Terry Wallace has shown the same faith in his side that Richmond kept in him as the Tigers stuck with their embattled AFL players to take on Essendon on Saturday night.

The Tigers made only two changes to play the Bombers in the MCG blockbuster, and the omissions of midfielder Ben Cousins (hand) and ruckman Angus Graham (hamstring) were forced.

Richmond's three-point defeat to Port Adelaide last Sunday sparked a week of turmoil, as Wallace, senior players and club officials on Tuesday held a crisis meeting, which was called by the players.

That meeting led to incorrect rumours Wallace was about to be sacked given his side had lost seven of eight games in the fifth and final year of his contract, until the Tigers insisted his job was safe until the mid-season review.

Wallace and his selection panel on Thursday gave the players a reprieve, as the bulk of the side that let slip its advantage over Port kept their places, including forward Mitch Morton, the target of a reported post-game tirade from the coach.

"In last week's game we had plenty of guys contribute and had things turned our way we would have got over the line," Tigers football operations manager Ross Monaghan said.

"We haven't seen the need to make many changes."

Defender Will Thursfield was selected for his first game since the round one drubbing to Carlton, while ruckman Adam Pattison got the nod to replace Graham, who is out with hamstring soreness.

"He hasn't strained it, it's just sore and tight, so the medical staff weren't prepared to risk him," Monaghan said.

"His improvement has been rapid and pleasing and he works extremely hard, so it's disappointing he couldn't play this game."

Richmond are hopeful Graham and Cousins, who has had the cast taken off his broken hand and will resume ball work next week, can return to play Fremantle in round 10.

Wallace returned to Punt Road on Thursday to take training after his assistants took Tuesday's session while he attended a meeting with senior players, president Gary March and football operations general manager Craig Cameron.

Wallace looked in good spirits before he took training on Thursday, but refused to answer questions about his future.

"It's all good. Look, I'm not speaking today, it's just business as normal," he said.

"I've got a normal press conference tomorrow ... it's business as usual, but any questions anyone wants to ask me I'm quite happy to answer tomorrow."

The Tigers insist Tuesday's meeting was to determine how they could get the club's season back on track.

The board will not review Wallace's position until the halfway point of the season.

But AFL great Leigh Matthews likened the players calling the meeting to the "tail wagging the dog", which was unhealthy.

"Players deep down analysing their coach is really unhealthy," Matthews, a four-time premiership coach, told Fairfax Radio.

"Their job is to play footy and if they take time to analyse and critique their coach, I think that's a very bad state for the footy team to be in."

Wallace will explain his side of events on Friday, when he fronts the media after training.

Essendon added more speed to their side when they recalled Leroy Jetta, which gave the Aboriginal forward the chance to shine in the showpiece game in the AFL's indigenous round.

David Myers made way.

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