Richmond speedsters Maurice Rioli and Seth Campbell have one thing on their minds for the 2026 season.

Winning.

But they know there's a mountain of work ahead, and with Round 1 looming, the pair feel there is no better time than now to put into practice their pre-season learnings.

For Campbell, who took home Richmond's leading goalkicker award last season, the only way is up.

That enthusiasm and belief comes from coach Adem Yze, who has encouraged the 21-year-old to play in the way he feels most natural to him, allowing his best football to shine.

"We play off natural instinct. Yze was a pretty freakish player himself [and encourages that]. There's system, but if you don't know, you play off instinct and go from there," Campbell said on SEN.

"We go out and play. As long as we give it our all and have each other's back, that's all we can do at the end of the day.

"We're playing to win every game, but if we don't, it's stuff to learn off."

For Rioli, who is also known for his blistering speed, it's the Club's culture that has made him and the young playing group feel comfortable and driven to achieve at the highest level.

"Our culture is really good. All those young boys came in full of confidence, willing to learn. Our leaders are willing to help them, too. We've wrapped our arms around them," Rioli said.

Recording five wins last season, the Tigers naturally want to improve. For Campbell, who has played 43 games, the expectation has heavily shifted to the young playing group to bring their high expectations to life. 

"Last year was a little taste. But this year, we've got to keep growing. We're very young, and we like celebrating," Campbell said.

"Our one-to-four-year [players]...we're the future of the Club."

That means leaning on the respected veterans of the program to guide them into the next period of sustained success.

"Nathan Broad, Nick Vlastuin. Those who have won premierships and been through it all. There's no one better to learn off than them," Campbell said.

Richmond's season begins on Thursday night against Carlton at the MCG.