AFLW 2024: Tamara Luke will continue in ruck for Richmond against Port Adelaide

In the space of only five weeks, a retired 36-year-old ruck has become an important cog in Richmond’s AFLW finals push.

Five weeks ago, Tamara Luke was happily settling into her post-football life, but now she finds herself with an important on-field role for a genuine AFLW finals contender.

Luke, 36, will play her second game in five days for Richmond when the Tigers meet Port Adelaide at Ikon Park on Tuesday night.

The former St Kilda and Hawthorn ruck was only lured out of retirement on August 21 as a last-minute replacement for Tigers tall Montana McKinnon after an ACL injury.

Even after accepting Richmond’s offer for this season, Luke did not expect to play, but a wrist injury to No. 1 ruck Poppy Kelly has handed her an unexpected chance at the top level.

A brilliant VFLW campaign as captain of Box Hill, where she also drifted forward for 20 goals in 15 games, had caught the eye of Richmond recruiters.

Tamara Luke was mobbed by Richmond teammates after a 33-point win over Carlton in her debut for her third AFLW club. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“It was completely out of the blue. I really enjoyed just having another season of VFLW, and the plan was just to run around, have some fun, hopefully kick a few goals and win a few games,” Luke said.

“I was happily retired for five weeks, and just going back to normal life and away from being an athlete and always on a strict regimen with exercise.

“I just got a call from (Richmond national recruiting manager Trent Mosbey), and I thought he was just talking about mentoring their rucks, but he said ‘no, we want you to play’. It was definitely unexpected and I did not see it coming at all.

“I just asked for 24 hours to have a think about it, but I was like, ‘why not?’”

Luke’s time had ended at Hawthorn after her own ACL injury wiped at her 2022 season, before she returned for seven games last year.

While content to call time on her AFLW career, she said the effort of completing her rehabilitation and left her hungry to show she could still perform at state level.

Tamara Luke had 21 hit-outs (seven to advantage) and three clearances before being selected to play another game five days later against Port Adelaide on Tuesday. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“I wanted to show that I could still play with my knee, and go out on a high,” she said.

“I came into this program just wanting to help out, but I wasn’t expecting to play any games.”

Kelly, who Luke played with at St Kilda, is expected to return against North Melbourne next Tuesday, but the veteran still hopes to play a role amid the demands of the compressed fixture.

For now, she’s enjoying a front-row seat to the Mon Conti show, after her 21 hit-outs helped the Tigers star rack up a game-high 11 clearances in Richmond’s demolition of Carlton on Thursday.

“When you’re an opponent to Mon Conti, you know she’s a phenomenal athlete, but now I’ve seen what she does day-in, day-out at training,” Luke said.

“She’s really level-headed, and everything she does on the footy field, you just stand there and go, ‘wow, how did she even do that’.

“To be able to tap it to her is great, because it can go anywhere, and she can get to the footy and off she goes.”