Dual AFL premiership coach Denis Pagan would have been a proud man last Thursday night after watching the inspirational performance of Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert in the season-opener against Carlton at the MCG.

Lambert, playing just his 14^th game of league football, was the catalyst behind the Tigers’ come-from-behind win, amassing 12 disposals in a dominant last-quarter display, to finish with a team-high 28 for the match.

Pagan, who piloted North Melbourne to premierships in 1996 and 1999, later coached TAC Cup team Northern Knights, where a then teenaged Lambert came under his tutelage.

Lambert starred at the Knights and subsequently at VFL level with the Northern Blues (Carlton’s VFL affiliate) and then Williamstown.

For some reason, however, he was overlooked in a succession of AFL drafts, until Richmond selected him with its final pick (No 46 overall) in the rookie draft at the end of 2014.

At the time, Pagan said:  “They’ve made a very wise choice.

“It’s not often you go overboard, but I just think he’s an outstanding player and I was flabbergasted he wasn’t picked up for the last couple of years.”

Pagan added that Lambert had “special attributes” and even likened him to a right-footed (former North Melbourne midfield star) Anthony Stevens . . .

“He’s pretty tough, he’s pretty hard, and he’s never beaten,” was how Pagan described Lambert.

 “If you’re going into a battle, I reckon you’d be comfortable with Kane Lambert next to you.”

To set the record straight, Richmond’s Round 1 team had a combined total of 1621 games compared to Carlton’s 1858.

The Tigers had 10 players with less than 50 games’ experience (Astbury, C. Ellis, Griffiths, Lambert, Lloyd, McIntosh, Menadue, Miles, Rioli and Townsend), while the Blues had nine (Boekhorst, Buckley, Cripps, Docherty, Graham, Kerridge, Lamb, Phillips and Weitering).

Richmond’s final score of 14.8 (92) in the season-opener success was the fifth time in the last seven games against Carlton that it has kicked exactly 14 goals.

The Tigers registered 14.14 v 12.14 in Round 2, 2014; 14.12 v 18.8 in the elimination final of 2013; 14.12 v 16.10 in Round 21, 2013; and 14.22 v 14.17 in the opening round of the 2013 season.

Richmond’s opening round victory over Carlton means it’s the first time since 1973-75, when the great Tommy Hafey was coach, that the Tigers have won four games in-a-row against the Blues at the MCG.

It’s also the first time Richmond has won consecutive Round 1 matches since 2001-02.

Talented Tiger tall forward Ty Vickery continued his good goalkicking form against Carlton, with a team-high three six-pointers in the opening round victory.

Vickery has now booted 21 goals all-up in 11 encounters with the Blues, which is far and away his best return against any league team.

His next best is 12 goals against both Collingwood and West Coast.

Good connection between Richmond Round 1 debutant Daniel Rioli and triple Tiger premiership player Barry Richardson, who presented the exciting small forward with the Club’s famous No. 17 guernsey pre-game.

Richardson wore the No. 17 jumper with distinction in 125 games with the Tigers from 1965-74, including the Grand Final triumphs of 1967, 1969 and 1974.

The man known as ‘Bones’ throughout his distinguished league playing career, was recruited by Richmond from St Patrick’s College, Ballarat, which is the same school Rioli also attended five decades later.