Richmond small forward Mackenzie Ford says she feels her game is going to a new level ahead of the 2026 season, after her strong showing in the Club's match simulation against North Melbourne.

Ford, who is 21-years-old, kicked a neat goal in the hit-out at Waverley Park, and showed off her improved run-and-dash against the reigning premiers.

The nifty forward credits her improved speed and agility to the work she has done with the new coaches, especially around the contest and in front of goal.

"It's those one percenters that you do at training. I've had really good support from Fev [assistant coach Brendan Fevola], getting out on the track early and putting in some hard work before training starts," Ford said.

"It's nice getting reward for effort. It's great to get a run out with the team and have a look at how our new set-ups are going with our new coaching staff.

However, it's not just Ford that has impressed this early in the pre-season. The 2025 AFLW draft class in Olivia Wolmarans, Baia Pugh and Fina Dethlefsen also caught the attention of onlookers during the match against the Roos.

"It's nice to see them all come out [and play]. Obviously Baia off the wing was putting on pressure with the run and carry as well," she said.

"Both Fina and Liv [impressed] going up in big packs. They're a little big younger, but you definitely wouldn't see that on the track. They're happy to sit under the pack and take the hit."

The Tigers look ahead to Friday's match simulation against Melbourne at Casey Fields, starting at 12.35pm (AEST).

For Ford and her team, the next step in preparing for the season is sticking to Richmond's plan of attack.

"We've got so much to learn. Our key takeaways are to stick to our structure and not feed into the other team. We know what we need to do. We'll get back on the track this week and put it all together."