Maric back as Tigers set themselves for Dreamtime testBy Nathan Schmook
afl.com.au
12:25pm AEST Tuesday, May 21, 2013RICHMOND is capable of handling the finals-like build-up to Saturday night's 'Dreamtime at the 'G' clash against Essendon, according to coach Damien Hardwick, with ruckman Ivan Maric set to return from injury for the top-eight litmus test.
Maric, who missed last Sunday's 34-point win over Melbourne, will return from an ankle injury after training strongly at the ME Bank Centre on Tuesday morning.
The influential ruckmen shapes as a crucial inclusion for the 5-3 Tigers, who have fallen short in big games at the MCG against Geelong and Collingwood this season.
The Bombers have won two of the last three 'Dreamtime' matches, winning last year's clash by 19 points in front of 80,900 fans at the MCG.
The centrepiece match of Indigenous Round is expected to draw another bumper crowd of more than 80,000 people, and Hardwick said his Tigers would handle the occasion.
"It's obviously a big game from a crowd point of view … and probably from a build-up point of view it has got that (finals) feel," Hardwick said on Tuesday.
"It's something that we've coped with reasonably well. We had a really good win against Carlton; St Kilda was a big build-up as well.
"Probably the Collingwood and Geelong games we didn't play to our required standards, so we certainly look forward to rising to the challenge this week.
"It's an enormous honour for us to be playing in Indigenous Round and we certainly hope the game responds to that."
After making a 6-0 start to the season, Essendon has suffered back-to-back losses to Geelong and the Brisbane Lions, kicking two of its three lowest scores for the season.
The Tigers have their own creases to iron out after failing to convert their chances against Melbourne last Sunday, and Hardwick said they would have their work cut out for them on Saturday night.
"They're a very good side, they've got some great strengths and some very good players," he said of the Bombers.
"We've had some really solid contests over the last couple of years and this year will be no different.
"We look at the way they play, their numbers suggest they probably should have KPI-wise beaten Brisbane, but the scoreboard didn't reflect that.
"They played the best in the business in Geelong the week previous."
While Maric will return for the Tigers, Chris Newman (groin soreness), Dylan Grimes (foot) and Ricky Petterd (calf) will need to pass fitness tests later in the week.
Brandon Ellis, who racked up 39 possessions against the Demons, trained lightly on Tuesday because of soreness but was in no doubt for Saturday night's match.
Hardwick said Ellis and prized draftee Nick Vlastuin, who has 25 disposals against the Demons at 92 per cent efficiency, were on track to becoming genuine members of the Tigers' midfield.
"To be a genuine part of it you've got to deliver over a period of time and they're certainly capable players who are capable and entrenched to do that.
"We've just got to keep developing them.
"He (Ellis) has had a terrific year. He started off as sub in the first couple of games and has just built his game along nicely.
"He's been a great contributor over the course of the last four to five weeks.
"He's going to continue to get better as he gains more experience."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-05-21/maric-set-to-boost-tigers
