“Absolutely dominated”: Richmond draftee a shining light at first Punt Road pre-seasonMitch Keating
zerohanger.com
Feb 1, 2024 A young Richmond draftee has emerged as "one to look out for" after an impressive start to life in the yellow and black.
South Australian addition Kane McAuliffe has begun to gain the attention of his new teammates at Punt Road just months on from joining the Tigers as the 40th overall pick at last November's National Draft.
The Port Augusta product is an explosive and powerful inside midfielder who adds to the Tigers' strong engine room ensemble, with the teenager taking no time to earn some plaudits from his peers.
Across recent sessions under new coach Adem Yze, McAuliffe has "absolutely dominated" to potentially be in the mix for an Opening Round debut.
"We've got a new draftee, Kane McAuliffe, he's a big-bodied mid," Richmond's Hugo Ralpsmith said on RSN when quizzed on pre-season standouts.
"We had a bit of match sim last week and he absolutely dominated. So I think he's one to look out for."
McAuliffe shared his draft season between North Adelaide's reserves and U18s sides in the SANFL last year, showcasing his ball-winning nous and clean clearance work.
The 18-year-old has joined Richmond in the early stages of their new era under Yze, who replaced triple premiership coach Damien Hardwick after a 13th-place finish to 2023 for the Tigers.
https://www.zerohanger.com/absolutely-dominated-richmond-draftee-a-shining-light-at-first-punt-road-pre-season-147055/