There is no doubt we have been well short of our best in recent weeks and I think the time is right for us to really work on getting things back on track.

We have been winning which is great but some of the football we have been playing won't win you finals - we need to address that situation and that must start this Saturday afternoon.

It doesn't have to happen all at once but we need to start building the momentum as the finals are just six short weeks away.

There is a saying around the traps that you should never flirt with your form. I don't think we have done that but we must make sure we don't. It can be very easy to lose form and it can be very difficult for it to return when you most need it.

Richmond will be an excellent test for us. The Tigers have had a terrible run with injuries but they still have plenty of good players.

Richmond is playing a very disciplined brand of football - you wouldn't expect it to be any other way with Danny Frawley at the helm - and their backline is a particularly tight unit.

It will be anything but a pleasant day in the office on Saturday for the Essendon forwards.

There has been a lot of chat in the media this week regarding comments made by Matthew Rogers.

Rogers labelled us as being arrogant and the media have been saying we will use it as a barb this weekend.

To be honest I feel a bit sorry for Rogers. Players are cajoled by some sections of the media and I'm sure that's what happened with Matthew Rogers.

You end up saying things that you don't necessarily want to say at all or at least not publicly.

Despite the media reports it isn't something that will be used much in the lead up to the game, if at all.

I think our assistant coach Robert Shaw summed it up well on Bomber Radio last night when he said there is something wrong somehwere if we need to use those sort of comments to help get us over the line.

It will be a big game this weekend and I am expecting a very large crowd to turn up to the MCG.

Ever since we played Richmond in a final in 1995 our games have been huge and this weekend will be no exception.