Lalor to wear iconic Tigers’ No.4 jumper

HAVING quickly earned comparisons to Richmond great Dustin Martin, former Bacchus Marsh junior Sam Lalor will follow further in the footsteps of the three-time premiership star and 2017 Brownlow medallist by donning the Tigers’ iconic No.4 guernsey from next season.

Lalor, taken by the Tigers with pick one in the 2024 AFL National Draft, wore the number throughout his junior football, including for Greater Western Victorian Rebels in the Coates Talent League.

The No.4 is regarded as one of the most iconic in yellow and black history, having been worn with premiership distinction by not only three-time Norm Smith medallist Martin, but club hall of famers and team of the century members Royce Hart and Geoff Raines.

Lalor inherits the famous number after a debut season in which he was crowned the Bill Cosgrove/Harry Jenkins Medal winner as Richmond’s best first-year player, despite missing 12 games.

The powerful 19-year-old midfielder/forward averaged 13 disposals and 1.1 goals from his 10 completed matches at AFL level last season.

Speaking on the Richmond Football Club’s website, Lalor said it was a “massive honour” to take on Martin’s old number.

“There is some great (No.4) history within the club. I wore it as a kid growing up and cannot wait to wear it for the first time,” he said.

“I look up to him (Martin) a lot, obviously try to base my game off him a fair bit, and he had such an impact at Richmond.

“Hopefully, I can try and play a bit like him, and yeah, he is one of the players I looked at growing up.

“So it is a massive honour to wear his number.”

Contenders for the mantle of the Tigers’ greatest ever player, two-time club best and fairest winners Martin (2017, ’19 and ’20) and Hart (1967, ’69, ’73 and ’74) played in a combined seven premierships, with Hart captaining two.

Raines, a three-time Tigers best and fairest winner, donned the No.4 in the bulk of his 134 games for the club, highlighted by a premiership win in 1980.

The number was also worn with aplomb by 1991 best and fairest winner Craig Lambert during the late 80s and early 90s.

Other number changes for the 2026 season include:

6 – Sam Banks (from 41).

8 – Jonty Faull (from 26).

10 – Taj Hotton (from 24).

11 – Luke Trainor (from 31).

43 – Liam Fawcett (from 37).