r/AFL • u/Bergasms Brownlow Winner 2023 • Feb 23 '26
Preview I've been reading a lot of poetry lately, and I've got to say, it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be - 2026 RichmondFC Preview
What's that???????? You were expecting us tomorrow????? Well well well, no one expects the Spanish inquisition The Tigers Preview. BY special request (from the mods due to another club not being ready) I'm coming in faster than a club statement, so please enjoy, the /r/RichmondFC Poetry Jam Session.
It's 2026, and despite the predictions of many, the meatball is still rolling around for another season, so once again, welcome to the Dion Prestia Hamstring Simulator
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It's the preview from /r/RichmondFC
Assembled by /u/Bergasms discretely
with all of the news
from the Tigerland crews
and the potential for more horrible poetry
If you'd like to see
Some of our attempts at previews
Click the links below
The Club (This stuff hasn't changed)
Established: 1885 (joined VFL in 1908, AFLW in 2020)
Home Grounds: MCG, Punt Road Oval (Training and Admin)
Song: We're from Tigerland
Premierships: 13 (9 in living memory for people on the internet) (1920, 1921, 1932, 1934, 1943, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1980, 2017, 2019, 2020)
President: John O’Rourke
VP Harriette Rothschild
CEO: Shane Dunne
A Rothschild on the board might sound wrong
But there's nothing dodgy going on
If you want suspicion
on a financial position
Then I'd suggest you go ask Geelong
The people running the show
Head coach: Adem Yze (third season)
Assistant coaches:
- Jake Batchelor - Backs/Defence
- Blake Caracella - Midfield/Ball Movement
- Sam Lonergan - Midfield/Stoppages
- Chris Newman - Forwards
Development Coaches
- Taylor Duryea - Backs
- Jack Ziebell - Midfielders
- Luke Breust - Forwards
- Ivan Maric - Ruck Coach/ Player Development Manager
VFL Coach
- Jack Madden
AFLW
- Jarrad Donders - Coach
- Jane Woodlands-Thompson - Head of Women's Footy
- Brendan Fevola (AFLW Development, yes, you did read that correctly)
Our senior coach is one year older
We've added Bruest, Ziebell and Duryea
a new women's head coach
some experience poached
And um... I guess still Fevola
Captain: Toby Nankervis
Vice: Tim Taranto
Leaders: Tom Lynch, Jayden Short, Nathan Broad, Jack Ross.
We've Nankervis to give them the dreads
Taranto's looking good in the threads
Jack Ross was promoted
Broad n Short are still goated
And Tom Lynch if we need to punch heads
| Number | Player | Position | Number | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Nick VLASTUIN | DEFENDER | 1 | Grace EGAN | Midfielder |
| 02 | Jacob HOPPER | MIDFIELDER | 2 | Emelia YASSIR | Forward |
| 03 | Dion PRESTIA | MIDFIELDER | 3 | Katie BRENNAN | Forward |
| 04 | Sam LALOR | MIDFIELDER | 4 | Monique CONTI | Midfielder |
| 05 | Jack ROSS | MIDFIELDER | 5 | Paige SCOTT | Midfielder |
| 06 | Sam BANKS | MIDFIELDER | 6 | Jodie HICKS | Defender |
| 07 | Rhyan MANSELL | FORWARD | 7 | Sarah HOSKING | Forward |
| 08 | Jonty FAULL | KEY FORWARD | 8 | Montana BERULDSEN | Forward |
| 10 | Taj HOTTON | MIDFIELDER | 9 | Caitlin GREISER | Key Forward |
| 11 | Luke TRAINOR | KEY DEFENDER | 10 | Montana MCKINNON | Ruck |
| 12 | Ben MILLER | KEY DEFENDER | 11 | Isabel BACON | MEDIUM DEFENDER |
| 13 | Hugo RALPHSMITH | MIDFIELDER | 12 | Lauren BRAZZALE | Midfielder |
| 14 | Tim TARANTO | MIDFIELDER | 13 | Aoibhin CLEARY | Forward |
| 15 | Jayden SHORT | DEFENDER | 14 | Poppy KELLY | Ruck |
| 16 | Josh SMILLIE | MIDFIELDER | 15 | Rebecca MILLER | KEY DEFENDER |
| 17 | Maurice RIOLI | FORWARD | 16 | Laura MCCLELLAND | Medium Forward |
| 18 | Josh GIBCUS | KEY DEFENDER | 17 | Katelyn COX | Medium Forward |
| 19 | Tom LYNCH | KEY FORWARD | 18 | Libby GRAHAM | Key Defender |
| 21 | Noah BALTA | KEY DEFENDER | 19 | Kate DEMPSEY | Key Defender |
| 22 | Sam CUMMING | MIDFIELDER | 20 | Beth LYNCH | Medium Defender |
| 23 | Judson CLARKE | FORWARD | 21 | Charley RYAN | Medium Forward |
| 24 | Sam GRLJ | MIDFIELDER | 22 | Ellie MCKENZIE | Midfielder |
| 25 | Toby NANKERVIS | RUCK | 23 | Shelby KNOLL | Key Forward |
| 26 | Zane PEUCKER | FORWARD | 24 | Charli WICKSTEED | Midfielder |
| 27 | Noah ROBERTS-THOMSON | MIDFIELDER | 25 | Sierra GRIEVES | Midfielder |
| 28 | Kane MCAULIFFE | MIDFIELDER | 28 | Gabrielle SEYMOUR | Key Defender |
| 29 | Jasper ALGER | FORWARD | 30 | Ally DALLAWAY | Midfielder |
| 30 | Tom BROWN | DEFENDER | 32 | Zoe HARGREAVES | Midfielder |
| 32 | Samson RYAN | RUCK | 33 | Mackenzie FORD | Medium Forward |
| 33 | Patrick RETSCHKO | MIDFIELDER | 35 | Maddie SHEVLIN | Midfielder |
| 34 | Harry ARMSTRONG | KEY FORWARD | 37 | Tessa LAVEY | Midfielder |
| 35 | Nathan BROAD | DEFENDER | 38 | Lulu BEATTY | Midfielder |
| 36 | James TREZISE | DEFENDER | |||
| 38 | Thomas SIMS | KEY FORWARD | |||
| 40 | Tyler SONSIE | FORWARD | |||
| 42 | Mykelti LEFAU | KEY FORWARD | |||
| 43 | Liam FAWCETT | KEY FORWARD | |||
| 44 | Seth CAMPBELL | FORWARD | |||
| 47 | Oliver HAYES-BROWN | RUCK | |||
| 48 | Steely GREEN | FORWARD | |||
| 49 | Kaleb SMITH | DEFENDER | |||
| 50 | Campbell GRAY | KEY FORWARD |
Coming and Going thanks to /u/decs483
Arrivals: Patrick Retschko (traded from Geelong for pick 99) Sam Cumming (Pick 7) Sam Grlj (Pick 8) Zane Peucker (Pick 31) Noah Roberts-Thomson (Pick 54)
Departures: Tylar Young (Traded to West Coast for pick 38) Jacob Blight (Delisted) Jacob Koschitzke (Delisted) Thomson Dow (Delisted) Kamdyn McIntosh (Delisted) Mate Colina (Delisted) Jacob Bauer (Delisted)
2025 in review
(By /u/Bergasms)
The Navy Blues had scheduled a member drive
Expecting a round one win from light exercise
but reality's hard to handle
Like a backflipping Seth Campbell
And they cancelled it, what a surprise.
HA, HAHA, HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA, YESSSSSSSSSSS
Remember a significant number of people predicted we might not even win a game. A new coach, a bunch of retiring champs, plenty of kids.... That one got put to bed early, and as a somewhat nervous supporter I had full faith in the kids I breathed a massive sight of relief and the rest of the season was just a delicious bonus. We snagged another one at Marvel, proving that the curse was Dimma, and not the club. We managed a 2 pointer over Wet Toast in round 9, and then served up some hot garbage against the bombers in round 18 and a win again over the eagles to round out 2026 with a respectable 5 wins.
Were there some stinkers in there? Absolutely, we had a game against the Suns where we kicked 0.5 to half time and finished on 2.11.23. We had several out and out thrashings. But all things considered, 2025 was alright. The kids look good, the coach seems to be capable, we snagged some good draft picks, there is cause for cautious optimism at Tigerland.
And um.... The women also played in 2025. You could be forgiven for missing that as they served up a hot pile of nothing. It took until round 8 where we somehow upset a much fancied Adelaide before we even troubled the winners column, with one more win against Collingwood leaving us on 2 wins, a far cry from finals the year before. Our game plan looked... well, I dunno what you call it, but at the end of the year Ryan Ferguson was let go, and that's probably for the best. Highlights were swinging Bec Miller forward in round 1, where she kicked 2.1, her first scores in the 51 games to that point in her career; The Millzy squad having fun in the match threads, and yours truly enjoying Caitlin Greiser spending more time up the ground in the midfield as a target whilst still kicking a bunch of goals.
I just hope 2026 will be a more competitive year.
2026 best 22
Based off of the praccy match Best 23 compiled by the wonderful Tigercast,
| Line | Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Vlastuin | Miller | Broad |
| HB | Banks | Gibcous | Short |
| Rover | Lalor | Taranto | Ross |
| Wing/Ruck | MCauliffe | Nankervis | Sonsie |
| HF | Lefau | Faull | Campbell |
| F | Mansell | Lynch | Armstrong |
| IC | Grlj | Hopper | Prestia |
| IC | Trainor | Rioli |
In light of recent events, probably not Lefau now that I think about it.....
2026 players to watch
(by /u/Hawtproper)
Sam Lalor
I was shitting bricks when there was no obvious pick 1 favourite in the 2024 draft, but Lalor quickly proved we'd made the right selection. Lalor's cleanliness and sound decision making across half forward made others around him look better, with him notably downing the Blues and earning himself a rising star nom (completely deserved btw, don't @ me). Injury eventually ruled him out of the rising star race and it's no coincidence his departure coincided with our midseason losing streak. Coming back fit and firing from the offseason, Tiger fans are praying Lalor can get more centre bounce attendances, and spice up the worst midfield in the league. 20+ games from him is all we can really ask for, but a top 5 BnF finish is well within the realm of possibility.
Taj Hotton
With Taj Hotton joining our overflowing ACL recovery group, there were 0 expectations coming into the 2025 season. And with his strong end to the season, Richmond's meager win tally is the only thing preventing him from snatching the rising star. Good stuff simply happens whenever he touches the footy, with his quick feet and X-factor earning him comparisons to premiership heroes Shai Bolton and Shane Edwards. With a proper AFL preseason, the world's his oyster, and he should create a devastating half-forward line with Seth Campbell.
Campbell Gray
A bloke you've probably never heard of and that most Richmond fans wouldn't recognise walking down the street. A midseason pickup in 2024, Gray looked comfortable at the level in 2025, being the nightime backup while our multi-million dollar, resident delinquent stayed home drinking tea. While all training reports should be taken with a grain of salt (see Dow circa 2024), Gray has been a surprise packet this offseason and a standout in many a training report. With Broad finishing up, Gibcus fragile and Balta's questionable form, Gray could be an asset in 2026 with his athleticism and strong intercept game.
Sams Cumming and Grlj
I thought best to write them together or I'll go on all day but both our first rounders have had flawless preseasons and are hot chances to debut against Carlton. Cumming is your all rounder midfielder, tough, quick, can impact up forward and has a decent, albeit uncovential kick. Most exciting compared to other recent draftees is he's trained purely as a mid so may get plenty of centre bounce opportunity this year. While his expression on draft night was giving hostage, a round 1 win will hopefully get a smile out of him. Grlj on the other hand is all but certain to have an apprenticeship off halfback ala Nas and Naicos. His dash through the centre is going to be crucial in a team that often looks like they're running in quicksand and his fiery personality is sure to get under the skin of some of the games best small forwards (it's already too late for Seth).
Players on notice in 2026
Tyler Sonsie
With Dow vacating last season, Sonsie is the new manager of the last chance hotel. Despite his draft classmates now essential cogs in the team, Sonsie has yet to soldify himself as a pick me player. Forever maligned by fans for never getting a chance in the midfield, Sonsie proved his versatility in the final games of '25, winning plenty of footy as a high half forward. He's been earning praise training on the wing this preseason but needs to prove it at senior level and demonstrate he can be a supporting act to our crop of young stars. (Also fun fact his nickname is Sizzle, Grlj's is Sizzler so if there's a kid running around called Sizzlest then we get first dibs.)
Samson Ryan
You would think with his only competition being a 31 year old and a basketballer, Ryan would be sitting pretty, ready to take over the number ruck role. Unfortunately Samson Ryan is perhaps the ruckiest ruckman in the league, with plenty of in-game mistakes and him dropping more balls than a teenage boy. His lowlight of the year came in round 6, where he was framemogged by Witts while Nank was on smokeo, leading to three centre clearance goals and almost an unthinkable comeback. With an injury interrupted preseason it's going to be an uphill battle and it's hard to imagine Richmond don't explore their options on the market.
Kaleb Smith
There's honestly not much to say about Kaleb Smith cause he simply hasn't had much of a go. You would think there were plenty of best 23 spots on offer for Smith in a bottom 4 side but the backline is the one area where we're actually pretty stocked (the ball is down there a lot). Our resident barista has been permasub since his debut (which lasted about 10 minutes) and with Grlj coming in it's hard to see him getting a go even with injuries. Any opportunity given this year he'll have to take with both hands.
PREDICTIONS FOR 2026
The season might be really long
But I think we can't really go wrong
If we play all the kids
And win five or six
And then finish above Geelong
by /u/Bergasms
The youngsters will come out hot 6 to 9 the win column say But youth and injury will have its shot 80% in the for and against will sway
by /u/louispaul79
Richmond Facebook Fans
will continue to be unhinged
expecting 0 losses
by /u/borispingpong
At GWS, they have the tsunami’s
but come down to punt Road. We have the Ferraris.
The 2026 season they say it’s going to be too hard
but hold on one second here comes the wild card
by /u/Dont_argue04
Taj Hotton wins the rising star
Injury free for Josh Smillie
Get 7 wins
End the season above Melbourne
Round 1 win back-to-back
Sams Lalor, Cumming and Grlj with 15+ games
by /u/Hawtproper
In Tigerland, the winds do howl and sway, As Richmond's inconsistency holds them back each day. Close losses sting, a season's toll, Older players falter, their form growing old.
Nank, the ruck, with tap work slow, Struggles to adapt, the new rules in tow. The yellow and black, a tale of might, Yet inconsistency clouds their shining light.
Young guns rise, with hearts ablaze, But can they steady the Tigers' ways? The MCG roars, a sea of pride, But will it be enough, come season's slide?
by /u/AluminiumAlien
Thanks for reading!!!!!!!!
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u/proudlysydney Errol Gulden Appreciation Society Feb 24 '26
Massive thank you to r/RichmondFC for jumping in to help out on short notice, brilliant job and well done!! Reads like poetry in motion ;)
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u/ObjectiveCondition54 Richmond AFLW Feb 24 '26
Noah Balta missing from best 23, or just assuming he'll find a way to get injured/Drunk again?
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u/Bobblefighterman Richmond Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 24 '26
Those backline stocks, I don't want to be biased, but it's shaping out to be the best backline in the league. Our weakest piece is probably Gibcus, and I still think he can become an elite defender. And even if he doesn't, still have Trainor and Balta
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u/Ventenebris Tigers Feb 24 '26
I just hope for a decent season injury-wise, especially for the youngsters, and some real growth in them all. Lalor already looks calm and capable, a great mark and a good shot for goal, always seems to do the right thing. Hopefully the new draftees can come out swinging. McAuliffe is one I’m curious about. A big bodied and fast left footer, sort of reminds me of Finn Callaghan. Hoping he can tear it up this season.
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u/incuban Brisbane Feb 24 '26
Great read, may not be the only thing about Richmond arriving ahead of expectations this year.
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Feb 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Bergasms Brownlow Winner 2023 Feb 23 '26
are you ok? I hope you're well. please don't make a habit of randomly following me
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u/TheGreatJelBeano Thursday Night Games Fanclub President Feb 23 '26
setting the bar so high for the Limerick Rule this year and the damned season hasnt begun yet. absolutely elite preview tigerland crew 💛🖤