A trio of Richmond youngsters could be in contention for AFL debuts come Round 2 given the suspension handed down to veteran spearhead Tom Lynch.
The Tigers will consider appealing the Match Review Officer's rough conduct charge against Lynch from the club's season opener against Carlton, which saw their 2022 best and fairest collect opponent Tom De Koning high in a collision.
The MRO listed the incident as careless conduct, high contact and medium impact, with the latter grading determining the extent of the punishment.
Richmond could argue the impact down to 'low' which would see Lynch walked away with a fine, or could assess the role Jacob Weitering played in the incident given he looks to have pushed Lynch toward De Koning before contact was made.
Nevertheless, with Lynch's playing prospects up in the air, coach Adem Yze will again look toward his crop of Tiger cubs to potentially fill the void of a premiership stalwart.
Three of Richmond's first-round draftees debuted in the club's stellar 13-point upset over Carlton on Thursday night, with draft dux Sam Lalor featuring among the Tigers' best with two goals and eight score involvements from 18 disposals in his maiden match.
Athletic defender Luke Trainor had moments of poise and reliability on debut too, while key forward Harry Armstrong showed signs as a supporting cog for Lynch and Jacob Bauer.
With Yze's youthful attacking unit now in line to be without Lynch for next Saturday's trip to South Australia to meet Port Adelaide, Richmond could turn to another first-gamer in the early rounds of their 2025 campaign.
Three options will be in the mix for the Tigers to consider, with second-year tall Liam Fawcett and rookie pair Thomas Sims and Jonty Faull pressing their case at IKON Park on Friday in a VFL practice match against Carlton.
Fawcett kicked three goals in what was a performance of promise for the South Australian, who played just three games at VFL level last year after being struck down by illness and injury in his debut season at Punt Road.
Sims and Faull also managed to impact the scoreboard, with the latter impressing after returning from a back issue that had hampered the end of his first pre-season in the yellow and black.
Ruck-forward hybrid Samson Ryan will be another in contention for Round 2 selection after booting three goals against the Blues also, with Yze needing to weigh up whether he'll require a full-time forward or an asset who can alleviate captain Toby Nankervis' ruck workload.
"We knew our key forwards were probably going to be the difference for us this week," VFL coach Jake Batchelor told the club's website after Friday's practice match.
"Really pleased with their performance, but (also) their effort throughout the whole game. Really proud of their ability to accept feedback and put it into action.
"[Jonty] was great, he was crashing packsโฆthat's all we wanted from him. We're looking forward to seeing him build from here."
Jonty Faull has his first goal in the Yellow and Black! ๐ฏ pic.twitter.com/9hqnt3Vz8H
โ Richmond VFL (@RichmondVFL) March 14, 2025
Pick 58 selection Jasper Alger was another to catch the eye on Friday, booting multiple goals in the Tigers reserves' final pre-season game before a Round 1 clash with Coburg on Sunday, March 23.
First-round selection Taj Hotton was the only Richmond draftee not to suit up at either level this week, with the Sandringham Dragons product continuing his recovery from an ACL injury sustained in his draft campaign.
Richmond key defender Jacob Blight battled a groin issue in Thursday's win over the Blues and will be monitored ahead of Round 2, with fringe backmen Jacob Koschitzke and Campbell Gray on standby after featuring in the VFL tune-up with the Blues.
The Tigers have a longer period between their first two games than most, giving Blight and others the needed time to recover for next week's clash with Port Adelaide.
