Carlton will be out to exact revenge on traditional rival Richmond when the two sides go to battle on Sunday for the second time in 2017.

After defeating Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast since returning from the bye, the Blues will enter the Round 14 clash with momentum and will look to overcome the Tigers for the first time since the 2013 elimination final.

They'll be without injured young trio David Cuningham, Zac Fisher and Tom Willliamson, who have been replaced by Billie Smedts, Nick Graham and Jarrod Pickett.

Ahead of the match, Carlton defender Sam Docherty said his side was looking forward to the challenge.

“They (Tigers) got us in Round 1 so we’re looking to put up a fight on Sunday and continue a bit of momentum we’ve got,” Docherty said.

“They’ve been playing some really good four-quarter footy and they’re a very good side. They’ve got a good midfield, good forwards and a strong backline.”

Sitting in sixth spot on the AFL ladder, Richmond will head into this week’s match with an unchanged line-up and a record of seven wins and five losses – the reverse of Carlton which has a win-loss ratio of five and seven.

After the Tigers fell victim to another close encounter against Sydney last week, the navy blue charges can expect to face an eager Richmond when the teams face off for the 218th time.

In the opening clash of 2017, when the two teams last met, it was Richmond that claimed a 43-point win over a youthful Carlton side.

In the lead-up to the Round 14 clash, senior coach Damien Hardwick was wary of the improved Carlton line-up that awaited his side.

“Personnel wise they’re (Blues) probably similar (to Round 1) but they’re playing a more consistent brand of footy,” Hardwick told the media on Wednesday.

“Defensively they’re very good behind the ball. They’ve got some really good movers behind the ball in guys like Simpson and Docherty and their good players are playing really well in Cripps, Murphy and Gibbs.

“We’ve got to try and manage those guys as best we can and try and take their defence out of the game as best we can also.” 

During the Round 1 clash, an unstoppable Dustin Martin was lethal across the ground with 33 possessions, four goals, six inside 50s and six clearances. With the midfield machine ranked 11th in the league for clearances, seventh for contested possessions and eighth overall in the Schick AFL Player Ratings, the Blues can expect Martin to be one difficult Tiger to tame on Sunday.

But after nullifying superstar Sun Gary Ablett in Round 13, the Blues will be confident they can keep Martin on a tight leash, with the team to look for another dominant display from its own midfield stocks.

Against Gold Coast in Round 13, Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs amassed a huge 43 disposals, 10 tackles and two goals, while partners-in-crime Marc Murphy and Patrick Cripps were also pivotal to the contest.

With Brendon Bolton’s outfit ranked three spots above Richmond for hitouts, the onballers are well placed to get the moving in the Blues’ favour on Sunday.

However, as the lowest ranked side for points scored in 2017, the Blues must make the most of their opportunities inside 50 against a defence led by All-Australian defender Alex Rance.

While Richmond will return to the MCG eight days after its nine-point loss to the Swans, Carlton will reacquaint itself with the hallowed turf for the first time since Round 7.

With the Tigers fighting for a top-four spot and the Blues chasing a third-straight win, the blockbuster at the home of footy is set to be an entertaining contest.