Back for another year, the SEN.com.au team gives you an insight into how every game will play out across the weekend.
Labelling something a ‘certainty’ in any sport is fraught with danger.
But we’ll attempt to find some anyway.
Here is what we consider certainties for Thursday night's season opener between Richmond and Carlton.
Tim Taranto & Jacob Hopper each with 20+ disposals
Decked out in new colours, the star duo is set to come out firing in their Tigers debut.
Tim Taranto was discussed constantly throughout pre-season, looking poised for a career year after being among Richmond’s best through the scratch matches.
The former Giants best and fairest has only had two seasons averaging less than 20 touches in his career, so exceeding that mark is almost a formality for him tonight.
Jacob Hopper is set to add some grunt to the Tigers’ engine room, seeking a bounce back season after an injury-hampered 2022.
With an average of 22 disposals per game across his career, Hopper will certainly get his fair share of the footy in the season opener.
Tom Lynch, Jack Riewoldt & Dustin Martin combine for 6+ goals
On name power alone, the trio Richmond have named at full-forward looks set to be one of the most fearsome in the competition.
Tom Lynch is a perennial Coleman contender, finishing as the runner up last year after kicking 60 goals across 18 games.
Jack Riewoldt may not be the dominant key forward he once was, yet he is still a big threat to boot multiple majors at any time, averaging 1.9 goals per game last season.
Three-time Norm Smith Medallist Dustin Martin rounds out the group, looking to come back firing after an interrupted 2022.
Martin may have made his mark as one of the game’s greatest midfielders, however he has proven time and time again that he can break a game open playing as a key forward.
Matched up against a Carlton backline missing some key pieces, expect these Tigers to run rampant in a high-scoring affair.
Jack Makeham
Harry McKay kicks 3 or more goals
Robbie Tarrant has been a good matchup for Harry McKay over the last few years and in his absence it will likely be Ben Miller who gets the job.
Following his best pre-season ever and coming into his prime, this could be an enormous year for McKay and that starts with the season opener.
Expect Harry to take advantage of the matchup and hit the scoreboard against the Tigers.
Patrick Cripps 30 or more disposals
Patrick Cripps averages 30.8 disposals per game against Richmond in his last four matchups.
It’s fair to say the Tigers historically haven’t put a ton of defensive work into the Carlton skipper and unless that changes tonight with Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper coming in, he will once again dominate.
He picked up 30 and 34 across the two games in 2022 respectively and was the best player on the ground in last season’s season opener.
Nic Negrepontis