In a report on richmondfc.com.au, general manager of football Craig Cameron wrote that the Tigers' trade-week intentions had been encouraged by the introduction of the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney franchises.
Former Port Adelaide national recruiting manager Blair Hartley crossed to Punt Road in the off-season, and Cameron confirmed Hartley, as opposition and list analyst, would be heavily involved in luring senior players.
However, parting with the club's first draft pick was unlikely at this stage.
"We need to search for players outside the traditional pathways," Cameron said.
"If we have an early selection in the draft, then that will come via the traditional pathways (i.e. TAC Cup), but we will broaden our recruiting horizons in a bid to find the necessary talent to bolster our playing list and, with Blair now on board, we anticipate being quite active in the trade market.
"We're one of the first AFL clubs to have a fully-resourced trading division in our overall recruiting structure, so we are confident we'll be capably equipped to make smart decisions with regards to trades."
Cameron also said that despite Gold Coast's prominence in this year's NAB AFL Draft, Richmond would not be disadvantaged.
Gold Coast will have nine of the first 15 selections while 2010's wooden spooner will receive pick No.4.
Richmond is currently on the bottom of the AFL ladder and, along with Adelaide, is yet to win a game this season.
"A lot has been made about ... how it's not a good time to be 'bottoming out', with Gold Coast having so many early picks," Cameron said. "Well, I can assure you there will still be talented players available at our draft selections.
"The whole issue of bottoming out is an interesting one, too, because it's difficult to pinpoint the actual time when you bottom out.
"We brought 14 new players into the club late last year, and have drafted quite a few other young players over the past two or three years ... so I don't agree that we're going to be as disadvantaged as what many others in the football world would have you believe.
"We have a substantial group of young players on our list and we'll add to that at the end of the year, as well as find some more experienced, bigger-bodied players, who can help us out as well."
Meanwhile, Cameron added that media criticism of emerging forward Jack Riewoldt had been unfair, and that the 21-year-old "battles his heart out each week for us".
