AFL great Matthew Lloyd believes there’s no ceiling to what Richmond’s fourth pick (No. 46 overall) in the 2019 national draft, Hugo Ralphsmith, can achieve over the course of his league football career.

Lloyd, who was Ralphsmith’s football coach at Haileybury College, also has likened the talented teenager’s running ability to that of a triple Hawthorn premiership star.

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“He polarises people and they’re unsure about him, but I look at his athleticism, his speed and his ability to go to full-forward and take marks on the lead,” Lloyd said.

“He runs like Isaac Smith and he’ll run for you all day long . . . he's a guy who could be anything at AFL level.”

Ralphsmith also received a ringing endorsement from Mark Wheeler, the talent manager at the Sandringham Dragons, where he played under-18s football in the NAB League.

“He’s got some elite athletics traits,” Wheeler said.

“Position-wise, he’s probably still working out which one suits him best.

“We think he can be that second or third forward.

“You can’t put a small on him because he goes too high up and you can’t put a tall on him because he’s got elite speed. He’s a hard match-up.

“With 12 months under his belt (in the AFL system), he’s going to fly up the ladder.”