Richmond trio Noah Cumberland, Tyler Sonsie and Ben Miller have all penned two-year deals to keep themselves at Tigerland beyond 2022 and excite the Tiger faithful.
The three-piece each in their own rights ahve been integral to Richmond's snapping of their month-long victory drought, with the former in Cumberland especially catching the eye of the footballing world.
The 21-year-old livewire has booted 13 goals in just five games for Damien Hardwick's side, including five against the Lions in what may be a season-defining win for the Tigers.
Cumberland has overcome significant adversity to reach the highest level after suffering an ACL injury in his first year at the club in 2020, however, has burst onto the scene to prove himself to be one of the side's most influential players in the lead-up to finals.
2021 draftee Tyler Sonsie has too shone in his short stint at AFL level with the Pick 28 instilling himself at the very heart of the Richmond engine room.
Exciting young trio, locked in ๐
โ๏ธ - https://t.co/dg61IgQstw pic.twitter.com/6Qf8CqiYS4
— Richmond FC ๐ฏ (@Richmond_FC) August 11, 2022
Averaging 17.5 disposals across just four matches for the Punt Road outfit, the 19-year-old ball-winning midfielder has developed significantly in his short time at the top and endeared himself to Damien Hardwick and Tiger fans alike.
Lastly but certainly not least, tall utility Ben Miller has found a spot in the club's best-22 over the past four weeks, deputising in defence and most recently the ruck in the absence of both Dylan Grimes and Ivan Soldo.
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At only 22 years old and having been at the club for the best part of five years, Miller has the potential to be an asset to Richmond for many seasons to come.
Tigers General Manager - Football Talent Blair Hartley exclaimed his delight at securing three premium talents to take the club into the next phase of its history.
โNoah has had to work through some adversity early in his career after suffering an ACL injury in his first year," Hartley said to Richmond Media.
โHe has worked hard on all aspects of his game and we are excited about his continual growth across the next two years and beyond.
AFL News: Richmond confirm extent of Grimes setback, Dustin Martin return timeframe
โTyler came to us after only playing seven games in the past two years due to Covid.
โHe had a slower start with pre-season but has worked hard on his game in VFL and now we are starting to see the rewards at AFL level.
โBen has been with us for five years and put in a lot of hard work in that time.
โHe has shown he can play a variety of roles- down back, in the ruck and he has spent some time forward as well.
โThis extension is a great reward for his effort and we look forward to that continuing.โ
The news comes in a transitional period for the Tigers, with the likes of Kane Lambert, Josh Caddy and Matthew Parker all having departed over the course of the last couple of months.
Additionally, the future of veterans Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin and Shane Edwards are up in the air as of current with fans unclear whether some, if not all of them, will be at the club come 2023.
However, two big victories over the past fortnight against both the Lions and Power have put Richmond in charge of their own destiny in terms of playing finals in season 2022, only needing to beat both Hawthorn and Essendon in the final two rounds to return to September action.
It is largely believed amongst pundits that the Tigers may be a dark horse for the premiership race should things stick for them, with some of their displays over the course of the season indicating they're not done with shaking things up at the top just yet.
