Geelong head into a pivotal clash this weekend against Richmond, needing a win to secure a home Qualifying Final at the MCG.
While the Tigers are out of Finals contention, they have been able to surprise a few teams this year, registering five wins despite having one of the youngest lists in the competition.
Some more established stars have been able to put together impressive seasons, giving the Cats some things to think about heading into Saturday's clash.
Take a look at some of Richmond's strengths heading into a crucial Round 24 clash, proudly presented by Deakin University.
Ladder
Richmond: 17th (5-17)
Geelong: 2nd (16-6)
Points For
Richmond: 1385
Geelong: 2322
Points Against
Richmond: 2094
Geelong: 1650
Deakin Performance Stat of the Week
Breaking Down Richmond's Defence
Perhaps Richmond's greatest strength in the 2025 AFL season has been their intercepting ability, ranked sixth in the competition for intercept marks with an average of 16.4 per game.
For reference, Geelong ranks first in the AFL for this statistic with an average of 17.1 intercept marks per game, narrowly ahead of Richmond's average.
There are four Tigers who rank inside the competition's top 30 players for intercept marks including Nick Vlastuin (ninth), Nathan Broad (20th), Tom Brown and Ben Miller (T30th).
| Player | Intercept Marks per game |
Intercept Possessions per game |
Spoils per game |
| Nick Vlastuin | 2.6 | 7.5 | 1.6 |
| Nathan Broad | 2.3 | 5.6 | 4.1 |
| Ben Miller | 1.8 | 4.9 | 5.1 |
| Tom Brown | 1.8 | 4.7 | 2.1 |
Miller also ranks second in the competition for Contested Defensive One on Ones this year and only loses 23.5% of contests, while Nathan Broad sits 14th in the statistic and only loses 22.9% of his contests.
Geelong will benefit from the fact that Nick Vlastuin will not feature this weekend after the star defender was added to Richmond's injury list at the end of Round 23, but the Cats will still need to be precise with their ball use inside 50 to find effective avenues to goal.
Restricting Jacob Hopper's Influence
Amongst a young Richmond outfit, Jacob Hopper has stood tall and performed strongly through the midfield in 2025, ranked highly in a number of key statistics heading into the final round of the home and away season.
Featuring in every game this year, Hopper has been a consistent ball winner collecting 20 disposals or more in 21 of his 22 matches, ranked 19th in the AFL for total disposals this year.
He has also had a significant impact around stoppages, winning at least three clearances in every game he has played this season, sitting 16th in the competition for total clearances in 2025.
Hopper also ranks 15th in the AFL for contested possessions, proving to be a shining light for the Tigers this year and he is a player the Cats will need to keep a close eye on this weekend.
| Hopper's Stats | Total | Average Per Game | AFL Rank |
| Disposals | 578 | 26.3 | 19th |
| Clearances | 126 | 5.7 | 16th |
| Contested Possessions | 253 | 11.8 | 15th |
| Inside 50s | 79 | 3.6 | 38th |
Forcing Turnovers
A statistic that stands out for Richmond this year is their efficiency by foot, with the Tigers ranking seventh in the AFL for kicking efficiency at 66.7% so far this season.
On average, Richmond commits the second-fewest clangers in the competition, conceding just 54.4 per game.
Nine Tigers are currently operating at 80% disposal efficiency or better in 2025 — seven of them are defenders, highlighting the importance the club places on clean ball use when exiting their defensive half.
