AFTER asking for a trade at the end of last season, Richmond forward Ben Lennon admits it was "nerve-racking" returning to Punt Road.

Lennon was drafted at No. 12 in 2013 but has rarely been seen at senior level, having managed just 19 matches in his career.

Last year was particularly difficult – he lined up in three games after shoulder surgery, glandular fever and concussion.

Lennon said at Punt Road on Wednesday that he soon settled back into the Tigers.

"The first day was a little bit nerve-racking, but the club's in a really good spot," he said.

"I've got plenty of good friends here so I was pretty quick to move on to the next thing."

While Richmond coach Damien Hardwick told Lennon after the 2016 season that it might be in the 21-year-old's interest to consider his options at other clubs, the forward said there were no issues between the two.

"It's all good now. He (Hardwick) sat me aside and said he's going to try to make the player that he thinks he can. He was good and really supportive," he said.

Lennon is in the final year of his contract in 2017, and said being able to put together a full pre-season for the first time gave him a platform to perform well.

"(Being uncontracted after this year) just gives me determination. It hasn't gone to plan in my first three years, so now that I'm fit, hopefully I can go play some good footy and let that unfold at the end of the year," he said.

Lennon has been moved around the field throughout his career, spending time in the backline and on the wing as the Tigers looked for better ways to use him. Coming into this season, Lennon says he has greater clarity on where Hardwick sees him fitting into the line-up.

"Now that I'm fit, I can do more things that I probably couldn't have done in previous years. That's made it a lot better for me," he said.

After a four-goal effort in last Thursday's intraclub, and with Tyrone Vickery's departure to Hawthorn leaving a hole in the club's attack, there is a role for Lennon to fill.

The Tigers kick off their JLT Series campaign against Adelaide on Friday night at Etihad Stadium, with Lennon named in the squad along with recruits Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and Toby Nankervis.

Three-time All Australian Alex Rance was left out as he deals with hamstring tendinitis, but Lennon played down the star backman's absence.

"There's nothing really too wrong with him. He's just being monitored and I guess they've got a program for him. Hopefully he features in the second game or third game," he said.