwards out, and Ben out, in that area.

“But I know with Ben he’s competing really hard, he’s giving us an option, he’s bringing the ball to the deck if he is in a contest and he’s not in an ideal position.”

Richmond will take an unchanged line-up into Saturday’s contest with Trent Cotchin (hamstring) and David Astbury (knee) still out of action, while the Kangaroos will welcome back captain Jack Ziebell as one of three changes.

Paul Ahern (hamstring) and Tarryn Thomas (ankle) are out injured, while Jed Anderson (quad) is still sidelined.