Triple Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick has high expectations for the Tigers’ long-term future due to the rich reservoir of young playing talent at the Club.

Notwithstanding the fact Richmond has achieved so much on-field success throughout the past few years, and remains right in contention for season 2021, Hardwick is extremely buoyant about what the current streak of Tiger cubs are capable of achieving down the track.

“Although we’ve got a great side at the moment, I still feel some of our younger talent coming through is some of the most exciting talent I’ve seen . . . Our recruiting staff, under Blair Hartley and Matty Clarke, have done a wonderful job in giving me some players that can play the game,” Hardwick said on SEN.

One such player is strongly-built, inside midfielder, Riley Collier-Dawkins, who turned 21 early this month.

Collier-Dawkins, the Tigers’ first pick (No. 20 overall) in the 2018 AFL national draft, is yet to make his senior debut at the game’s highest level, but he shapes as a young player that could make a significant step forward this season, in much the same way as Noah Balta did last year.

“He’s (Collier-Dawkins) had a fantastic pre-season,” Hardwick said.

“We always knew Riley was going to take a little bit of time . . .

“He’s very explosive, he’s very powerful, his fitness base has really improved, and he’s matured.

“I think he’s going to be a really, really good player for us.”

Hardwick mentioned a couple of other inexperienced players who he believes are well equipped to have a major impact at Tigerland in 2021 and beyond.

“I’m really bullish about Jack Ross,” he said.

“Jake Aarts, I think, is going to have a wonderful season again. He was very unlucky last year . . . played 14 games.

“And then, there’s some other young guys that are going to jump up as well.”