Robbie Nahas joined Richmond at the same time as Ben Cousins did - pre-season/rookie draft day, in December 2008.

After the Tigers snapped up the ex-Eagle champion with their only pick in the pre-season draft, they then took Nahas with their first selection in the follow-up rookie draft.

The speedy small forward had caught the eye of Tiger talent scouts during the 2008 season (his third) with VFL club Port Melbourne.

He played a key role in Port’s grand final year, kicking 50 goals, and creating opportunities for teammates with ferocious tackling that belied his lightly-built frame.

His impressive efforts were rewarded with the Fothergill-Round Medal, as the most promising young talent in the VFL competition.

Initially, Richmond had earmarked Nahas with its one selection in that year’s pre-season draft.  But the Club subsequently decided to provide Cousins with a lifeline back into the AFL and Nahas, instead, was rookie-listed by the Tigers. 

Following the disastrous loss to Carlton in the 2009 season-opener, Nahas was elevated to the Tigers’ primary list (replacing former captain Kane Johnson, who was placed on the long-term injury list)), and he made his senior league debut in the Round 2 clash with Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

It was a fairly modest first-up performance by Nahas, with just nine touches and no goals.

A month later, however, Nahas served notice that he could cut the mustard at the game’s highest level . . .

He kicked five goals in the Round 8 match against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium and received two Brownlow Medal votes for his dangerous display up forward, which almost dragged the Tigers over the line.

Nahas played 19 games all-up in his 2009 debut season, kicked 21 goals, and won Richmond’s Best First Year Player award.

His form slipped a bit the following season, with just 13 goals from 14 games, but he bounced back in impressive fashion in 2011, playing all 22 games, kicking 29 goals, and finishing equal sixth in the Jack Dyer Medal.

This year, Nahas again played all 22 games, and he booted a league career-high 34 goals, to finish second (behind Jack Riewoldt) on the Tigers’ goalkicking table.

After four seasons of AFL football, the now 25-year-old Nahas has scored a total of 97 goals from 77 games, and he’s rightfully being acclaimed as another success story of the AFL’s rookie-list system.