Richmond has made four changes to its starting team for tomorrow night’s highly-anticipated clash against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Star veteran half-back Bachar Houli has been selected to play his first game at AFL level since last year’s Grand Final, while Will Martyn and Rhyan Mansell will make their senior debuts.

Midfielder Jack Ross will also get his first full chance to impress this season, having been named the medical substitute in the opening two fixtures (activated in Round 1).

Houli made a seamless return to football in the VFL last week, gathering 22 possessions in a trademark performance before resting in the final term.

Ross was also prolific in the same reserves clash, booting two goals from 21 disposals and notching up nine tackles and 10 inside 50s.

Martyn, who captained Brisbane’s Academy side in 2019, has been on the cusp of an AFL debut for some time, impressing with his ball-winning prowess and flexibility to play both inside and outside.

Mansell, 20, will add speed and tenacity to Richmond’s line-up, completing a meteoric rise from when he was first invited to train with the Club as a SANFL player in January.

Kamdyn McIntosh (concussion) and Dion Prestia (hamstring) will miss the clash through injury, while Daniel Rioli, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, and Josh Caddy have been omitted.

Caddy has been named as one of Richmond’s four emergencies, along with Patrick Naish, Mabior Chol and Riley Collier-Dawkins.

Richmond will confirm which player steps into the 23 to serve as the medical substitute 60 minutes before tomorrow’s opening bounce.

Tomorrow night’s game will be broadcast live on Channel 7, FOX FOOTY and Kayo.

Richmond team v Port Adelaide, Friday, April 9, 7.50pm AEST, Adelaide Oval
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In: Rhyan Mansell, Will Martyn, Bachar Houli, Jack Ross
Out: Daniel Rioli (omitted), Derek Eggmolesse-Smith (omitted), Dion Prestia (injured), Kamdyn McIntosh (injured), Josh Caddy (omitted)

New: Rhyan Mansell (North Launceston/Woodville West Torrens), Will Martyn (Aspley/Brisbane Lions Academy)

Port Adelaide defeated reigning premier Richmond by just two points in a Friday night thriller.

Robbie Gray was once again the hero by kicking the winning goal with four minutes to go, and the Power's defence held firm in the frantic final minutes in the 11.13 (79) to 11.11 (77) win in front of a heaving Adelaide Oval crowd.

The match adds to the series of classics between these two sides in recent years and was a weirdly frenetic affair full of fumbles and fierce tackles. Port dominated the clearances and often forced the Tigers into one too many handballs, possibly a taste of their own medicine.

Richmond had become a strong clearance team by last year's finals series but was blown out of the water 36-24 by a powerful Port core of Travis Boak (29 disposals), Ollie Wines (27), Dan Houston and the elusive Butters.

Aliir Aliir and Jack Riewoldt (three goals) were locked in an intriguing battle, with both having claims to taking the chocolates at various stages.

Port Adelaide took an 11-point lead into the final break, but Dustin Martin wasn't ever going to lie down, brushing off debutant Lachie Jones to snap the first goal of the final quarter.

It cut the margin to five points, before Mitch Georgiades shook off his yips to kick a settler. Kane Lambert briefly took the lead until Gray's heroics just two minutes later.

Bachar Houli (26) made a successful return to top-flight footy after tearing his calf in the Grand Final and skipper Trent Cotchin was outstanding in the stoppages.

It was a banged-up Power by the end of the game, with Zak Butters (ankle) subbed off, Connor Rozee and Tom Clurey suffering corkies, Orazio Fantasia rolling his ankle and Xavier Duursma appearing to injure his knee in the dying minutes.

PORT ADELAIDE 3.3 6.10 9.12 11.13 (79)
RICHMOND 4.2 6.3 8.7 11.11 (77)

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Motlop 2, Rozee 2, Butters, Duursma, Fantasia, Houston, Hartlett, Georgiades, Gray
Richmond: Riewoldt 3, Lambert 2, Bolton, Short, Castagna, Lynch, Martin, Aarts

BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wines, Butters, Aliir, Lycett, Motlop
Richmond: Cotchin, Martin, Short, Houli, Broad, Bolton

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Butters (ankle), Duursma (knee)
Richmond: Nil

LATE WITHDRAWALS
Port Adelaide: Marshall (ankle), replaced in selected side by Ladhams
Richmond: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Mayes (replaced Butters)
Richmond: Caddy (unused)

Crowd: TBC at Adelaide Oval