Alex Rance, determined to put together a consistent season after a big start to 2012 and strong end to last year, has typically trained strongly and is standing out in the running.
He's been joined by David Astbury, who has been coming in around the fifth/sixth mark in running after putting together his first injury-free summer.
Astbury, 22, is one the Tigers hope to see more on the senior field this year after he battled foot, leg and hamstring issues last year.
With Jake Batchelor and Matt Dea also putting in the hard yards in a bid to play more senior football, the Tigers' backline depth is running deeper than it is has in previous seasons.
VIDEO: Rance discusses elimination final pain
"Overall, we've been ecstatic with all our defenders because they've mainly had full pre-seasons, more than anything else," defensive coach Ross Smith told AFL.com.au.
"[Astbury] has had an outstanding pre-season.
"He's got a naturally high fitness base, and with the interchange this year, we're going to need a lot of the players to play 100 per cent of game time so he's going to be one of those.
"He'll go close to playing early on. He's had interrupted pre-seasons in the past and this is the first time he's had a real good run at it."
Versatile defender Dylan Grimes is another who fits into the mould of Tiger backmen who have struggled for pre-season continuity in the past.
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Long-term hamstring injuries plagued him in 2011 and 2012 before a foot stress fracture cut him down for 11 games in the middle of last year.
After getting back for the final four games of the Tigers' season, he's been carefully managed – along with Troy Chaplin, who's on top of his knee troubles and has upped his own training load – to have the most involved pre-season he's had in his career.
"He's really important to us because he can play high, deep, and has explosive speed and can shut down talls and smalls," Smith said.
"He's a player we constantly have to manage because he has a long history of hamstrings but he's had more pre-season than he's had in the past."
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Third-year rookie Ben Darrou has shot out of the blocks to show the coaches undiscovered aspects of his game.
While the former Vic Metro defender is pushing for selection in the NAB Challenge, with the Tigers to play their first game against Melbourne on February 14, Smith said a senior debut in the premiership season wasn't out of the question.
"He's made enormous in-roads, enormous progression and has spent a lot of time with 'Choco' and [development/VFL backline coach Greg Mellor]," he said.
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"I think he's fitted right in and he keeps surprising us."
Smith said the Tigers' loss to Carlton in the elimination final last year hadn't caused panic in the defensive department.
He said the Tigers had improved their defensive structures in the two seasons he'd been at the club, despite statistically falling away at times in 2013.
"It's fraught with danger to look at one game and make assessment as to where we need to improve," he said.
"We were good defensively all year; they're a side that runs strong and finishes late, and they came home on us in every game.
"A lot of things didn't go well for us in the final. Carlton has been a bogey side for Richmond but as we consistently improve, as we've been doing over the past couple of years and keep going in the right direction, we'll have our time in the sun."
Twitter: @AFL_JenPhelan
