AFTER successive 10-goal losses against Sydney Swans and Carlton, the Brisbane Lions are desperate to rejuvenate their season against Richmond at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Things looked promising two weeks ago after back-to-back wins over North Melbourne and Adelaide, but the Lions were smashed in tight against the Swans and then beaten with pace by the Blues.

Jed Adcock has a test on a finger injury, while Josh Drummond played a match in reserves to show coach Michael Voss he is available for selection.

Saturday night's opponents are fresh from a 10-point loss to the Swans and a 10-hour bus trip from Sydney to Melbourne after their flight home was delayed because of the volcanic ash surrounding Melbourne Airport.

The teams met in round six, with Richmond coming out 26-point victors at the MCG thanks to heavy contributions from Nathan Foley (40 disposals), Dustin Martin (35) and Robin Nahas (26 and three goals).

Forward Scout
The Club: Richmond Tigers
2011 so far: Richmond has endured a rollercoaster season with some scintillating footy mixed in with sub-par performances. They started with a nightmare first month that resulted in heavy losses to Carlton, Collingwood and Hawthorn, but righted the ship with an exciting stretch that included wins over North Melbourne, the Lions, Fremantle and Essendon. But of late the Tigers have lost to Port Adelaide and the Swans to leave them struggling with four wins, one draw and six losses to sit in 11th.

The Coach: Damien Hardwick has always been a winner and it's a trait he wanted to bring to a struggling Tigers outfit he inherited at the start of 2010. The rugged defender won premierships with both Essendon (2000) and Port Adelaide (2004) as a player before heading into coaching where he was Alastair Clarkson's assistant at Hawthorn for the 2008 flag. Hardwick lost his first nine matches in charge at Tigerland but finished last season 6-16, and with minimal changes to its list, Richmond has won four and drawn one match to the mid-point of 2011.

The Star: Jack Riewoldt is no longer known solely as St Kilda captain Nick's little cousin. The Richmond spearhead announced himself to the AFL world last season when he booted 78 goals to win the Coleman Medal and the Jack Dyer Medal as the Tigers' best and fairest. He is 195cm, strong overhead but just as good on the ground, which makes him a difficult match-up. With Daniel Merrett out injured, Matt Maguire is likely to get first crack.

The Sleeper: There's always pressure on No.1 Draft picks, and it was no different for Brett Deledio when he was taken first in 2004. The 24-year-old took a little while to settle in to the AFL, but has more than found his feet with best and fairest wins in 2008 and 2009. Deledio went from the midfield to halfback last season with huge success and has enhanced his reputation further this season by not only hunting the ball, but closing down the likes of Brendon Goddard in a run-with role. He loves to run loose, find the ball and uses it well.

The Young Gun: Dustin Martin had an exceptional first season in 2010 and would have been a strong contender for the Rising Star award had he not been reprimanded by the tribunal for an illegal bump. In just 32 senior matches, Martin has shown he loves the tough stuff and is a fine clearance player. The 19-year-old has also shown good skill by hand and foot and he loves to go forward and kick goals.

Strengths: The Tigers are blessed with terrific pace they exploited the Lions with it in round six. With Nathan Foley, Robin Nahas and Bachar Houli among the ranks, they love to spread the ball quickly from contests and use their leg speed to get the ball forward.

Weaknesses: Richmond has shown a number of times this season defence is not always top of its priority list. The young Tigers are not always quick to find a player, particularly from turnovers, and have been hurt by oppositions running into plenty of space. They are ranked 15th in points against, although they have shown improvement in the past three matches where the average points conceded is just 84.