Richmond has added 21-year-old Kaelan Bradtke to its list as a rookie ahead of the 2023 AFL season.

Bradtke, a 195cm athletic forward from Corowa-Rutherglen, has impressed since joining Richmond training in December as part of the AFL’s Supplemental Selection Period.

The elevation completes a meteoric rise for Bradtke, who booted 39 goals from 17 games in the strong Ovens and Murray Football League last year.

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'It doesn't feel real' - Bradtke tells his Mum

Kaelan Bradtke calls his Mum to break the news he has secured a spot on the Tigers list in 2023.

Bradtke’s eye-catching performances at local level throughout 2022 also saw him added to the Sydney Swans VFL list, looking comfortable in two VFL matches and earning an invite to state combine testing before the National Draft.

Having been overlooked at the AFL National and Rookie Drafts, Richmond recruiters jumped at the chance to see more of the untried community football talent, training him alongside veteran key forwards Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt throughout the preseason.

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Richmond National Recruiting Manager Matt Clarke said the Club saw a lot of up-side in Bradtke because of his ability to play multiple positions and impact in the air and at ground level through his terrific athletic profile.

“He is pretty raw, which is exciting- but already he has shown a strong desire to learn and improve, which gives us confidence he can flourish within our program,” Clarke added.

“Kaelan has played well in senior football- kicking goals against men as a main forward target in the Ovens and Murray.

“We think he has the tools to develop into a player that will be hard to play on at the elite level, so we are delighted to be giving him this opportunity at Richmond.”

Former Geelong player Quinton Narkle had also been training with the Club throughout the SSP, with the midfielder unlucky to not also receive a list spot.

“Quinton came back from the Christmas break in career-best condition and impressed us with his character and commitment to our program,” Clarke said.

“Unfortunately we did not have two spots available, so we needed to make a very hard decision. He couldn't have done any more during his time training at the Club."

Richmond has been a regular user of the AFL SSP rule, with third-year defender Rhyan Mansell also a former selection of the Club’s- as were former senior Tigers Sydney Stack, Mav Weller and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith.