CARLTON'S squad for Thursday night's season opener against Richmond was put through its paces in a short, but lively, training session at Visy Park on Wednesday and the action didn't stop when the main group left the track.

Michael Jamison (back), Rob Warnock (shoulders) and Nick Duigan (knee) have been hobbled toward the end of the pre-season campaign, and will miss round one, but all three took part in a testing 45-minute session with VFL coach Rob Hyde - heightening expectations they will be ready for round two.

Jamison was put on a modified program when he suffered a stress reaction in his back in February, but showed strength and speed off the mark when opposed to Simon White in leading drills.

Warnock and Duigan took part in grappling drills and look set to gain valuable match fitness in the VFL on Saturday.

Jeremy Laidler (knee) and Andrew Walker (quad) don't appear as advanced in their recoveries and were confined to walking the boundary during the main session.

Marc Murphy walked laps with Laidler and Walker instead of training with the main group, but teammate Andrew Carrazzo said there was no cause for concern.

"Murph's done that for the last two years," Carrazzo said.

"He doesn't train the day before the game, but he has a good hit-out two days before. That's just his schedule and the way that his body responds the best.

"Murph is fine and fighting fit."

Carlton's final training session before its premiership season gets underway reflected the excitement the players felt at putting a long summer on the track behind them, Carrazzo said.

"We always love it and there's always more excitement with this game, being the first of the year," he said.

"We're really looking forward to it.

"It probably [will be pretty ferocious] at the start. The first 15 or 20 minutes is and then it settles into a normal game pattern. I'm sure their intensity will be up, and ours [too], at the start then we'll just play from there." 

Carrazzo is confident the Blues have the depth to cover their losses in defence. with Paul Bower and Jordan Russell given opportunities to put indifferent 2011 seasons behind them.

Carlton has won its last seven encounters with the Tigers, but the Blues' veteran said that counted for little.

"Maybe it's a small positive, but they're a different team now," he said.

"They've improved, they're showing that they've got the talent and the team play to play finals footy. It might be a small bit of confidence, but once the ball is bounced all of that stuff goes out the window."