19-year-old midfielder Jack Graham is set to become Richmond's fifth debutant of 2017 when the Tigers face Hawthorn on Sunday.
Graham was selected with the 53rd pick in last year's national draft, after captaining South Australia to a strong national championships campaign in 2016.
Averaging 25 disposals and six clearances per game, Graham won the Larke Medal as the carnival's best player, and has also made a name for himself in Richmond's VFL side this season.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said Graham would be in his side's 25-man squad ahead of their Sunday match, but believes he's earned a debut game.
“He’s in the squad at the moment,” Hardwick told SEN Breakfast on Thursday morning.
“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to give out that information, but he’s in the 25.
“He had a terrific game at VFL level last week and I’ve been really excited about him for a little while.
“When he does debut, whether that’s this week or not — we’re not quite sure at this stage — he’ll be a really good player for us.”
Graham joins Ivan Soldo, Tyson Stengle, Shai Bolton and Dan Bulter as Richmond's fellow debutants in 2017, and Hardwick says it's exciting for the club each time a youngster steps up to AFL level.
Richmond's young brigade has led the club to a possible top four finish this season, and with their VFL side also set for the double chance, it's a good time to be a Tiger.
“It’s really exciting as a coach and as a club overall,” Hardwick added.
“Every coach and every club in the AFL loves to see a new player come into the system and see what they can produce.
“They’re never quite ready, but it’s always a great experience for those guys to come in and play and to get a glimpse of what’s required at AFL level.
“It’s such a hard game these days and the jump from VFL to AFL is quite significant, but it’s really exciting to see those players come in.
“We’ve debuted three or four of those guys this year, with the possibility of a couple more going forward, so it’s an exciting time.”
