Collingwood wasn't so fortunate, with Will Kelly to miss an extended period with a broken collarbone and star midfielder Steele Sidebottom to face tests on a tight calf that ruled him out after quarter-time.

Coach Nathan Buckley has predicted a more offensive game pattern around the competition this season and said it would take teams to adjust to the significant shifts. 

"The pressure numbers were right down and Richmond would see themselves as one of the better pressure sides in the comp and our numbers are generally pretty good in that area but they were as low as anything you would have seen," he said.

"It was a very open game. It's going to take a good five or six weeks before we know exactly where the game is going to settle.

"We're all talking about the man on the mark but 75 rotations with an extra 20 minutes of footy is going to be the biggest test given that all of us haven't played a normal length game for nearly 18 months."