Tigers keen to do it for Foley

Richmond half-back Bachar Houli says the side will be looking to win for Nathan Foley in the side's elimination final against Port Adelaide.

Bachar Houli in action.

Richmond half-back Bachar Houli (pic) has said the Tigers will be looking to win for Nathan Foley. (AAP)

Last week it was for Chris Newman and this week it's for Nathan Foley.

Richmond head into their AFL elimination final with Port Adelaide with plenty of motivation, but performing for a club stalwart who wasn't there last year is paramount for Bachar Houli.

Foley was dropped leading into the club's drought-breaking final in 2013 and teammate Houli said the Tigers would lift with him in the side.

"Mr Rightman I call him, he just does everything to perfection," he said.

"It's great to see Nathan playing his first final, he's been nothing short of sensational.

"Last week we did it for Chris Newman, this week, we'll hopefully play extra hard for Nathan Foley who's been such a competitor at this club for years and years."

Foley is the longest serving player in the AFL without a finals appearance to his name - a streak Newman held before last season's final.

Newman celebrated 250 games against Sydney last week.

Houli said training had been largely individual to this point but the Tigers would group together on Thursday for their main training session before Sunday's final.

"We'll be training pretty hard and coming prepared for another huge game," he said.

"For the past nine weeks, every game's been an elimination final for us.

After a breakout 2013, the Tigers finished fifth but were undone by the eighth-placed Blues in the same elimination final they'll contest on Sunday.

Only this year, the shoe is on the other foot as the eighth placed Tigers play the Power, who finished fifth after spending most of the year in the top four.

Port Adelaide are one of the scalps Richmond's have taken in their historic nine-straight victories, which Houli said brought confidence.

Houli said the club wouldn't be daunted ahead of a third interstate trip in four weeks.

"We're in a slightly different position but when you're in the finals, anything can happen," he said.

"That's the beauty of finals football, it steps up another notch."

Houli gave the Tigers a full bill of health, which is especially sweet after injuries derailed the first half of their campaign.

Houli was speaking at the Bachar Houli Cup, a competition for young Muslim footballers.

As the only practising Muslim player in the league, Houli said he'd love for the school students to follow in his footsteps.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for me to be a role model," Houli said.

"It's great to see these kids be so happy and feel like they're a part of this great country."


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