Richmond dual premiership ruckman Neil Balme can’t wait to sink his teeth into his new role as general manager of football at Punt Road after an absence from the AFL club of 37 years.

One of the game’s most-respected administrators, Balme spent the past few years at Collingwood but was enticed back to the Tigers following a full review of the club’s football department.

“For me to finish up now at the Tigers, it’s a dream I never even was prepared to dream … I’m really very excited about it,” Balme, who played 159 games for the Tigers, told SEN radio on Friday.