All the AFL selection news ahead of round 1

No. 1 draft pick Sam Lalor only needs to tick one more box to play in Thursday’s season opener against the Blues – and he definitely won’t be the only new face.

Richmond could hand debuts to as many as four of its 2024 draft selections against Carlton, with Luke Trainor expected to play the Blues and Sam Lalor only needing to get through Monday’s training session.

The Tigers go into that clash in an unfamiliar position as massive underdogs, but are hopeful their supporters will turn out in droves for a home game that kicks off round 1.

No. 21 draft pick Trainor was again dominant as a 195cm key back who wins the ball at will in match simulation on Thursday, with No. 1 overall draft pick Lalor in a non-contact hat, but in exciting form.

“Luke hasn’t missed a beat,” Richmond coach Adem Yze told the Herald Sun this week.

“His pre-season kind of deserves the opportunity, and we wanted to give him that exposure against Collingwood (in the community series), so we did that and he came on and just fits in nicely.

“To be fair, he has got an experienced back group around him, so it’s a lot easier to throw him in there with the support around him, (as) we’ve got a younger forward profile.”

Sam Lalor at Richmond training this week. Picture: Michael Klein

As Lalor recovers from a jaw injury suffered against West Coast, he needs only to train well on Monday.

He has already come out of concussion protocols as part of the fallout from that incident.

Yze told the Herald Sun that Lalor had overcome his jaw concerns, but needed enough load in his legs to be picked, but he dispatched any concerns on Thursday.

Lalor had two wisdom teeth removed and a plate inserted to his jaw following the practice match incident, which hampered his ability to eat for a number of days and affected his physical preparation.

Key tall Thomas Sims (pick 28) again impressed in match simulation and kicked an early goal from a strong contested mark. The 199cm key tall from Northern Knights is a chance to take on the Blues, but if he misses out, he will debut early in the season.

He is in a similar position to No. 23 draft pick Harry Armstrong, also 195cm, who, like Sims, played in the yellow possibles team against the black ‘probables side’.

Both have shown enough in their early skirmishes to believe they are on the edge of selection for the Tigers.

Pick 43 from 2023, Liam Fawcett, is also considered a possibility to play in the forward line after he was hampered with a back injury last year, which could mean five debutants for the game.

“The good thing about that is the excitement, but we won’t just throw them to the wolves, as such,” Yze said. “We’ve got some experienced guys who are going well and we need them out there to support, so we’ll try and have a blend of both.”

The club’s No. 14 draft pick Jonty Faull, another aggressive key forward, also played some time in the match simulation as he recovers from a back stress reaction and will be available for VFL in coming weeks.

Tall midfielder Josh Smillie, the club’s No. 7 draft pick, is slowly recovering from a hamstring strain and is still some weeks away.

“He hasn’t reinjured it, he’s a young guy who’s still learning his body so we’ve just got to temper how fast we get him cracking,” Yze said.

“But he would have been one who would have been knocking the door down.”

Draftees Harry Armstrong and Thomas Sims with Toby Nankervis Picture: Mark Stewart

Richmond expects Tom Lynch to play the Blues on Thursday night, but he will also need to train well on Monday to prove he is ready after concussion protocols ahead of round 1.

With Jacob Koschitzke playing back at times and Noah Balta suspended for the first four games after a summer assault charge, Lynch will need some key talls around him.

Richmond’s 192cm swingman Jacob Bauer shapes as most likely to play alongside Lynch early.

The corresponding game last year drew 83,881 fans to a five-point Blues victory and while there will be hard times ahead for the rebuilding Tigers their fans could show up if Lalor and the early draftees are selected.

Dion Prestia (achilles) and Hugo Ralphsmith (hamstring) are also out of consideration for round 1, while the club’s recovering quartet of ACL victims are all more than a month away.