RICHMOND young gun Sam Lalor has returned to full training just ahead of the Christmas break and is ready to be let off the leash in January, after recovering from hamstring surgery in July. 

The 2024 pick No.1 played 10 of the first 11 games of 2025 before straining his hamstring against Geelong in round 17 in his first game back from the same injury six weeks earlier.

After consulting specialists, Lalor then underwent surgery to repair his left hamstring, following three strains in under 12 months dating back to late in his draft year. 

Lalor has gradually integrated back into the main group over the first block of the pre-season, before completing the majority of Richmond's final session of 2025 on Wednesday morning at Punt Road. 

The Tigers plan to manage Lalor's training loads across the pre-season, but after taking the next step in December the 19-year-old is on track to feature in the practice match against Essendon or the AAMI Community Series fixture against Melbourne in February. 

Lalor inherited Dustin Martin's iconic No.4 guernsey in November after Richmond opted to leave that number vacant this year following the retirement of the champion midfielder. 

Second-year midfielder Josh Smillie is still recovering from quad surgery in November and not expected to be back in full training until February. 

The 19-year-old endured a challenging first season at the Swinburne Centre after being selected at pick No.7 in the 2024 draft. 

Smillie was restricted to just four VFL games due to repeat soft tissue injuries, but was expected to start pre-season with the first to fourth-year players before a scan last month revealed the lingering issue hadn't healed and required surgery. 

Progress has been slow for the 197cm inside midfielder, who has grown a few centimetres since being drafted, but Smillie is aiming to be ready to play at either level by the round one clash against Carlton on March 12.  

The Tigers have been carefully managing Taj Hotton – another player from that bumper 2024 draft class – early in the pre-season after he spent the first half of this year recovering from a knee reconstruction, before playing the final seven games in Adem Yze's side. 

Josh Gibcus was rewarded with a recall in the final game of the home and away season after a long road back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear and has carried that momentum into the summer. 

The 2021 pick No.9 has ticked off session after session to start the pre-season and continues to regain confidence in his body after a nightmare injury run since his debut season. 

Sam Cumming – Richmond's first pick in this year's draft – has managed a shoulder injury dating back to late in the SANFL season across the first block of pre-season, but showed no signs of concern in match simulation on Wednesday morning. 

Like Lalor, the Sunraysia product will be let off the leash across January and will have the chance to press his claims to be picked for the season-opener. 

While Nathan Broad, Toby Nankervis and Jacob Hopper were managed on Wednesday, Hugo Ralphsmith was restricted to the rehab group after straining his hamstring earlier in the pre-season.