Chris Naish is Richmond’s next Homecoming Hero for the 2018 season.

The Tigers are set to pay tribute to the former clever small forward during the pre-game build-up at Friday night’s Round 16 clash with Adelaide at the MCG.

Naish will walk to the Punt Road end of the ground, where he’ll receive due recognition from 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 Naish’s playing career with the Tigers also will be shown on the MCG’s big screens.

Chris Naish, who had played senior football for Victorian country club Wangaratta at just 15 years of age, was selected by Richmond with its first pick (No. 5 overall) in the 1988 AFL National Draft.

As a junior star, he’d been an All-Australian Teal Cup (under-17s) representative, alongside two players who would go on to become all-time greats of the game in Wayne Carey and Robert Harvey.

Naish had a few reserves matches for the Tigers in 1989, but spent most of the season at Wangaratta.

He made his senior debut with Richmond in Round 1, 1990 against Brisbane at Carrara and finished with 13 disposals in an encouraging display.

The clever, creative small forward made four senior appearances all-up that season, but took his game to the next level in 1991, kicking 38 goals.

During that ’91 season, he recorded his best goal return in a league match of six, against Geelong at Waverley Park.

Over the next few seasons, Naish was an integral part of the Tigers’ team.

He did not miss a senior game for the three seasons from 1994-96 and played a key role in Richmond’s 1995 finals campaign.

Naish kicked an AFL career-high 42 goals in the ’95 season, including two in the memorable, come-from-behind, cut-throat, semi-final victory over Essendon at the MCG.

It was his superb, snapped goal at the Punt Road end of the ground, during the third quarter, that put the Tigers ahead after they’d trailed by five goals early in that term.

All-up, Naish scored 212 goals in his 143 games with Richmond at an impressive average of 1.4 per match. He booted three goals or more 35 times.

Naish departed Tigerland at the end of the 1997 season and joined rival league club Port Adelaide, where he spent a further two years before hanging up his boots.

He subsequently became involved with the Richmond Former Players and Officials’ Association, and was made a life member of the Club in 2009.

These days he takes a keen interest in his son Patrick’s progress with the Tigers.

Chris Naish profile

Born: September 27, 1971

Height: 172cm 

Playing weight: 71kg 

Recruited from: Wangaratta

Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 6

Debut at Richmond: Round 1, 1990 v Brisbane, Carrara

Games at Richmond (1990-1997): 143

Goals at Richmond: 212

Here is a list of Richmond's Homecoming Heroes since 2014...