Sam Lalor is eyeing off a big pre-season as he prepares for the 2026 campaign.
By Henry Milic, Richmond Media
Having appeared in 11 games in his debut season at the Swinburne Centre, Sam Lalor quickly proved he belonged at the elite level.
In his very first AFL game, he recorded 18 disposals, two tackles and two goals – an outstanding performance that earned him a Rising Star nomination.
Now, Lalor plans to get back to his best by setting himself up with a strong pre-season, after recovering from a hamstring injury.
“I went to New Zealand, which was nice, but I’m back training now,” Lalor told 7 News.
“It’s pretty full on, but there are a few boys around the Club, which is good to see…we are working hard.”
Despite Lalor’s season being cut short due to a hamstring injury, the 19-year-old still picked up the Club’s Bill Cosgrove/Harry Jenkins Best First Year Player Award.
In a season full of challenges, Lalor credited his older teammates for helping him get through his rehab.
“It is frustrating, you want to be playing every week and to do the same injury three times is pretty tough,” he said.
“At first I was pretty flat, but since then I’ve kept my head up and all the older boys have helped me through it as well.”
Richmond’s playing group will return to the Swinburne Centre next month to begin pre-season training.