In the absence of Alex Rance, Richmond will turn to in-form AFL defender Dylan Grimes to take the battle to Sydney superstar Lance Franklin.
Rance and Franklin have gone head to head in some enthralling duels over the years but, with the star Tiger sidelined for the season with a knee injury, Grimes is just the man to take on Buddy.
The versatile defender had been almost impassable in undermanned Richmond’s win over Port Adelaide and will need to play a key role if Damien Hardwick’s men are to improve on their 2-2 record.
“Grimesy is probably the likely guy, but Buddy plays different positions … sometimes he’s up the ground and sometimes he’s deep,” Hardwick said.
“As we do normally, there will be match-ups for up the ground, compared to when he’s in the cage.
“We’ve got some really athletic guys down there so we’d be happy with any one of those guys taking care of Buddy at stages.
“(But Dylan is) an incredible player, we’ve known that for a long time and that’s probably just starting to sink in beyond our four walls.
“There’s a reason he’s finished in the top five of our best-and-fairest for the last two or three years.”
Richmond welcome back Dustin Martin from suspension and Bachar Houli from a hamstring injury for Saturday night’s Marvel Stadium clash, with Jack Graham and Connor Menadue making way.
Ryan Clarke and James Rowbottom, who will debut, are in for the Swans who have dropped Nick Blakey and Justin McInerney.