Asked whether the Tigers would make just one change, Leppitsch said: "It looks like it at this stage, yes one change."
Graham is expected to be replaced by either like-for-like teenager Jack Ross (who hasn't played at AFL level since round 22), versatile 2017 premiership player Kamdyn McIntosh (round 17), mid-season recruit and would-be debutant Marlion Pickett and possibly even first-year sensation Sydney Stack.
Leppitsch said Tigers selectors faced an agonising choice, revealing they had been "texting and emailing and sending through teams and (having) chats and all sort of things over the last couple of days to figure that position out."
"Every player we bring in we think has got a great role to fill Kamdyn's a great, experienced player, Jack Ross is a great, hard, inside mid that's a good, ready-made replacement for Jack Graham; Marlion adds a bit more X-factor," he said.
"We've got a feeling that three or four of them are probably of the same level at the starting gate that's what's made this decision so tough. We're still talking about it now."
Leppitsch spoke glowingly of Pickett, a noted big-occasion performer at state league level who was best-afield in Richmond's VFL premiership on Sunday.
A debut for the 27-year-old West Australian would make him just the sixth player in League history to be blooded in a Grand Final, and the first in 67 years.
"If it was round 17 it (wouldn't) be as big an issue," Leppitsch said.
"Given all the circumstances I think most of us would crumble
but our recruiters are of the opinion he's done things like this a lot through his football career.
"He's had a history in his life that has been troubled that he's been able to overcome to get to AFL, so this is probably nothing compared to most of that."
Source: AFL website
