Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick says Touk Miller is largely responsible for the successful recruiting at Richmond during the club's golden years.
Hardwick was always cognisant of the significance of the "hybrid midfielder", which embodied two-way running and a defensive edge that allowed teammates to flourish.
The Tigers built their dynasty on a host of role players, and the three-time premiership coach revealed that Miller was the "prototype" for what their recruiting staff looked for.
"I'm not going to lie, when I used to coach Richmond, we used him as what we call a hybrid midfielder, which is one of the more dominant positions on the ground," Hardwick said.
"We used him as a prototype of what that player looks like for our recruiting staff."
Miller, who notches up his 200th game against Hawthorn on Thursday at TIO Stadium, is now helping the new wave of emerging stars at the Suns, putting the team first before themselves.
An "incredible" act by 19-year-old Will Graham in the club's most recent win is exactly the kind of dedication Hardwick expects, and what Miller has done for the past decade.
In the tough-fought contest against the Western Bulldogs, Graham "subluxed" his shoulder but remained on the field to play a role in the match-winning moment in the Top End.
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"If that sort of incident happened in Melbourne, they'd be showing it on every footy show," Hardwick said.
"It was incredible. At the end of the day, he subluxed his shoulder... He stayed on the ground for the remainder of the game. He's 19 years of age, this kid โฆ it helped us win the game.
"We showed it to our crew and what it means to be a Suns player, and he epitomises that.
"It's fair to say he's one of the coach's favourite players."
Graham's return date is yet to be decided, but will gain greater clarity surrounding the injury, and the damage, once he meets with the surgeon on Wednesday.
Ironically, Hardwick likened the Gold Coast youngster to his namesake and former Richmond player Jack Graham, who played through a dislocated shoulder injury in the 2019 preliminary final against Geelong, and ultimately missed out on the flag seven days later.
