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Richmond running game hits the spot

Troy Chaplin celebrates a goal against Port Adelaide. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Richmond's upset win over Port Adelaide before the bye has proved to the players they have the running ability to perform well against West Coast, according to captain Trent Cotchin.

The Tigers are hoping to build on their form before the bye when they beat St Kilda, Brisbane and the Power, but will arrive in Perth for tomorrow night's game at Patersons Stadium knowing they have won only one of their past six matches at the ground.

Cotchin said the Tigers were looking forward to playing on the expanses of Patersons Stadium because they believed they had the running strength required to win.

Richmond are one of only three teams to win a final term against Port Adelaide this year and Cotchin said out-running the Power had shown the Tigers what they were capable of.

"We came up against what had been said to be the best running team, Port Adelaide, and finished off really well. So we'll be carrying that sort of confidence into this game," Cotchin said.

"They've got some elite runners, both on the inside and outside. We've just got to make sure that we match it and hopefully are cleaner and better with our ball going forward and put more of a score on the board.

"We played pretty consistent footy against Port. Our challenge is to carry that on for the rest of the season.

"We know how well they (West Coast) play their ground, we know the challenge has been set and we need to bring our A game."

Cotchin said the Tigers had learnt a lot this season as they tumbled from the top eight to the lower rungs of the ladder.

They are in 12th position and will draw level with the Eagles on seven wins if they beat them tomorrow night.

Cotchin said the squad now understood the importance of being consistently motivated instead of having emotional highs and lows depending on who they were playing.

He said the ability to halt the opposition's momentum was another area of the game the players had improved on lately.

But he said it was disappointing to know the Tigers wouldn't be part of the finals action in September.

"To get a taste of it last year and obviously not perform to the standard we would have liked in the second half against Carlton, and not follow up on our form early on in this year, is disappointing," Cotchin said.

… the challenge has been set and we need to bring our A game." *Trent Cotchin *