Eyes of the Tigers: How this VFL side became an AFL talent hotspot

Riley Beveridge finds out how the Tigers' elite VFL recruiting is paying dividends for the entire AFL competition

Massimo D'Ambrosio, Sam Davidson and Sam Durham are all products of Richmond's VFL side. Pictures: AFL Photos

TOM McCARTHY never harboured AFL dreams. Not many trying to get a kick in the second division of the Southern Football Netball League really do. That was, of course, until a Highett teammate and gym buddy of his noticed flashes of his immense potential.

Jarrad Kay, who played and trained with McCarthy in Melbourne's bayside area, was in a unique position to spot such talent. The high performance boss in Richmond's VFL program, and a strength and conditioning coach at AFLW level, he passed on a recommendation. It proved a salient one. Barely 18 months later and McCarthy is on his way to West Coast.

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Some elements of McCarthy's rags to riches journey might be considered lucky. But other parts of it are incredibly calculated, the product of an Australian-wide network of both contacts and resources that has helped turn Richmond's VFL program into arguably the most fertile breeding ground for future AFL talent.

McCarthy, as the No.1 pick in last week's AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, was the seventh Richmond VFL prospect to have graduated to a current AFL list. Archie May, later taken by Essendon with the No.6 selection, soon became the eighth. There's nothing lucky about that.

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"We've had a pretty good program for a long time now," Richmond's former VFL captain and then coach, Steve Morris, told AFL.com.au. "I think there's a great balance of providing a platform for players to get better and improve their football, but also to just enjoy their footy.

"It's no secret, but through Richmond's glory years there was a really good balance between enjoyment and a relaxed environment for players to thrive in. I feel as though that's something that has been adopted in the VFL program. It's helped the players play good footy and give themselves their best chance to graduate to the next level."

McCarthy and May followed Sam Durham, Massimo D'Ambrosio, Sam Davidson, James Trezise, Tylar Young and Mykelti Lefau in making their way onto an AFL list from Richmond's VFL side. Some also count Shaun Mannagh within that group – given he was recruited to Richmond, before joining Werribee – while Jake Aarts, Garrett McDonagh and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith are other former graduates.

Sam Durham in action during Richmond's clash with Sandringham in VFL round one, 2021. Picture: AFL Photos

All of their journeys owe a little to Morris, and a little to Oliver Grant. As one of the most highly rated up-and-comers in the AFL recruiting industry, Grant – now the club's Victorian recruiting manager at AFL level – helped build the Richmond reserves program from the ground up in his previous role as its VFL operations boss.

A lot of the program's revered Australian-wide network base has revolved around Grant's contact book. Whether they were from local coaches, unprompted DMs from players and agents, Rising Star nominations in country leagues, or even the odd newspaper snippet, all recommendations were taken seriously.

For example, Grant was reading an article about St Kilda City talent Misilifi Faimalo when he decided to load up Premier Data and watch some of his vision. In the background, though, he kept noticing one of his teammates bob up with something special. It was how Richmond VFL first stumbled upon Lefau.

Mykelti Lefau looks on during the R12 match between Richmond and Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on June 01, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

Ex-Brisbane midfielder Blake Grewar, once a member of Richmond's VFL side, had spotted Trezise. They played together at Tooradin Dalmore in the West Gippsland Football Netball League. Grewar sent a simple message: "I think I'm playing with someone here…" It was followed up by Grant, who watched Trezise's vision, offered him a trial across pre-season, then signed him after one session.

D'Ambrosio was a character call. Morris had loved his attitude while working with the diminutive winger in his part-time role at the Western Jets. Despite having almost no interest among AFL clubs in his draft year, Grant saw something in his neat left-foot kick and gave him a chance.

There was a mutual link at Brighton Grammar through Ian Miller, the school's head of high performance. He gave Grant a shortlist of players that were no chance to be drafted by AFL clubs, but had the potential to make it on a VFL list. One was a 198cm rower who had barely played any footy by the name of Archie May. He spent two seasons at Punt Road, before joining WAFL side Subiaco this year.

"Oli is an absolute star," Morris said of Grant. "There's a good reason he has been elevated to AFL level in a recruiting sense. He sifts through vision from country leagues, left, right and centre. He's unearthed some really good talent that's gone on to play super footy at AFL level as well. We're incredibly lucky to have Oli."

Archie May celebrates a goal during Richmond's clash against Williamstown in the VFL wildcard round match on August 25, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

If some recruits have come from the weird and whacky, others were more logical decisions. Durham was considered unlucky to be bypassed by AFL clubs during the COVID-impacted 2020 draft, with lockdowns limiting his time with the Murray Bushrangers. Richmond still had to be first in the queue when he was deciding on VFL opportunities a year later, though, a position it has long occupied.

Werribee, another strong VFL pathway program, has bred AFL talent like Riley Bice, Aidan Johnson, Jack Henderson, Mannagh and Sam Clohesy in recent years. Zac Banch and Flynn Young added to that list during last Wednesday night's mid-season draft.

But Richmond is unique in the sense that it is AFL-aligned, rather than being a standalone VFL program. Recruits head to Punt Road knowing they will have to compete for their place in the side with AFL-listed talent. It makes their recent success in creating AFL recruits all the more unlikely.

While part of that success stemmed from Richmond's lengthy AFL injury list last season, resulting in more untried players earning VFL opportunities to fill the vacancies of those called up to senior level, a bigger part is the result of the club's long-time investment in its reserves program.

While player recruitment wasn't the only feature of Grant's VFL operations role, it was a significant one. It made Richmond one of the rare state league programs with a dedicated, almost full-time focus on scouring local metropolitan and country leagues for talent deemed good enough to play VFL now, and maybe AFL later.

Steven Morris speaks to his players during Richmond's VFL clash against North Melbourne in round 22, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Combined with its culture and its recent on-field success – Richmond became just the fourth club to win AFL and VFL flags in the same season in 2019, following Geelong (2007), Hawthorn/Box Hill (2013) and the Western Bulldogs/Footscray (2016) – the club and its scouting department has subsequently become best-in-class.

"Obviously, we are trying to produce talent for our own team as well," Morris said. "It's about trying to find a balance of producing talent, but also being able to make the most of it yourself.

"If you can create an environment for guys to get better, they're going to repay you in spades when they come out and play alongside your AFL boys as well. That's the biggest part of it for me.

"If we've got a bunch of young guys at VFL level who are driven to succeed and get better and understand the value of playing your role, then when they step out on the field on the weekend alongside the AFL boys they're going to play the way you want them to play and really invest in the team.

"That's really important, particularly with a young group, so I think there's real value in investing heavily in your VFL program. Whether it's for the draft or just the culture of your football club."

Sam Davidson in action during Richmond's clash with Sandringham in VFL round eight, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

RICHMOND VFL'S CURRENT AFL GRADUATES

2025: Tom McCarthy – Pick 1 to West Coast (Mid-Season Draft)

2025: Archie May – Pick 6 to Essendon (Mid-Season Draft)

2024: Sam Davidson – Pick 51 to the Western Bulldogs (National Draft)

2023: James Trezise – Pick 13 to Richmond (Mid-Season Draft)

2023: Mykelti Lefau – SSP to Richmond

2022: Tylar Young – Pick 22 to Richmond (Rookie Draft)

2022: Massimo D'Ambrosio – Pick 3 to Essendon (Mid-Season Draft)

2021: Sam Durham – Pick 9 to Essendon (Mid-Season Draft)

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