The Tigers are uniquely positioned after a mass exodus of premiership stars in the free agency and trade period last year, followed by a strategic plan to land as much first-round draft talent as possible, making seven selections in the first 28 picks.

These selections include Pick 1 Sam Lalor and Pick 8 Josh Smillie, who was tipped to be selected first overall in the early stages of last year.

Richmond are short-priced favourites to claim the wooden spoon in 2025, with a year of blooding their youth expected. It leaves a curious dilemma for Adam Yze to tackle, as Richmond will be aiming to find a balance between utilising veteran leadership and providing invaluable matches early in the careers of their promising youngsters to ensure they are at least somewhat competitive.

Across all three lines of the field, we've assessed Richmond's best options for 2025, creating a 23-man side that best balances experience and youth.

Our Best 23 for 2025 series will include players unavailable for the start of the season, except for those expected to miss most or all of the season through injury or suspension.

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1. Defenders

From a veteran standpoint, Nick Vlaustin will undoubtedly command his position in the backline again in 2025, especially after a near-career-best season at 30 years old.

28-year-old Jayden Short will likely link up with Vlaustin in defence, as will Nathan Broad to close out the experienced leaders in the backline.

Should Josh Gibcus make a healthy return he may be in the running for a walk-up selection due to his sky-high potential seen in his debut season, while Sam Banks could slot in to fill the void of Liam Baker and Daniel Rioli. Following his suspension, Noah Balta could join the mix, with the longly-contracted star best suited to continue his role in defence rather than head the forward line.

Tom Brown had a breakout season in 2024 with his elite foot skills brought to light. Ben Miller, James Trezise and Tylar Young present as depth options at this stage, while draftee Luke Trainor could contend for an inclusion following some VFL development.

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