A FAMILIAR test.

Footy returns home when Carlton hosts Richmond at the MCG in the first game in Melbourne for premiership points this year.

After the Blues’ stunning come-from-behind win over Brisbane last weekend, the team will want to ensure - in front of a capacity home crowd - that the strides made in the second half last week weren’t for nothing.

However, they’ll have to do so against a team which the Blues are well aware of their merits, having only recently overturned a long run without Round 1 success — and coming into this game following last year’s draw.

That night was very nearly a backs-to-the-wall win for the Blues, who defended resolutely after hitting the front in the final term. However, a late goal by Tom Lynch - who returns for Richmond tonight - ensured that neither side walked away with the four points they were seeking.

It was just one in a series of heart-stoppers that the Blues have endured in recent times. Since that night in Round 1 last year, the Blues have won their last seven games which have been decided by 10 points or less: in fact, the last five Carlton wins (dating back to last year) having been by four, four, six, two and one points.

The last time the two sides met, it was an arm wrestle, but the games involving these two teams last week were all about momentum swings.

Both teams got well beaten in the inside-50 count, with the Blues -13 against the Lions last week and the Tigers -20 against the Suns. The ability to hold up defensively while taking opportunities at the other end will have a crucial say in how the game pans out.

Carlton’s 13 contested marks last weekend was the highest total of any team, but with the returning Lynch alongside the dangerous Noah Balta, the Blues will have to be wary of Richmond’s aerial threat in their own right.

Crucial to both teams’ offence are a pair of half backs, with Adam Saad and Daniel Rioli both continuing to play pivotal roles in the defensive mix.

When deployed higher up the ground last weekend, Rioli provided a spark for the Tigers in the third term, while Saad was understatedly impressive in a lockdown role on Charlie Cameron, restricting him to two goals.

Another of Carlton’s role players who performed their duties in the win over Brisbane was Jordan Boyd, who had a breakthrough performance against Richmond the last time he played the Tigers in 2022.

As the Blues with the lowest breakeven in AFL Fantasy heading into this weekend, the classy defender could be a shout for some cash generation in the coming weeks: after last week’s score of 74 (a career-high), his breakeven currently sits at 23.