Richmond’s first pick in the 2013 National Draft, Ben Lennon, is making an impression on training track as he bids to put himself in the frame for an early debut.
Lennon has settled into the rigours of the pre-season, improving with every session.
"My running has improved, I did most of the testing before Christmas and it was not as good as what it needed to be. But after Christmas it has really improved,” Lennon told the Herald Sun.
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"I'm hoping to get a place in the NAB Cup team, as 'Dimma' (Hardwick) has said he wants to play his best team for it.
"Hopefully I can get into that and from there if I can get a spot in Round 1.
"I don't want to put too much expectation on myself, but that's the goal."
It has been a sharp learning curve for the 18-year-old, who only joined the main training group in late November last year, following the National Draft.
"He (coach Damien Hardwick) has thrown me on every line (at training) to get my head around everything,” Lennon said.
"It's been good to learn things off all the coaches, but I've been thrown in the deep end."