Richmond will be near full strength when it meets Essendon in the opening round of the 2018 JLT Community Series at Wangaratta’s Norm Minns Oval on Saturday.

The Tigers have selected 19 members of their 2017 premiership side in a 26-man squad for the clash with the Bombers, which will kick off at 4.35pm.

Only Daniel Rioli (recovering from a broken foot sustained in the Grand Final), Dion Prestia (minor hamstring injury) and Nathan Broad (suspended for the first three rounds of the 2018 home-and-away season) are missing from the Richmond team that captured the prized cup on the last Saturday in September 2017.

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Richmond’s first pick in last year’s AFL national draft, exciting small forward Jack Higgins, has been named on an extended interchange bench for Saturday’s match, along with three other talented Tiger cubs in Shai Bolton, Mabior Chol and Ryan Garthwaite.

Small utility Reece Conca, who impressed during last weekend’s AFLX tournament, will further press his claims for selection in the Tigers’ Round 1 line-up of the 2018 premiership season.

The JLT 1 team

B: Alex Rance, David Astbury, Dylan Grimes

HB: Nick Vlastuin, Bachar Houli, Brandon Ellis

C: Shaun Grigg, Shane Edwards, Trent Cotchin

HF: Jason Castagna, Jack Graham, Corey Ellis

F: Jack Riewoldt, Josh Caddy, Dan Butler

R: Toby Nankervis, Kane Lambert, Dustin Martin

IC: Reece Conca, Shai Bolton, Jacob Townsend, Kamdyn McIntosh, Jayden Short, Ryan Garthwaite, Jack Higgins, Mabior Chol