RICHMOND accelerated its rebuild with a bumper eight selections at this year’s National AFL Draft, including six in the first round. A shrewd trade with North Melbourne also bolstered the Tigers’ hand for next year, spreading the influx of fresh talent aiming to restore recent glory to Tigerland.

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DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

1. Sam Lalor
7. Josh Smillie
12. Taj Hotton
14. Jonty Faull
21. Luke Trainor
23. Harry Armstrong
28. Thomas Sims
58. Jasper Alger

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

Richmond’s call on pick one was narrowed down to a couple of targets come draft time, and Sam Lalor was the Tigers’ man. The explosive, big-bodied midfielder and fend-off king has potential akin to retired champion Dustin Martin, who also wore the number four and won it all in yellow and black.

Lalor was rated top of the crop by beloved late National Recruiting Manager, Chris Toce coming into the year and the Tigers followed through with that judgement. The other consideration was Finn O’Sullivan, who ended up going with pick two and impressed with a late-season VFL appearance for Richmond.

The Tigers were next on the clock with pick seven and again looked towards upside given the weight of numbers their draft haul held. Josh Smillie, the self-described “coach’s dream” was called out as a 195cm midfielder with rare poise, agility and versatility for a player his size.

While Lalor is likely to impact up forward before launching into more midfield minutes, Smillie has shown nice signs down back. His ball use, particularly by foot, is a standout trait and sets him apart when compared to similar inside midfielders like Patrick Cripps and Tom Green.

The long-term was again front of mind with the selection of Taj Hotton at pick 12. An explosive athlete who was on track for top 10 contendership at the start of the year, the 182cm midfielder-forward remains somewhat of an unknown having missed much of the season due to an ACL tear.

With three midfield utilities in the door, Richmond next targeted the breadth of key position talent which had been pushed out to later picks. Jonty Faull (pick 14) was somewhat of a bolter but had been linked along with GWV Rebels teammate Lalor for his patented Tiger traits – above all, competitiveness.

Other clubs were in the hunt for Faull around that range, while others overlooked fellow tall forward Harry Armstrong who fell at pick 23. The left-footer was a prolific goalkicker over the last two years, topping the charts across every competition he played in with strong contested grabs and speed off the mark.

Between those selections came Armstrong’s Sandringham Dragons teammate Luke Trainor (pick 21). Arguably the most talented tall utility of the entire crop, he slid down the order and right into Richmond’s hitting zone. As a 194cm defender, he intercepts confidently and distributes the ball with precision.

A significant moment saw the Tigers trade out of pick 27 to obtain North Melbourne’s future first round selection. The Roos were high on Armstrong and Matt Whitlock, so had shopped their pick to every club and found a suitor in Richmond, which was content with six selections in the first round.

Having played a part in the opening and closing calls on night one, the Tigers were again on the clock to kick off night two. They continued to add variety to their haul, nabbing ruck-forward Thomas Sims with pick 28. His selection made it four talls in seven picks, though his rucking is a point of difference.

Sims possesses a strong set of hands and proved capable of booting big bags of goals this year. He also impressed later on with his ability to play as a roaming ruck, leaning on his athletic base to impact around the ground. Those performances, perhaps, made him all the more appealing with this pick.

The cherry atop Richmond’s intake was forward Jasper Alger. Having been linked with him earlier in the piece, the Tigers traded back in at pick 58 to snare the Oakleigh Chargers product, who hails from Warragul. His selection proved a bargain to cap off a deep National Draft haul for long-term success.