Missing suspended pair Leigh Montagna and Lenny Hayes and the injured Jack Steven, the Saints will look to the robust Armitage, who last season led the club in tackles and was second in clearances, to provide drive through the middle and help ease debutants Jack Billings and Luke Dunstan into what shapes as an intriguing contest at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night against an opponent also expected to finish near the foot of the ladder.

"Given he (Armitage) is going to have some fairly inexperienced fellas around him, he will be the one that will drive that," Richardson said on Friday.

"He will be the one that will be responsible, probably more than most, to set a fantastic example physically and from the running perspective. It's a great opportunity for David."

The Saints will also hope experienced pair Jarryn Geary and Clint Jones provide support in taming a revamped Demons' midfield.

Opportunities have also presented for top picks Billings and Dunstan and Eli Templeton, the latter elevated from the rookie list this week.

The mop-haired Templeton will spend time in the middle and across half-forward, as the Saints unveil their next generation of talent they hope will deliver their second flag by 2020.

"We thought long term he had the potential to be a very good player," Richardson said of Templeton. "We have had to expedite that because of circumstances but his form has been really strong.

"He played well against the Bulldogs, kicked a couple of goals in NAB Challenge one, and his form since has been really solid."

Richardson had been unsure in recent weeks whether Billings, who has had a couple of injury setbacks through the pre-season, would line up against the Demons. However, Billings impressed in a VFL practice match last weekend and the Saints are confident his body will cope with the increased demands.

"His preparation - we have had to hold him back a little bit," Richardson said.

"His body hasn't quite been able to cope with all the work that you would like to get into them prior to round one, but his last game against Frankston was really strong and suggested that he is much more likely to be able to cope with the game.

"We will have to be a little bit mindful with the minutes we get through Jack but, long-term, he is going to (have) an outstanding career.

"All those guys who are here for a long career - it won't be just about their performance in round one."

Richardson was delighted that experienced wingman and half-back Sam Gilbert is fit to play. It initially was felt he would miss the opening weeks of the season after fracturing his foot.

"He was able to do a lot of work pretty quickly in terms of staying in shape. He had an enormous pre-season, so his minutes and load in terms of preparation were really strong," he said.

As the Saints had a light morning run at Etihad Stadium on Friday, Richardson outlined what he wanted his young and rebuilding team to stand for.

"Our team wants to be a really strong, aggressive, attacking-the-ball, attacking-the-man team. We value team defence really strongly," Richardson said.

"There are some KPIs around that, both from a team and an individual perspective, they would certainly be non-negotiable."

As they undergo change on and off the field, the Saints recently unveiled their long-term objectives, namely a top-four berth by 2018 and a flag by 2020.

Richardson, however, is confident his players - many of whom won't be at the club later in the decade - are focused on the immediate task.

"I would be surprised and disappointed if any of that stuff was anything but a positive in many ways," Richardson said.

"It won't influence their minds in terms of the way they prepare. But to know their footy club is making decisions from now until then based on giving ourselves the best opportunity to succeed, that's only beneficial."