Fox Footy panellists at last night’s coverage of the first round of the 2018 AFL national draft, leading football analyst/dual North Melbourne premiership player David King and AFL national talent football manager Michael Ablett, reckon talented, tall midfielder Riley Collier-Dawkins is a ripper Richmond recruit, with huge scope for development at the game’s highest level. Here’s what they had to say about the Tigers’ No. 1 draft pick . . .

David King

“He’s a one-touch player. He’s see ball, get ball . . . he’ll hunt after the football. He’ll fit right in at Richmond, I’ve got no doubt about that . . . to get a guy 191cm, to get in there (the midfield) and take some of the physical punishment. He’s a bit of a blank canvas. Whatever coaching he gets will just take his football from the ground level up. There’s no doubt this guy has got massive upside . . . We talk a lot about how they (draftees) win their own possession – he won 64 percent of his possession in the content in the (under-18 national) championships. It’s almost Patrick Cripps-type level. So his improvement will come – there’s no doubt about that.”

Michael Ablett

“I know a lot of the talk over the course of the year has been his ability to free his arms naturally. He’s one of those players that, when he is in congestion and the heat’s on, he gets his arms up, he gets them high and free, so he can actually distribute the football. So he’s a great selection for Richmond, and it’ll just add strength to their list.”