The Tigers are uniquely positioned after a mass exodus of premiership stars in the free agency and trade period last year, followed by a strategic plan to land as much first-round draft talent as possible, making seven selections in the first 28 picks.
These selections include Pick 1 Sam Lalor and Pick 8 Josh Smillie, who was tipped to be selected first overall in the early stages of last year.
Richmond are short-priced favourites to claim the wooden spoon in 2025, with a year of blooding their youth expected. It leaves a curious dilemma for Adam Yze to tackle, as Richmond will be aiming to find a balance between utilising veteran leadership and providing invaluable matches early in the careers of their promising youngsters to ensure they are at least somewhat competitive.
Across all three lines of the field, we've assessed Richmond's best options for 2025, creating a 23-man side that best balances experience and youth.
Our Best 23 for 2025 series will include players unavailable for the start of the season, except for those expected to miss most or all of the season through injury or suspension.
3. Forwards
In the forward line, a healthy Tom Lynch will be the key target, with hopes he can finally stay consistently on the park in 2025. Likewise, Mykelti Lefau should be an immediate inclusion following his ACL recovery as he was a shining light in a dark 2024 season for Richmond, kicking 14 goals in 10 games.
Maurice Rioli takes a spot as an agile small, likely to be joined by the likes of Ryhan Mansell, Jacob Bauer, Steely Green and Seth Campbell.
Lalor could be eased into AFL level by playing as a physical half-forward in a similar role that Dustin Martin played in the latter stages of his career. Harry Armstrong and Jonty Faull are other draftees that could warrant an early season debut, while Jasper Alger is more likely to develop in the VFL.
