Richmond veteran Matthew Richardson is confident his young but improving team will not be overawed by the occasion when the Tigers celebrate their AFL centenary in front of an expected 80,000 plus crowd against Carlton at the MCG on Saturday.

The match, which officially marks 100 years since the Tigers joined the competition in 1908, comes at a time when the club is finally showing signs of emerging from more than two decades in the wilderness - having just completed back-to-back wins for the first time since 2006.

And a win over the Blues - who like Richmond are locked in what appears to be a four way battle for eighth spot - could lift the Tigers to within touching distance of a spot in the top eight.

Richardson, now the most experienced member of the Tigers' line-up, is aware more than any current player of the club's long and proud but also recently tortured history - particularly with his father Alan having been a member of the club's drought-breaking 1967 premiership team.

"It's huge," he said of the club's centenary game on Tuesday.

"I grew up watching the Tigers and I know all the history of the footy club."

"It's a big event for our club and what better way to celebrate it than against Carlton at the MCG so if I could say anything to the Richmond supporters it would be if you are going to go to one game this year make it this one."

But Richardson knows that with the big occasion also comes big expectations of a victory, particularly given the club's recent improvement.

And he is confident the young Tigers - who fielded ten players aged 21 or under in last week's thrilling win over Port Adelaide - will not be fazed by the big occasion.

"We played in Sheedy and Hird's last game (with Essendon) in Melbourne last year and there were more than 85,000 at that game and that was a big occasion and we handled that well," Richardson said, referring to the Tigers' upset 27-point win that night.

"And it was nearly all Essendon supporters that night so I thought we handled that quite well."

Richardson, who has been a revelation this season playing on the wing while still managing to be again the Tigers' leading goalkicker this season with 38 goals, is enjoying no longer being the sole focus of the club's attack.

This was evidenced last week when youngsters Cleve Hughes (six goals) and former Eagle Mitch Morton (five goals) were the leading lights in the win over Port.

Richardson said the move has given him a new lease on life in what is now his 16th season at Punt Road.

"I guess starting on the wing you are not feeling the pressure of having to kick goals early in the game and you are able to get a few touches before you move into the forward line," he said.

"And I have been able to kick goals anyway so it's probably been a good move all around."