CARLTON will blood six fresh faces for its season opener against Richmond on Thursday night, with No.1 draft pick Sam Walsh leading the young crop of new Blues.

Walsh and rookie Michael Gibbons will make their AFL debuts at the MCG, while the club has also confirmed that new recruits Mitch McGovern, Alex Fasolo, Will Setterfield and Nic Newman will play in their first games for their new club against the Tigers.

However, ruckman Matthew Kreuzer has not managed to prove his fitness for the clash, with capable back-up Andrew Phillips set to deputise in his absence.

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Fasolo is perhaps the most surprising of the six new inclusions, having recovered quickly from a broken arm sustained in an alcohol-fuelled incident in late January.

The former Magpie didn't manage to feature in any of the club's JLT Community Series games, but impressed during a VFL practice match with the Northern Blues a fortnight ago.

"His determination to repay the group and the club on the back of the mishap where he broke his arm … he's worked incredibly hard," Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said.

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"(High-performance manager) Andrew Russell spoke to me and said he's probably as fit as he's ever been, so we're proud of his work ethic."

Carlton expects to make 13 changes from its round 23 side from last year, though Kreuzer will not be among them as he recovers from minor knee surgery in January.

The Blues had been hopeful Kreuzer would be fit for round one, but with no JLT action under his belt they have made the decision to take a cautious approach with his recovery.

"He's probably a week or two away," Bolton said.

"He's not far, he's very close. I wouldn't be surprised if he plays some footy next week."