Round one brings with it a feeling of freshness. Even a grizzled veteran who joked that he started coaching "sometime in the 1800s" can still get a kick out of that.

"It's a good feel," Malthouse said before training at Ikon Park on Wednesday.

"It's a nervous feel. it's like you wake up and unzip the tent, look out and there's the mountain right in front of you and you think, 'this what we're here for, to climb it.'"

The sexagenarian was in no mood to discuss anything other than his Blues side. That meant no Essendon discussion, and no Collingwood chatter. "For us to go into tomorrow night, that's an irrelevance," Malthouse said when asked about the Bombers' tribunal relief on Tuesday.

"We are just delighted to play at the MCG. Play the first game, play Thursday before anyone else plays. This is what people pay their membership for: the stars of the game, the ones we all want to see, are the players."

There is plenty new about Carlton as it heads into its season-opening clash with Richmond,

Draftees Clem Smith and Blaine Boekhorst have both completed impressive pre-seasons, with Malthouse saying that both in the frame to play.

"We've thought seriously about our kids, and think one or two of them are worthy of selection."

Key position recruits Liam Jones and Kristian Jaksch will also make their Blues debuts. Malthouse was optimistic that both would help Carlton's cause significantly, saying he hoped Jones could kick 40 goals for the season.

"The test will be round one going forward. He knows the requirements. He's something different. We just haven't got that sort of player. He's a very powerful player, extremely quick. His technique to go and approach the football we needed to address, and he's gobbled that up. There's little bits and pieces we've ticked off, and we've got great faith he'll be a good player for us.

"Are you going to say (he's) a 100-goal full forward? No. If he can get to 40, a couple a game, I think that's probably the first step, and contribute in other areas, I think he'll be a good footballer for us."

Carlton gave up pick 7 in the deal to get Jaksch from GWS, but the three-time premiership coach believed it would prove to be a price worth paying.

"I feel pretty confident that we've got a player of the future, and he's pretty excited about representing the club. He's got a small frame, he knows he's got to put some weight on, get some experience but (he's) a kid that wants to learn, and that's fantastic."

Malthouse added that star midfielder Bryce Gibbs and ruckman Robert Warnock had both overcome shoulder injuries and were set to play against the Tigers. Another big man - Matthew Kreuzer - "is going really well" in his recovery from a foot injury. Malthouse said that there was room in his team for both Kreuzer and Warnock given the right opponent.