RICHMOND-TIED prospect Tanner Armstrong has added another jewel to his crown, as he made his VFL debut for the Tigers on Saturday. Armstrong has been a member of Richmond’s Next Generation Academy (NGA) for five years, and was a key cog in the Vic Country Under 18 side in 2026.

The tenacious 177cm defender/midfielder assumed the half-back position for the entire game, accumulating 18 disposals in his side’s 48-point victory over St Kilda at RSEA Park. We put his performance under the Player Focus microscope.

Murray Bushrangers, Vic CountryDefender-Midfielder

Tanner Armstrong

Height: 177cm

Weight: -

DOB: 27-02-2008

STRENGTHS:

+ Accumulation
+ Clean hands
+ Competitiveness
+ Ground balls
+ Work rate

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Kicking under pressure
– Size

STATS:

2026 Talent League (2 games):
33.5 disposals, 4.5 marks, 6.0 tackles, 6.5 inside 50s, 3.0 rebound 50s

2026 U18 National Championships (4 games):
24.5 disposals, 3.5 marks, 2.5 tackles, 0.8 inside 50s, 5.0 rebound 50s

FROM THE EXPERTS:

“It was his first VFL game. I thought he showed some great signs. His ability to find and use the footy off the half back line was awesome. He looked comfortable at the level, despite playing on some solid small forwards. Hopefully he took a lot out of the experience.” – Richmond VFL coach Jack Madgen

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 VFL: Round 21
Richmond 13.7 (85) def. St Kilda 4.13 (37)

#56 Tanner Armstrong (Richmond VFL)
Stats: 18 disposals (67% efficiency), 6 marks, 6 intercepts, 3 inside 50s, 2 rebound 50s

FIRST QUARTER:

Armstrong worked into the contest nicely. His first possession was a stress-free welcome to VFL footy with an uncontested gather and short but neat kick to find a teammate.

As the quarter went on, Armstrong’s cleanliness was a real highlight. He managed to pick up a tricky ball without fumbling and dish it out to a teammate before he got tackled. Similarly, he won a defensive 50 ball off a marking contest and had the smarts to lock it in for a ball up – not earning a stat but making the right decision to not unnecessarily give away the ball in a dangerous area.

SECOND QUARTER:

The second quarter was by far Armstrong’s most productive. He found the ball on the outside on many occasions and for the most part, was able to hit a Tigers jumper with his next possession.

A noticeable moment came aerially for the undersized Armstrong, where he outmuscled his direct opponent in a one-on-one marking contest to take an intercept mark.

Defensively, there was a moment late in the quarter that Armstrong would have liked again. He gave Lance Collard a little too much space for a forward 50 ground ball, lost touch with him and allowed the crafty forward to win the ball and kick an easy goal. Despite that moment, Armstrong’s busyness to find the footy, particularly in uncontested areas, was a real standout.

THIRD QUARTER:

As the Tigers kicked away and controlled forward half territory, Armstrong had a quieter quarter. He still enjoyed positive moments, most notably when he smothered a handball which would have most likely led to a Saints running goal. Instead, Richmond was able to rebound.

FOURTH QUARTER:

It was pleasing to see Armstrong not fade out of the contest after a slightly quieter third term, as he managed to earn more disposals in the last quarter than the previous period.

He showed a nice bit of composure when he lost his footing as the ball came his way, but he still was able to gather the ground ball and feed it off to a teammate. He reeled in a nice intercept mark late and hit a low piercing kick that was almost too hot for the receiver as he spilled the mark.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

The biggest positive from Armstrong’s performances against the Saints was his craft below his knees. On multiple occasions, he was able to cleanly gather the ball and execute neatly.

It was also pleasing to see a strong final quarter, as many young players would fade out of the game after one subdued quarter, but Armstrong kept at it and carried out the basics really nicely.

Defensively, a few intercept marks and a timely smother were the highlights, but Armstrong could benefit from slightly more man awareness when his side doesn’t have the ball. Other than that, his debut performance at VFL level is one he should be proud of, as it displayed his talent against bigger bodies.