Joel Bowden is Richmond’s next Homecoming Hero for the 2022 season.

The Tigers are set to pay tribute to Bowden in the lead-up to Saturday night’s Round 4 clash with the Western Bulldogs at the MCG.

Bowden will walk to the Punt Road end of the ground, where he’s sure to be warmly welcomed by the Tiger Army.

He’ll kick a ceremonial goal, then sign the football and present it to a Richmond fan in the crowd.

Highlights of Bowden’s fine playing career with the Tigers also will be shown on the MCG’s big screens.

Joel Bowden was recruited by Richmond from West Alice Springs in the 1995 AFL national draft as a father-son selection.

His father, Mike, was one of the unsung heroes of the Tigers’ 1969 premiership triumph in a ruck-rover role.

Bowden made his senior league debut for Richmond in Round 17, 1996 against Hawthorn at Princes Park aged 18 years and 36 days.

He managed five senior appearances all-up that season, finishing off with an impressive three-goal performance against North Melbourne in the final round.

The following year, playing predominantly as a half-forward, he showed some more exciting glimpses of his considerable talent, booting 21 goals in 13 games, until suffering a broken collarbone.

A further setback with the shoulder in 1998, delayed Bowden’s progress with the Tigers. But he cemented himself as a regular member of the Richmond side in 1999, playing every game, and the year after (2000), he finished third in the Jack Dyer Medal. Consecutive fourth placings in the Club’s Best and Fairest ensued in 2001-02.

Bowden then captured back-to-back Jack Dyer Medals in 2004-05, which was fitting reward for the high level of performance he had managed to achieve on such a consistent basis. He also earned All-Australian selection in 2005 and 2006.

The classy left-footer would continue to provide the Tigers with top-class value in a variety of roles, until his retirement in 2009 after playing a total of 265 games and kicking 171 goals.

Having started his AFL career up forward, Bowden subsequently had considerable success as a midfielder, before going on to exert significant influence within the Richmond line-up as a versatile defender.

Bowden the backman earned a glowing reputation for his intercept marking, astute reading of the play, ability to launch attacks with his booming left boot, as well as successfully tackling the challenge of playing on much bigger opponents, such as Brisbane’s powerful key forward Jonathon Brown.

Across his 14 seasons at Tigerland, Bowden averaged 22 disposals and 5.8 marks per game.

He racked up an AFL career-high 44 disposals against Melbourne at the MCG in Round 4 of the 2009 season.

The previous year (Round 13), he took a career-high 23 marks against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.

In Round 4 of the 2003 season, against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, Bowden booted a brilliant goal that later on was nominated as one of the top 10 goals by a Richmond player during the Club’s centenary of VFL/AFL football celebrations.

Bowden, having gained possession of the ball about 50 metres out from goal, proceeded to baulk and sidestep three Saints’ opponents, before steadying and drilling a superb, team-lifting six-pointer that send the Tiger Army into raptures.

Throughout his time at the game’s highest level, Bowden combined durability, with adaptability, football ‘smarts’, a cool temperament, and an abundance of skill, to be an integral member of the Richmond side.

Joel Bowden fact file

Date of birth: June 21, 1978

Height: 188cm

Weight: 90kg

Recruited to Richmond from: West Alice Springs, father-son selection 1995 AFL national draft

Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 11

Debut for Richmond: Round 17, 1996 v Hawthorn, Princes Park

Games at Richmond: 265

Goals at Richmond: 171

Honours at Richmond: Dual Jack Dyer Medal winner (2004, 2005), dual All-Australian representative (2005, 2006)

Below is a list of Richmond's Homecoming Heroes since its inception in 2014...