Richmond great Matthew Richardson has give his respected stamp of approval to talented teenager Ben Lennon, after he made an impressive senior league debut for the Tigers in last Saturday’s clash with Melbourne.

Lennon, who was Richmond’s first pick in last year’s National Draft, had an instant impact after coming on to the field as the team’s ‘sub’ during the early stages of the third quarter.

The 18-year-old scored a team-lifting, set-shot goal with his first kick, following a clever mark, and added another one in the last quarter.

He finished the match with eight disposals, three marks and those two goals, in less than a half, to underline his considerable potential.

“I thought he showed some real poise and class from the moment he came on,” Richardson said.

“He has an opportunity now to fill that important role for the team across half-forward for the rest of the season.

“Obviously, it’s very early days for him at AFL level, but I saw enough to suggest that he has the ability to develop into a very good player for the Tigers down the track.”