It was all eyes on the middle of the ground for Richmond fans on Friday night at Etihad Stadium. So, too, for any Adelaide supporters looking on, but for very different reasons.
This was the official unveiling for the Tigers of three trade-ins who could all make a considerable difference to their fortunes in 2017, midfield pair Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy, and ruckman Toby Nankervis.
For the Crows, meanwhile, without, in terms of quality, the vast bulk of their midfield stocks in Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson, it was about how effectively the void could be filled by the likes of Matt Crouch, Rory Atkins and Richard Douglas.
The answers on both fronts were encouraging enough. But Richmond and Adelaide might also have been just as enthusiastic about the performances of some less familiar names, too, in an entertaining game in which the Tigers emerged on top with a 19-point win, thanks to a four-goals-to-two final term.
Prestia and Caddy both finished among the Tigers' best and most prolific players. Nankervis, meanwhile, opposed to one of the AFL's best in Sam Jacobs, more than held his own, shading his more experienced opponent for impact and capping off a good game with a final-quarter goal.
Crouch, Atkins and Douglas got plenty of the ball for Adelaide, though as a unit the Crows lowered their midfield colours.
But either side to have a chance of going further this year is going to have to find some extra depth all over the park, and there were some good signs for each on that score.
It was a familiar story for Richmond early, on top in terms of raw numbers and time in possession, but not on top on the scoreboard, Adelaide always looking more dangerous when they went forward.
That was even with Crows' skipper Taylor Walker well held by David Astbury, Josh Jenkins becoming the go-to man for Adelaide, and crumbers Eddie Betts and Curtly Hampton dangerous, the former delivering a typical bit of magic with a checkside shot from the boundary in the first term.
But even then there were promising signs for the Tigers. Kamdyn McIntosh was particularly busy off half-back and still managed to creep forward for Richmond's first goal of the evening.
Early on in the second quarter, it was Jason Castagna making his mark, a hurried snap bouncing through for a goal, an effort he repeated only a couple of minutes later when he converted a free kick from 30 metres. He'd finish the night with three goals and a tick as perhaps another smaller forward option.
Daniel Rioli looked sharp as well, busy around the forward line contests, and full of second and third efforts, one of which should have resulted in another Richmond goal, Dustin Martin unusually hitting the post when well clear.
Dan Butler, too, was in the thick of the early action, a chasedown of Adelaide's Cam Ellis-Yolmen particularly impressive, and the youngster also rewarded with a third-term goal for his hard work.
Adelaide would have been no less heartened by the signs from Charlie Cameron, given more midfield time, and small defender Harrison Wigg, who picked up a stack of handy touches.
Hampton finished with a couple of goals, was generally a steady presence, and may give coach Don Pyke more confidence to stick with Cameron as a permanent midfield option.
Richmond went into their first pre-season hit-out without champion defender Alex Rance as well as Bachar Houli, Shaun Hampson and Kane Lambert.
But Adelaide had an even larger slice of talent missing, namely leading midfield pair Sloane and Thompson, along with Brad Crouch, Jake Lever, Paul Seedsman, Luke Brown and Kyle Cheney.
But for all the absentees, this was a pretty decent quality game of football, both tough and skilful in parts, and importantly for all concerned, one from which both parties emerged without any significant injuries.
