Anticipation is building at the Swinburne Centre as the 2026 season approaches. Over the next three days, Richmond Media will preview the reasons why this season will be one you can’t afford to miss. Click here to read part one and click here to read part two.

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Anzac Day Eve

Richmond and Melbourne’s Anzac Day Eve clash has become a significant occasion on the AFL calendar.

As the lights dim for the pre-game Anzac ceremony, silence falls upon the MCG in a sign of respect for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

A couple of hours before the game begins, a torch lit from the Eternal Flame at the Shrine of Remembrance is escorted through the Botanic Gardens to the MCG. 

A lap of honour is then followed by the Ode to the Fallen, Last Post, New Zealand and Australian national anthems, and both teams running through a joint banner. 

Once the ceremony concludes, the Tigers and Demons face off in one of the biggest games on the fixture. 

This year will mark the 11th Anzac Day Eve match, with Melbourne winning seven of the contests, including the past five. 

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Speedy recruits

The Tigers addressed a need for speed in the off-season with some fleet-footed additions to the list.

Patrick Retschko has joined his childhood team, Richmond, from Geelong, and the wingman has been impossible to miss on the track due to his immense running capacity. He has won the Bronco Test twice this pre-season and looks poised to excite. 

Another player who has had an eye-catching pre-season is number eight draft pick, Sam Grlj. Nicknamed ‘Sizzle’, the Canterbury product played two games for the Tigers’ VFL team last year and also impressed for the Oakleigh Chargers and Victoria Metro as a hard-running midfielder with elite speed and endurance. He averaged 20.3 disposals and five tackles for the Chargers, and 17 touches for Metro.

Fellow draftees Sam Cumming, Zane Peucker and Noah Roberts-Thomson all use their speed in different areas, with Cumming an explosive clearance midfielder, Peucker a dangerous small forward, and Roberts-Thomson getting pre-season reps on the wing. 

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Veterans flying in pre-season

Tiger premiership stars Dion Prestia and Tom Lynch both signed one-year deals last year and have enjoyed strong pre-seasons leading into 2026. 

Prestia returned in Round 13 last season and averaged 23 disposals, his most since 2022. The 33-year-old is set to play a vital role this year, with his leadership and guidance of the younger midfielders just as important as his contested, physical brand of football.

It is a similar story for Lynch, who has fully embraced his role as mentor for rising key forwards Jonty Faull, Harry Armstrong and Tom Sims. Lynch’s importance can’t be overstated, and he will be a critical cog for Adem Yze’s forward line.

A strong pre-season for both veterans has set them up for a big 2026.

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Wing position up for grabs

With the retirement of long-time fan favourite Kamdyn McIntosh, an opportunity has opened up on the wing. 

And it’s an opportunity open to many candidates. Tyler Sonsie, Hugo Ralphsmith, Retschko, James Trezise, Roberts-Thomson, and potentially other names, are all battling to cement their spot. 

“The competition is really good…our depth has grown a lot this year around the outside of the contests, and all those players are putting their hand up to improve, but also get selected in the Round 1 team,” Assistant Coach, Midfield/Ball Movement, Blake Caracella, said.

“It's not going to be an easy decision.”

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MCG mania

The MCG is the home of the Tiger Army, and they will be treated to a can’t-miss stretch of games in the second half of the season.

Richmond will play five straight games at the ‘G from Rounds 15-19, all against Victorian rivals in North Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton, Melbourne and Hawthorn.

Overall, the Tigers will play 13 games at the MCG this season, giving the Tiger Army plenty of opportunities to remind the entire competition why the stadium comes alive during Richmond matches.

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