Richmond great Matthew Richardson believes Tiger young gun Josh Gibcus has what it takes to develop into a top key forward.

Gibcus, who was Richmond’s first pick (No. 9 overall) in the 2021 AFL national draft, has had an impressive debut season with the Tigers as a key defender.

Such is the faith coach Damien Hardwick already has in Gibcus, he handed him the daunting assignment of playing on Sydney’s superstar spearhead Lance Franklin at the SCG last Friday night.

The 196cm, 19-year-old carried out the task exceptionally well until late in the match when Franklin got on top.

Co-captain Dylan Grimes was moved on to Franklin with Gibcus shifted forward, where he did spend some time in his junior playing days.

Gibcus had an immediate impact up forward, leading out to a superb kick from Nick Vlastuin, marking with surety, and then coolly slotting the set-shot goal from about 50 metres out.

Richardson, who kicked 800 goals during his illustrious AFL career with Richmond and is regarded as one of the competition’s best-ever key forwards, was impressed with Gibcus’ cameo in attack.

“Just that one lead that he did make . . . They had numbers back and he still found a leading lane. And he had to adjust his lead because Nick went to kick and then didn’t . . . ‘sold a bit of candy’ and then did kick,” Richardson said on the latest episode of the Club’s Talking Tigers podcast.

“For him to go down there and straight away find a leading lane and time his lead, that was really good.

“And the way he floats . . . That mark he took down half-back, where he turned it over and, unfortunately, ended up costing a goal. But the mark he took leading up to that, floating across . . .

“And just his spring. If he could do that in the forward line . . .

“Bit of composure, too, to nail the goal.

“I’d love to see him tried up forward a bit.”