When it comes to football, nothing carries higher expectations than being the country’s number one pick.

For the last year, Sam Lalor has navigated this task, experiencing the highs and lows of the sport.

In a Richmond Media production, ALL IN will pull back the curtain at the Tigers like never before, providing fans with an unfiltered look at what it takes to be an elite AFL athlete. ALL IN will premiere at Richmond’s 2026 Season Launch at The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne on Monday, February 23. Fans can purchase tickets here.

Lalor wasted no time making an instant impact in his AFL debut against Carlton in Round 1 last year, collecting 18 disposals and two goals to earn a Rising Star Nomination.

“It was probably a dream night, couldn't have gone much better, and it was really good to get the win, so hopefully we can beat them again this year,” Lalor said in ALL IN.

“It's a bit of a blur still. It was a perfect night to debut against Carlton, first game of the year always, which is nice in front of our home crowd, 80,000 fans.”

Just as Lalor was starting to get comfortable at the elite level, his season was prematurely ended due to an ongoing hamstring injury.

Lalor has worked hard to overcome the injury challenges and ensure he is fit and firing for the 2026 season.

“It's obviously hard missing a bit of footy,” Lalor said.

“I did the hammy last year, and that was a tough one, especially coming back from a hammy six weeks before that, but I suppose it's all part of the game.

“It's going to happen. I know it'll happen in the future. Something will happen again.

“So, I’m just learning to treat rehab right and not leave any stones unturned, which is probably a big thing for me, especially trying to get back from an injury.”

Despite the injury setback, Lalor managed to appear in 11 games last season, which was enough to win the Bill Cosgrove/Harry Jenkins Best First-Year Player Award.

Alongside Lalor were seven other Richmond debutants donning the jumper for the first time in 2025. Lalor said having his fellow youngsters by his side helped take the pressure off his shoulders.

“It was a massive honour to be drafted to such a big club,” Lalor said.

“I was pretty lucky to be drafted with a lot of talented boys as well, so we kind of shared the spotlight a bit, which was nice.

“We had really good players coming through, so it wasn't too much on me.”

After successfully rehabbing his hamstring, Lalor has returned to the Swinburne Centre fit and firing, primed for a big 2026 campaign.

Pre-season match simulation has seen Lalor gain valuable midfield experience, a position he is eager to make his own when the season starts.

“More midfield minutes, which is exciting for me,” Lalor said.

“I was obviously drafted as a midfielder, but I think hopefully we just get more wins, to be honest.

“I think we're in a really good spot at the moment. All th

e boys are training hard, and everyone's pretty eager to get better.

“We know that 17th's not where we want to be, so we'll see if we can get up the ladder a bit.”

Lalor has been working closely with development coach Jack Ziebell, and teammates Dion Presita and Tim Taranto, to help refine his midfield craft.

“Jack Ziebell has been really good for me,” Lalor said

“I was mainly a forward, but still just checking in with him and some of the midfield stuff I've been working on, and then just trying to pick Dion and Tim's brains as much as I could.

“Dion is an absolute genius, and Tim's been around for a long time as well, so I try to use some of their skills, but those three are probably the main ones."

Coach Adem Yze has also been another guiding light for Lalor, always offering up his counsel and making sure he is getting the most out of himself.

“He's been great, especially with such a big group coming in,” Lalor said.  

“We're all pretty young and don't know much, so he's been really open to us, and I just love going out to training and hearing his voice on the sidelines, screaming out to us and getting around us in drills. He's been awesome."

Keep an eye on Richmond’s social media channels for exclusive trailers and snippets from ALL IN ahead of its release. The full ALL IN documentary will be available to watch on Tuesday, February 24, at 6:30pm, on richmondfc.com.au and Richmond’s YouTube channels.