Richmond’s acting senior coach Brendon Lade has spoken of the X-factor potential of talented teenager Oleg Markov, who played his first game for the Tigers in last Friday night’s opening-round NAB Challenge match against Fremantle.

Markov, the second pick (No. 50 overall) for Richmond in last year’s National Draft, was impressive after being introduced to the on-field action in the second half.

The Richmond v Hawthorn NAB Challenge match at Holm Park Recreation Reserve has now officially sold out

“Oleg had been training up forward all pre-season and he’d done some little things here and there.  Then, in an intra-club (practice match), we put him on the wing, and he just took to it like a duck to water and did some really good things,” Lade told 5AA.

“In the game on the weekend (against Fremantle) . . . his speed and his endurance were amazing. 

“Look, he’s still got a long way to go . . . He’s only 80-odd kilos now, and he’s about 6.2 or 6.3 (188cm).

“So, he’s got a bit of work to go with his body, but there are some exciting signs for him, with what he can produce for us.”