The pruning’s done, the shoots are maturing and Richmond coach Damien Hardwick won’t have to wait for springtime to find out if his Tigers are ready to bloom.

While the third-year AFL coach hopes the club qualifies for the finals for the first time in 11 years, they will get a much earlier chance to mix it with the competition heavyweights.

Richmond’s season starts with MCG blockbusters against Carlton and Collingwood and includes clashes with reigning premiers Geelong and preliminary finalists West Coast in the first five rounds.

An undaunted Hardwick says a squad he has spent two years revamping and infusing with toughness, competitiveness and discipline will welcome the chance to prove themselves.

“What we’ve got to do is start winning those big games and that’s the biggest step for us going forward,” Hardwick told AAP.

“You can look at it as a hard draw or you can look at it as an exciting time.”

Despite Richmond enduring the AFL’s longest finals drought, Hardwick’s excitement is obvious.

Reviewing the top 10 from last season’s club best and fairest count shows why, with almost all the club’s best players in their early 20s.

Crucially, the wave of youngsters are verging on the experience level that history suggests precedes success.

Hardwick had an ambition to get 500 games into his 23-and-under brigade in his first two years and far exceeded it.

“Now the time for that period of transformation is finished, now it’s earn your jumper,” he said.

Increased depth means they are not empty words.

Along with youngsters maturing, the Tigers have added at least four players – Ivan Maric, Steven Morris, Brandon Ellis and Addam Maric – who are either AFL-experienced or look immediately ready.

Ruckman Ivan Maric will make the greatest difference.

The ruck was the Tigers’ biggest weakness last season, leading to Richmond’s clearance count being well below break-even point.

That meant the ball entering their backline too quickly, too often.

Hardwick cites that as the main factor in the Tigers conceding the third-highest aggregate score in the AFL last season.

When ex-Adelaide ruckman Maric has been rucking so far this pre-season, the Tigers have come out ahead in clearances.

“He’s a really competitive ruckman, which is something we were after, a strong abrasive type of player, a more crash and bash type of player,” Hardwick said.

Like Morris and Ellis, the strongly-built Maric adds physical toughness, something the Tigers targeted.

He caps an exciting midfield group, to which dual best and fairest Brett Deledio will return after recent seasons in defence, joining the likes of Nathan Foley and young guns Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin.

Less star-studded is the tall defensive line-up.

But Hardwick liked what he saw from Alex Rance and youngster Dylan Grimes last season, before Grimes was injured.

Also on the comeback trail are David Astbury and Ben Griffiths, who will be shifted from attack.

That pair, and fellow emerging tall Jayden Post, are all 195cm or taller, giving Hardwick confidence at least one genuine big man can step up to strengthen the defence.

At the other end, Jack Riewoldt, who kicked 62 goals and handed off 30-plus others last year despite injuries which led to five post-season operations, is moving freely.

Hardwick says the star’s difficult year had the benefit of developing his capacity to contribute when things are against him.

It’s another aspect of the squad-wide maturing process that has Hardwick certain the Tiger drought will give way to a successful period.

“Whether it’s this year, three years down the track, who knows, but we certainly know we’re on the right path.”