In the lead-up to the 2026 AFL season, Richmond Media will assess how each positional group is tracking in the pre-season. Today, we focus on the midfield with Assistant Coach, Midfield/Ball Movement, Blake Caracella. Click here to read the backline preview.

The midfield group is generating plenty of excitement at the Swinburne Centre heading into 2026, and rightfully so.

Tim Taranto is coming off a career-best Jack Dyer Medal-winning year, having also polled 20 Brownlow votes to vindicate his standing as one of the competition’s prime movers.

A fit and firing Jacob Hopper showed how damaging he can be, appearing in all 23 games and averaging 26.4 disposals last season, his best return in a Richmond guernsey.

Dion Prestia made an immediate impact upon his return in Round 13 last year, and the triple premiership star has enjoyed an injury-free pre-season up until this point.

Emerging leader Jack Ross continues to grow, with his presence and voice proving to be a vital ingredient in the midfield mix.

Along with that core four, a pair of 2024 draftees, Sam Lalor and Taj Hotton, have increased their midfield minutes throughout pre-season training, with Caracella electrified by their skillsets.

“Sammy Lalor is spending more time in the midfield during the pre-season, really highlighting his power and his ability to create something for us from inside stoppage or inside contest,” Caracella said.

“He has got a unique ability in contests, and ability to get the ball to the outside, and be quite damaging with the ball.

“Taj Hotton spent a little bit of time in there in the last few rounds last year, and he's got an amazing step-in ability to win the ball and get out of trouble with his agility.

“He hasn't played much in there, but he's trained in there during the pre-season and is a really exciting prospect, playing midfield-forward for the team.

“His ability to do some things that most players can't is what separates him from the rest. He's going to have an amazing highlight reel when his career is finished, and hopefully it starts very soon.”

However, the guidance provided by the aforementioned group of senior leaders – Taranto, Hopper, Prestia and Ross – is imperative to the development and evolution of the younger midfielders.

“That's so important (the leadership),” Caracella said.

“We've got recruits who have come in like Sam Cumming, who doesn't really know what the standard is of an AFL club, and our experienced players, players who have played a lot of footy, played in premierships, they know where the training standards need to be and the standards of their craft to match it with the best.

“They really set the scene with what's needed, and they can pass on their knowledge to those younger players, and they've done a great job.”

Ross is multiplying his footprint as a leader, a topic that will be explored in detail in the Tigers’ pre-season documentary, ALL IN. Click here to find out more.

“Rossy has been around for a long time, and his ability to play different positions for the team is invaluable,” Caracella said.

“That’s one of his weapons. He can go and play different positions, and it makes him a really, really important part of the midfield.

“He’s got a strong voice and a strong presence. He's really respected by his teammates. He's got good values, and he really cares about his teammates and the club.”

Adding to the anticipation about what the midfield can produce this season is the group of new draftees, who have injected pace and speed to the Richmond line-up.

“Cumming…his ability to find the ball, I think he had 20-odd possessions in a half of match practice the other day, so he's going really well,” Caracella said.

“All the young players have shown why they got drafted. Sam Grlj's ability to run and evade, and his speed and endurance on the outside, has been really obvious.”

Another player Caracella highlighted was 23-year-old Tyler Sonsie, who signed a one-year contract extension in October.

Sonsie played 16 AFL games last season, the most of his four-year career, and put together a strong block of form, amassing 20 or more disposals in four of the last six matches.

Caracella says the Eastern Ranges product has carried that momentum into an eye-catching pre-season.

“Sons has had a fantastic pre-season. He's come back in fantastic condition. He really worked hard through the off-season and has come back running PBs,” Caracella said.

“We know the talent he's got, his ability to use the ball on both sides. He's really creative.

“He has left no stone unturned to come back and give himself the absolute best chance to perform and get to the positions he needs to be on the field, whether it's on offence or defence, to make an impact.

“He has given himself the best chance, and he's gone about his training really well. We can see he's really motivated to have a big year.”

One zone of the midfield that’ll have a fresh look in 2026 is the wing, after the departure of long-time Tiger fan favourite Kamdyn McIntosh.

There’s no shortage of options to fill the wings this year, with the likes of Sonsie, Hugo Ralphsmith, Patrick Retschko, James Trezise, Noah Roberts-Thomson, and potentially some other names, all battling to cement their spot.

“The competition is really good. We've drafted a lot of midfielders this year and utilities, half-forwards, half-backs, midfielders. In previous years, we got a lot of talls,” Caracella said.

“Our depth has grown a lot this year around the outside of the contests, and all those players are putting their hand up to improve, but also get selected in the Round 1 team.

“It's not going to be an easy decision. We've got a few more weeks of training, some practice games to come, and every player will get their opportunity to showcase what they can bring, and they'll keep growing each week, and so will the team.”

Kane McAuliffe will be hoping for a healthy campaign after injury limited him to just five games last season. However, the 20-year-old averaged 18.4 disposals and 4.8 tackles in those matches, showcasing his potential at AFL level.

On a holistic level, the midfield message is clear – advancement in a variety of areas will drive growth, which will help the Tigers climb back up the ladder.

“We're a team that is developing, and we know we need to improve in a lot of areas,” Caracella said.

“One of the focuses is our ability to win the ball and put pressure on. Whether that's stoppage and clearance, or ability to pressure a contest or win the ball and then do something with it, is probably the main focus.

“We’re just trying to work on our craft and the detail of each skill that the players are performing. A lot of time is spent talking about our detail and how we need to get from where we are now to a great team.”