WHERE AND WHEN: MCG, Saturday May 12, 4.40pm
LAST TIME: Richmond 14.15 (99) d Sydney Swans 7.14 (56), round 21, 2011 at MCG
TV and RADIO: Click here for broadcast guide
MATCH DAY INFORMATION: Click for all the match day information for Saturday evening

Richmond's trajectory looks to be going up after fighting defeats against two of last season's top four teams, Geelong (10 points) and West Coast (10 points), followed by a victory over Port Adelaide (37). The Tigers have almost a full list to choose from and will be looking to give their season momentum with a victory. The Swans are coming off their first defeat of the season, against Adelaide (five points), and will be looking to resume their dominance around the packs after suffering a rare defeat in that area against the Crows. In another rare event, Swans captain Adam Goodes will miss the match though injury after straining a quad.

THE FOUR POINTS

SYDNEY SWANS

1. How will the Swans cope knowing they will be without Adam Goodes for an extended period? For a man who has missed seven games in 14 seasons, a six-game stint out is a veritable chasm the team needs to fill. It will need to be a team effort, with the likes of Sam Reid and Jesse White among those who will need to lift.

2. The Swans need to bounce back from the disappointment of their first loss of the year, snapping their best start to a season since 1986. It is also their first trip to the MCG, which is hardly a happy hunting ground, in 2012. The best result from their past eight trips to the venue is a draw against Melbourne in round one last year. Their most recent victory at the home of football came in round 19, 2009, against the Tigers. How they cope with both issues will be key.

3. Can Mark Seaby continue holding down the No.1 ruck spot? Seaby has been serviceable since replacing the injured Shane Mumford (back) in the side. But this week he comes up against the in-form Ivan Maric and first use of the football will be vital. Seaby and his back-up, likely to be Lewis Roberts-Thomson with possible help from Jesse White, will go a long way towards determining the Swans' fortunes.

4. Which Swan will get the job on Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt? Coach John Longmire's defensive unit had been performing well until the Adelaide game, in which Taylor Walker had a day out, predominantly against Ted Richards. Riewoldt showed some improved form against Port last time out and will need to be kept in check for the Swans to win.

RICHMOND
1. Daniel Jackson has missed seven games through suspension in the past three seasons, most recently the victory over Port Adelaide on Sunday. He'll get plenty of chance to atone on Saturday when he tries to stop Sydney Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy, arguably the in-form player in the competition. Kennedy had 11 clearances against the Crows last weekend. Jackson will need to wear him tight.

2. Jack Riewoldt told a press conference during the week that he's not been injured; he's just been out of form. He said he needs to concentrate on defensive acts ands the goals will follow. Riewoldt showed glimpses of his best when he kicked four goals against the Power. Significantly, he played deeper than in previous matches, so it'll be interesting to see whether coach Damian Hardwick restores him to the upfield role that he played early in the early rounds.

3. The Swans have had a distinct edge over Richmond in recent seasons, winning nine of the 11 matches since 2006 including a stretch of eight straight from 2007 to 2010. The two teams split the games last season; the Swans won by 10 points in round 12 and Richmond won by 43 points in round 21. The Tigers' victory late last season was described as an upset. It'd be less of an upset this time around.

4. Trent Cotchin, with only 18 disposals, was relatively down during last weekend's victory over Port Adelaide. His previous tallies, starting in round one, were 27, 26, 22, 24 and 29. The odds are that he'll lift this week, and he'll need to do so if the Tigers are to beat the third-placed Swans.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL