Recalled Richmond veteran Joel Bowden will play a different role when he returns to the Tigers side for Saturday's clash with Geelong, assistant coach Brian Royal said on Friday.

Bowden, banished to the VFL after the club's loss to Collingwood in Round Three, was named on a wing on Thursday night.

Royal said Bowden, who has spent much of this decade playing as a defender, was likely to play in the midfield and in attack, roles he performed with distinction in the VFL for Coburg.

"He's been in really good form at Coburg playing multiple positions, playing midfield and playing forward, so no doubt tomorrow you'll be seeing him play those positions" Royal said on Friday morning.

That Bowden, a two-time club champion, had spent more than a month in the VFL was a sign of Richmond's improved depth, Royal claimed.

"I think what it does show is the depth of the Richmond Football Club was now at a stage where players don't get played continually who don't deserve opportunities," Royal said.

"And that goes for the best player in the team down to our first year players."

After having his pre-season ruined by injury, prized recruit Trent Cotchin, who has played three matches for Coburg at VFL level, was now at 90 percent match fitness, Royal said.

"The more he plays back at that level the better he's going to be for his first game at AFL level, whenever that may be," he said.

Richmond was beaten by a combined total of 227 points in its two clashes with Geelong last year, including a humiliating 157-point drubbing in Round Six.

"It was a game that we'd like to forget," Royal said.

"It keeps getting brought up like we are now, we need to show our supporters that we have improved."

Fans arriving early at the MCG on Saturday will be able to watch a curtain-raiser featuring Coburg and Geelong, a rare occurrence since the reserves competition was scrapped at the end of 1999.