RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick says there's no chance he'll write off the season as a development year despite a shocking spate of injuries.

The Tigers have 13 players unavailable due to injury for Friday night's clash against Sydney at Adelaide Oval.

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The list includes key players such as Tom Lynch, who will miss three months with a foot problem, co-captain Toby Nankervis, Jayden Short, Jack Graham, Robbie Tarrant and Ivan Soldo.

But Hardwick dismissed suggestions the injury woes will lower expectations for his club, which has just one win from four games this season.

"No, Richmond don't shift their expectations," he told reporters on Thursday.

"We just keep going full steam ahead.

"The reality is the season is still young, we're four games in.

"Are we where we'd like to be? No, we would have preferred to win a couple more games.

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"But we have been very close – we have lost by 14 points and five points to two sides that made the finals last year.

"We can play better, we know that.

"But what we are doing is defending well and our contest work is good. We have just got to make sure our offense is up and going."

Hardwick said while his selection options were somewhat limited, Swans coach John Longmire, with two wins and two losses this season, is facing a similar scenario ahead of their Gather Round fixture.

Sydney's Paddy McCartin and his brother Tom will miss the Adelaide fixture because of concussion, while Lance Franklin is sidelined by a knee complaint.

"John is probably the same as us, isn't he, trying to figure out how it works," Hardwick said.

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"But they have got some really good diligent mid-sized defenders ... they have got enough players that will be able to cover that and we're probably a little bit the same.

"How does it affect them and what can we exploit? That is one of the challenges and it's going to be a great game to see what both sides will bring."

Hardwick said ex-captain Trent Cotchin and spearhead Jack Riewoldt were certain inclusions into his starting 22. Cotchin was a substitute last week while Riewoldt was rested.

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