Team: RICHMOND

Ins: Dustin Martin (Bendigo Pioneers), Ben Griffiths (Eastern Ranges), David Astbury (North Ballarat Rebels), Matt Dea (North Ballarat Rebels), Troy Taylor (Northern Territory), Jeromey Webberley (Clarence), Ben Nason (Central Districts), Mitch Farmer (Port Adelaide), Dylan Grimes (Northern Knights), Robin Nahas (promoted rookie), Andrew Browne (promoted rookie). Rookies - Robert Hicks (Calder Cannons), Pat Contin (Glenelg), Relton Roberts (NT Thunder), Nicholas Westhoff (West Adelaide), Graham Polak (Richmond), Jamie O'Reilly (County Down, Ireland)

Outs: Kane Johnson (retired), Nathan Brown (delisted), Mark Coughlan (delisted), Joel Bowden (retired), Cleve Hughes (delisted), Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls (delisted), Adam Pattison (delisted), Dean Putt (delisted), Jarrod Silvester (delisted), Kayne Pettifer (delisted), Matthew Richardson (retired), Jay Schulz (Port Adelaide), Andrew Raines (Brisbane Lions)

Draw: The Tigers face a horrendous start to the season with five of their first 13 matches interstate as well as a daunting trip to Geelong. But it does get better in the second half of the year with their last nine matches all in Melbourne.

Strengths: Midfield. The Tigers' on-ball division certainly has the potential to develop into an elite unit and in this year, a development year under new coach Damien Hardwick, should enable the club to be at least competitive. Brett Deledio and veteran Ben Cousins, now in his second year at Punt Road, are proven ball winners while Daniel Jackson was one of the most improved players in the competition last year and Trent Cotchin has enormous potential and is now finally injury-free. And first-year player Dustin Martin already looks the pick of the 2009 draftees. If all these players, plus star rover Nathan Foley (who is still recovering from lingering ankle problems) can be fit and firing at the same time then there is a good chance the Tigers will not be the competition's easybeats that many fear they will be in 2010.

Weaknesses: Other than the midfield, the Tigers look weak - hence why they are favourites to finish with the wooden spoon in 2010. Their defence conceded more points than any other team last year and it's hard to see where improvement will come from in that area this year while at the other end the Tigers, who outscored just three teams last year, have just lost their greatest-ever key forward Matthew Richardson. Richardson's retirement capped off one of the largest turnover of players at a single club in recent times with the Tigers having said goodbye to a host of experienced players including Kane Johnson, Joel Bowden, Mark Coughlan and Nathan Brown leaving the club with the most inexperienced and youngest playing list in the competition.

X-Factor: New coach Hardwick. The former Hawthorn assistant coach and Essendon and Port Adelaide premiership player deserves credit for having the courage to finally replenish a playing list that has underachieved for years but it certainly leaves him starting his coaching career with precious little to work with. But if Hardwick can unearth some promising youngsters - as he helped do at Hawthorn alongside coach Alastair Clarkson - and can generate some improvement out of the Tigers' older players then it may not be all doom and gloom in 2010 for long-suffering Richmond fans. But one thing is certain - expect the Tigers to play a tougher and more accountable brand of football under Hardwick than they did under the failed Terry Wallace.

Best 22:
B: Moore, Thursfield, Polo
HB: Newman, McGuane, Edwards
C: Tambling, Deledio, Cotchin
HF: Cousins, Polak, Connors
F: Morton, Riewoldt, Nahas
R: Simmonds, Jackson, Foley
IC: Vickery, Post, Martin, Tuck

After Round 22: 15th. With the loss of so many experienced players and coming off such a low base to begin with - after last year's 15th-placed finish - the Tigers deserve to start the year as favourites to win the wooden spoon. But Sportal's experts believe Richmond will be spared last spot. The best the club's fans can hope is Hardwick uses this year as the start of a genuine re-building phase which will bring success down the track.