Richmond will unveil three Tiger debutants in Thursday night’s blockbuster season opener against Carlton at the MCG.

Tom Lynch, Noah Balta and Mav Weller will suit up in the Yellow and Black for the first time when Richmond take on its traditional rival in round one.

MATCH DAY Get all the information for Thursday night's match against Carlton

Balta, 194cm and 100kg, was selected by the Tigers as a second-round pick (no. 25 overall) in the 2017 AFL Draft.

He developed in Richmond’s VFL side last year, playing 13 games, including two finals.

The round one clash will mark Balta’s senior debut, earning his stripes after a standout pre-season.

The second-year ruckman/forward turned heads in the Tigers’ recent JLT Community Series win against Melbourne, collecting 18 disposals and booting two goals.

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Weller, 27, also comes into the line-up on the back of impressive form displayed in the JLT Series.

The experienced recruit’s work ethic has seen him break into Richmond’s competitive forward mix. 

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Three Tiger debutants for Round 1!

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Recruited under the new pre-season supplemental rule in December, Weller will add to his 121 AFL games when he runs out as a Tiger for the first time tomorrow night.

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Lynch, 26, is also locked in, recovering from a PCL injury in perfect time for a round one start.

Senior coach Damien Hardwick this morning confirmed the star forward was ready to go.

“Tom will play his first game for the footy club, which is very exciting for us,” Hardwick said.

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"Our list management team did a great job getting a quality person and quality player to our club, and he'll get his first opportunity to play his role." 

The match against the Blues will also see Dan Butler return to the senior side for the first time since injuring his ankle in Round 16 last season.

Co vice-captains Jack Riewoldt and Alex Rance will celebrate their individual milestones in the match, with Riewoldt to bring up 250 senior games, and Rance reaching the 200-game milestone.

OPPO See Carlton's team for Thursday night's Round 1 clash at the MCG

Richmond’s four emergencies for the clash against Carlton are Brandon Ellis, Oleg Markov, Connor Menadue and Ivan Soldo. 

The first bounce is set for 7.25pm, with over 85,000 attendees expected to flock to the ‘G.

Richmond’s Round 1 team

B Alex Rance, David Astbury, Dylan Grimes
HB Nick Vlastuin, Bachar Houli, Jayden Short
C Dion Prestia, Shane Edwards, Trent Cotchin
HF Daniel Rioli, Daniel Butler, Maverick Weller
F Jack Riewoldt, Dustin Martin, Tom Lynch
Foll Toby Nankervis, Kane Lambert, Kamdyn McIntosh
I/C Nathan Broad, Jack Graham, Noah Balta, Jack Higgins
Emg Brandon Ellis, Oleg Markov, Connor Menadue, Ivan Soldo

New: Maverick Weller (St Kilda), Tom Lynch (Gold Coast), Noah Balta (Calder U18)

Milestones: Jack Riewoldt – 250 AFL Games, Alex Rance – 200 AFL Games