WELCOME back, Jack.

Jack Silvagni will play his first AFL game in exactly 600 days on Thursday night, with AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss confirming that he will run out for the Blues against the Tigers.

In addition to Saturday’s news that Lucas Camporeale and Nick Haynes would debut, Voss confirmed the early selection tidbit that Silvagni - who had made a new home for himself down back this pre-season - will pull on the Navy Blue once again in front of 80,000 people at the MCG.

The last time Silvagni pulled on the Carlton jumper at senior level was on 22 July 2023 against West Coast, before an ACL injury on the eve of the previous campaign wiped out his 2024 season.

Now back in the thick of things with a solid pre-season showing against GWS under his belt, Silvagni will return to the fold against the Tigers in a sight for sore eyes: the last time Silvagni featured in a season opener against Richmond was his 100th game, which ended in a draw two years ago.

Voss said the inclusion of Silvagni to the defensive half was one of a number of changes to the Blues' new-look backline.

“Our ability to advance as a football team is how we can defend better, and we've gone after that pretty hard. It's meant we've had to shift a couple of the magnets,” Voss said.

“'SOS' has been one over the last month that has probably been the final piece in terms of being there, coming off the ACL. That group is different: just taking note of the personnel, there are points of difference everywhere. We've got 'SOS' there, Haynes comes in, Ollie Hollands has been playing more half-back.

“There's some genuine change there... we get to play it out and get the first look at it against Richmond."