Conca’s recovery on track for finals

RICHMOND midfielder Reece Conca is firming to return before the end of the season as the Tigers prepare for tonight’s clash with St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

Conca dislocated his ankle during the Tigers’ Round 15 win over Sydney but did not require surgery and resumed running this week.

The 25-year-old had played every game this season for the reigning premiers before the injury, which initially appeared to be season-ending.

“He’s starting to progress, which is great,” Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said yesterday.

“We’re very confident he’ll certainly play some football. Exactly when it is we’re not too sure but we think it will be before the finals.”

Onballer Jack Graham (shoulder) remains several weeks away from returning and the Tigers have missed the hard edge he and Conca brought to the midfield.

The Tigers’ two-point defeat to GWS at Spotless Stadium last week was their fourth interstate defeat from as many games this season.

Hardwick is unconcerned by the ladder-leading Tigers’ away record and doesn’t believe rival teams have got them figured out.

“The way we play, we hunt,” he said.

“Defensively we’re very good, we try and manufacture the turnover and then try and score from turnovers. We get to decide how we play and then control that so that’s all we worry about.”

Goalkicking was the major worry for the Tigers during their loss to GWS — they scored 10.17 and Jason Castagna kicked five behinds.

Hardwick expects Castagna to bounce back but said rookie forward Tyson Stengle was in the mix for a senior recall after booting six goals in the VFL.

The Tigers will start strong favourites in the third annual Maddie’s Match to raise awareness of bone marrow failure syndrome. Maddie Riewoldt, younger sister of Saints great Nick and cousin of Richmond forward Jack, died in 2015, aged 26.

The 15th-placed Saints will take confidence from their much-improved form over the past month, having won three out of four games.

“We think that if we’re at our best defensively and if we’re at our best in attack, we can certainly be in the contest,” Saints coach Alan Richardson said. “We acknowledge what a strong team they are and have been for such a long time ... (but) we think our footy’s been building and there’s no greater opportunity than to take on the best.”