DESPITE the hype around Saturday's blockbuster Richmond-Collingwood clash at the MCG, the AFL and Melbourne Cricket Club don't expect a record crowd for a home-and-away game between the two clubs.

The League is predicting a turnout of between 80,000-85,000, while the MCC has forecast a figure of 86,000 for the clash between the first-placed Tigers and third-placed Magpies.

MATCH PREVIEW Richmond v Collingwood

The highest home-and-away game attendance for a game featuring the two big Victorian clubs was 92,436 on Anzac Day in 1977. The Tigers went on to play in a semi-final that year while the Pies famously lost the Grand Final replay to North Melbourne after drawing the week before. 

The next-best crowd for a match for premiership points between the clubs was 82,191 on Easter Monday in April, 1971.

The next two games on the list are a better reflection of what could happen this week – 81,966 (round 19, 1983) and 81,950 (round four, 2013) – given they were both played in the same traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot. 

While Saturday's crowd is likely to surpass those two figures and become the second-highest home-and-away attendance between the two clubs, the record attendance from 1977 looks safe. 

The Tigers are hunting down an AFL record membership of 100,000 this year, with 99,289 signed up for their premiership defence at last count.

They will enter this match undefeated at the MCG this season, while the Magpies are enjoying a mid-season resurgence that has lifted them from 11th after round eight to as high as second after round 15.

Parking restrictions in Yarra Park will be in force on Saturday, but not the blanket ban that has been in place for other blockbusters this season.

The MCC has advised parking will be "very limited and in high demand" and have urged fans to take public transport or park in the CBD.

As of Monday afternoon, there were approximately 1200 public seats left for sale, with restricted view seats to become available once that allocation is exhausted.

Reserved seats on level one of the MCC have sold out but there are some remaining on level four. 

The weather isn't expected to dampen the occasion with the early forecast a cloudy day with a top of 15 and a 20 per cent chance of a shower.