Perfect conditions at Waverley welcomed back Richmond’s one-to-four-year players for the first day of pre-season training on Monday morning.

Decked out in the new adidas training threads, the playing group hit the track and began warming up with some fundamental ball skills.

Newly appointed High Performance Manager, Selwyn Griffith, wasted no time putting the group through its paces with some short-burst running work.

Once the squad was warmed up, they transitioned into contest work, moving the ball down the flanks of the oval. Sam Grlj picked up where he left off from his strong debut campaign, side-stepping his opponents with his elite agility and speed, nailing the kick to finish.

Grlj was vocal on the track, encouraging his teammates and showing great leadership as he gears up for his second season in the yellow and black.

Similarly, hard-running wingman Patrick Retschko was a standout, moving the ball with precision by foot and with his silky handball skills. Time slowed whenever he had possession, as he looks to have grown in confidence with a full season of AFL behind him.

Intercepting defender Campbell Gray was strong in the air and was willing to take the game on every time he received the ball.

Tom Brown returned fit and firing, leading multiple running packs, striding out with pace during interval running patterns between drills.

Noah Balta joined in the main drills and looks primed for 2027, while new recruits Nathan O’Driscoll and Kieren Briggs joined experienced trio Toby Nankervis, Tom Lynch and Jack Ross in an early morning run around the track prior to training commencing.

On the pockets of the oval, coaches Taylor Duryea and Jack Ziebell honed in on the players’ tackling abilities, running one-on-one drills. Luke Trainor showed his strength and competitiveness, not backing down from the contest and holding his ground.

Lots of calls for ‘Tractor’, aka Sam Lalor, echoed around the track as he accumulated the ball in a stoppage drill. His presence was felt, alongside in-and-under midfielder Kane McAuliffe, who also managed to win lots of the ball. The pair linked up nicely throughout the day, showing glimpses of what the 2027 midfield could look like.

After an injury-riddled first two seasons, Josh Smillie was involved in football drills, showing his speed and strength when breaking tackles during a clearance drill. The midfielder appeared to be moving freely, concluding his session by running some strong laps around the oval.

Goal sneak Noah Roberts-Thomson, entering his second pre-season, showed impressive growth in leadership as he was seen lifting teammates up after tough drills and runs.

Small forward pairing, Seth Campbell and Jasper Alger, also impressed on the track with their kicking skills, hitting targets and using the right option every time. The duo finished their day with a weights session focusing on upper body lifts.

A great first day on the track was concluded by running laps around the oval with Retschko and Grlj leading the pack. The group completed a few warm-down stretches before breaking for lunch, followed by a gym session to round out the first day of pre-season.

The Tigers’ young core will continue building towards 2027 over the next two weeks, before the full playing list returns.