IT MAY not have any bearing on the race for the flag, but both Richmond and North Melbourne will have a little extra incentive this weekend when they play off in the second annual Eureka game.

The match, the brainchild of Kevin Sheedy, pays tribute to the 'fair go' spirit of the Eureka Stockade uprising in Ballarat that was seen as a watershed moment in Australian history.

The match was officially launched in Ballarat on Friday where Drew Petrie, a former local, and Nathan Foley were joined by their respective chief executives and local council representatives.

"I think I'm playing for my city this weekend, not just for the football club," Petrie said.

"It's a terrific initiative and I think it will grow in the years to come. I feel like I've got a lot more to play for this week than just the North Melbourne jumper."

Foley echoed those sentiments and forecast an intense, evenly matched contest.

"It's great to play in a game that celebrates the Eureka spirit of a ‘fair go for all’ and, with the working class origins of both Richmond and North Melbourne, it's a great opportunity for both," Foley said.

"We're in very similar situations in a lot of ways. They've got one more win than us, we're right next to each other on the ladder, it was a good battle earlier in the year and we're expecting the same this time around."

The teams will be fighting for the Eureka trophy - a silver-plated miner's pan which will be engraved with each year's winner.

The match is also the battle of the caretaker coaches with Darren Crocker's bid for the Kangaroos' job receiving Petrie's support.  

"Crock's been sensational ... you've seen the way we've played [under him] in that we've been great for three quarters and could have easily won the last three games, but we didn't," he said.

"I think this weekend and the game against Richmond will show how far we've come under his tutelage."