The future of Richmond's midfield mix looks bright and is set to shine in 2027, according to senior coach Adem Yze.
Combine the growth and talent of Sam Lalor, Taj Hotton, Sam Cumming, Seth Campbell and others, with the prospects of a Josh Smillie debut in 2027, alongside mature leaders coming off career-best campaigns in Tim Taranto and Jack Ross, and the potential is hard to dismiss.
Speaking on Talking Tigers, to be released on Tuesday afternoon, Yze outlined the clear expectations of his midfield group for the upcoming pre-season, and how he is shifting his and his coaches' mindsets to "maximise" the talent on the list.
"When you've got Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Jack Ross, and then you've got Sam Lalor, Josh Smillie, Sam Cumming [and others], there's a nucleus of a really strong midfield crew," Yze said.
"We need to be good in that space, we went into the pre-season wanting to get better in that space. When you see some growth, it's pleasing as a coach, but we've got to start to really marry that up with the way we want to lock the ball in our front end.
"Tim and Rossy, while [Toby Nankervis] was out, their leadership around the place...it's exactly what you expect as leaders of our footy club. I felt like they both got better and they have got a clear understanding of how they can get better again.
"When you get those key pillars and key leaders out there, that's where our strength is."
As for the specifics, the only midfielder that is yet to pull on the yellow and black is Smillie, who Yze has put full faith into for next year, declaring the youngster has plenty to offer.
"We drafted him as a pure inside-mid, but now we might have to grow his game a little bit. We look at [Carlton's] Patrick Cripps...he's a big boy, he plays inside-mid, but can drift forward," Yze said.
"Josh will be exactly the same. His talent inside and his running patterns are outstanding. We're only scratching the surface."
Meantime, Lalor has shown his ability to break open games, but not just in and under the ball, with the 20-year-old possessing game-changing skills up forward.
"[Dustin Martin] did it really well. He trained as a midfielder, so he knew what he was doing. We understand what he could do as a forward," Yze said.
"There will be both [for Lalor]. We want him to get a clear understanding of what the work rate is for a midfielder, and then have a clear understanding of what it means to go and play as a dangerous forward."
Couple Lalor's improvement and expectations with the impressive glimpses shown by speedsters Hotton and Campbell, the foundation is there to grow and do damage through the middle in 2027.
"Sammy Lalor is just scratching the surface as a midfielder. Taj Hotton going through there also gives us a different look. Seth Campbell got some exposure," Yze said.
"We want to have a real nice blend of those big inside bulls, but then some of the faster, more agile guys through there. We've got a clear understanding of what works.
"Jack Ziebell will work closely with those inside-mids next year. We need to maximise that talent."
