Reece Conca is Richmond’s second Homecoming Hero of the 2024 season.

The Tigers will pay tribute to Conca in the lead-up to Sunday’s Round 8 clash with Fremantle at the MCG.

Conca will walk to the Punt Road end to receive the plaudits of the Tiger Army.

He’ll then kick a ceremonial goal, while highlights of his playing career will be shown on the MCG’s screens.

Richmond recruited Conca with its first pick (No. 6 overall) in the 2010 AFL national draft.

The Tigers had closely followed Conca’s football development for several years and had been extremely impressed with his progress throughout the 2010 season at WAFL club Perth and with Western Australia in the under 18 national championships.

Conca made a successful transition from the Perth colts (under 19) team to senior level that season at just 17 years of age.

His AFL debut for Richmond was in the opening round of the 2011 season against Carlton at the MCG, and he didn’t look out of place, finishing the match with 15 disposals.

All-up, Conca played 17 senior games in his debut season, receiving an AFL Rising Star nomination along the way and winning the Cosgrove-Jenkins award for being the Tigers’ best first year player.

Conca was a valuable member of Richmond’s line-up for the ensuing three years, as a midfielder and later a rebounding defender, showcasing his good movement, evasive skills, proficient ball use and competitiveness.

He played 18 games in 2012, 17 in 2013 and 19 in 2014 before, unfortunately, being stricken with a succession of injuries.

In the three seasons from 2015-2017, Conca managed only 15 senior appearances because of a chronic hamstring issue and a serious foot injury.

But he bounced back in 2018, playing 18 games, including the Tigers’ preliminary final loss to Collingwood.

That was to be Conca’s last game for Richmond with him transferring to Fremantle at the end of the 2018 season.

Conca, an extremely popular clubman at Richmond, played a total of 104 games, kicked 23 goals, and averaged 17.9 disposals per match in his eight-year career with the Tigers.

The most disposals he had in a game was 29, most contested possessions, 13, most marks, nine, most goals, three, most clearances, 10, most inside-50s, nine, most rebound-50s, seven, most score involvements, 10, most intercepts, 11, most tackles, 11 and most metres gained, 530.

Richmond is proud to have welcomed back Motorola as partner of our Homecoming Heroes. Motorola is the official smartphone partner of the Richmond Football Club.

Reece Conca profile

Born: August 12, 1992

Height: 181cm

Playing weight: 84kg

Recruited to Richmond from: Perth (WAFL)

Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 30

Debut at Richmond: Round 1, 2011 v Carlton, MCG

Games at Richmond (2011-18): 104

Goals at Richmond: 23

Honours at Richmond: AFL Rising Star nomination 2011, Cosgrove-Jenkins award winner 2011 (the Tigers’ best first year player)

Richmond's Homecoming Heroes since 2014...