Time and caution will scuttle Richmond skipper Chris Newman's bid to play again this AFL season.

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick concedes Newman's race to overcome a late-season knee injury is effectively over.

The skipper will miss Richmond's second-last match of the season against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

And Hardwick says there is little to be gained by racing Newman back for the season-ending match against North Melbourne the following week for his out-of-finals-contention side.

"He's been touch and go to see whether he'd play this season, which is really disappointing because he's had an outstanding year once again," Hardwick said on Thursday.

"He's too important a player. He'll put his hand up again next week but ... we're not prepared to put out a player for one week when there's not much to be gained from it."

The Crows-Tigers clash may be a "best of the rest" clash for those not in finals contention, with both teams hitting late-season form.

Richmond have won consecutive matches - the latest a seven-point triumph over Melbourne.

And Adelaide have found new vigour under caretaker coach Mark Bickley, winning three of four matches under his tutelage.

Hardwick believes the Crows have rebranded themselves, playing faster, slicker football under Bickley and currently present a huge danger to anyone they play.

"Bicks has got them playing really fast, exciting football - that's the thing we've noticed," Hardwick said.

"The pace with which they move the ball is outstanding. They're probably one of the form teams of the competition at the moment."

Also concerning for the Tigers is that they have won just one of five matches outside Victoria this season - nothing seemingly able to aid their travel sickness.

The Tigers will now experiment with going later to Adelaide and conducting their final training session in Melbourne before departure.

'We haven't travelled well this year so we're looking forward to putting some things in place that will get us over the line," Hardwick said.

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