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Every now and then, footy gives us a story that feels like it's been written for the romantics. For those of us who still get misty-eyed thinking about the grit of '90s Richmond, the heartbreaks and hopes that came with it — and the names that stayed loyal through the lean times.
The name Kellaway has long held a special place in Tigerland.
Duncan Kellaway — the stoic, unfussy, ultra-disciplined half-back who played 180 games in the yellow and black — was a Tiger you could always trust. The sort of player that didn't fill the highlight reels, but filled the hearts of Tiger fans with pride. A clubman in the truest sense.
His brother Andrew? All-Australian. Heart-on-sleeve player. 172 games of loyal service. Two brothers who gave their all during a period where rewards were few and the jumper meant everything.
Now, more than two decades later, the next chapter is quietly unfolding.
Enter: Louis Kellaway.
Eligible as a father-son selection this year, Louis has already carved out his own identity in the game. A classy, composed midfielder with a sharp footy brain, clean hands, and an unselfish style that mirrors the selfless values of his Tiger predecessors.
But what’s remarkable is just how deep the footy bloodlines run in Louis’ story.
On his dad’s side, there’s Duncan and Andrew — a combined 352 games for Richmond.
On his mum Alexandra’s side? Two more former AFL players — Nick and Ben Holland. And yes, that’s the same Ben Holland who wore the number 16 guernsey for Richmond, where he was teammates with Duncan… and ultimately, the connection that brought his parents together.
Talk about footy fate.
A Midfield Talent with a Modern Twist
This year, Louis has had a standout campaign. A key figure in South Australia's under-18 championship win, he averaged 24 touches a game and capped it off with a SANFL under-18 premiership with Sturt, collecting 17 disposals and a goal in the Grand Final.
He’s smart, he’s efficient, and he’s relentless — but not flashy. Sound familiar?
He’ll head to the AFL Draft Combine next month, one of 13 South Aussies invited. And with each performance, the possibility grows stronger: could he be the next Kellaway to walk down the Tigerland race?
The Influence of Family
Louis is the first to admit the enormous influence his dad has had on his football — not in the loud, pushy way, but in the methodical, thoughtful way that typified Duncan as a player.
“Dad’s been huge, especially this year. He helps set goals, gives me pre-game advice, and post-game feedback… it’s been massive,” Louis shared.
There’s no handouts at home either. Duncan, now a physio and rehab coach with the Crows, is strictly professional when it comes to his son. No special treatment. Just quiet support, wise counsel, and a standard to uphold.
And the rest of the family? They’re just as involved.
“Ben Holland was at the Tiges with Dad, that’s how my parents met,” Louis said. “They’re all keen to see how I’m tracking — especially this year.”
You can feel the love in this family’s footy connection — not just for the game, but for each other.
Tiger Ties — and a Dream that’s Grounded in Reality
Richmond has been watching. Closely. Louis has already spent time at Punt Road, including a week of pre-season training last year. He’s seen the club up close, met the players, soaked up the environment.
But he’s refreshingly mature about the draft process.
“It would obviously be really cool to play where Dad and a couple of my uncles played,” he said, “but I understand the club needs to do what’s best. I’d just be grateful for any opportunity.”
This isn’t a kid with stars in his eyes — it’s a young man with perspective.
He’s balanced footy with a university science degree. He’s walked his own path, not just inherited a legacy. He’s watched the highs and lows of his two teams — Richmond and Adelaide — and still holds the game close to his heart, not just in theory, but in how he plays it.
What’s Next?
The draft looms.
For Tiger fans, the idea of Louis Kellaway donning the sash feels like the perfect story. A tale that connects past to present. That reminds us why we love this club. That brings us back to the long days at the ‘G where the Kellaway boys held the backline together with tape, tenacity, and Tiger spirit.
But whether he ends up at Richmond or not, one thing is clear: Louis Kellaway is a Tiger by blood — and he’s built in the image of those who came before him.
And that, Tiger faithful, is something worth celebrating.
“Draft the need. Draft the weapon. Draft the Tiger.”
The Coates Talent League season is done and dusted. The boots are off, the stats are in, and now it’s all about interviews, whiteboards, and big decisions. The draft picture will shift again after the combine, but from what I’ve seen, there are two names who should be inked in bold on Richmond’s draft board right now.
Sam Grlj and Sullivan Robey.
I've watched this crop closely all year — and harder during finals — and to me, these two are the clearest upgrades to what our Tigers need most.
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🐯 SAM GRLJ – THE MIDFIELD JET WE’VE BEEN SCREAMING FOR
I’ve been on Grlj all season. Anyone who's followed this page knows that. There’s no one in the pool who attacks the ball harder, runs quicker, or plays with more edge than Sam Grlj.
He’s lightning fast, with that Max Holmes-type ability to break lines, open up space, and leave opponents grasping at thin air. Holmes, of course, is the one we handed to Geelong in 2020. Richmond was involved in his draft year, and Geelong traded their future 2021 first-round pick to Richmond for Geelong's 2020 first-round pick, which they used to select Holmes with pick No. 20 in the 2020 AFL draft. This trade essentially allowed Geelong to acquire Holmes from Richmond. We can’t afford another miss like that.
Grlj must be a Tiger. Non-negotiable.
He's got the blend we’ve lacked for years: aggression, acceleration, and damaging ball use. He might not be your 35-disposal accumulator, but he changes the speed of the game with every touch. Richmond's midfield is crying out for this kind of explosive burst.
We all saw the lack of burst in our centre bounce mix this year. Grlj gives us the sparkplug, the breakaway threat, the game-shifter.
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🐯 SULLIVAN ROBEY – THE FINALS BOLTER WITH THE TIGER DNA
Now here’s the name that’s risen fast: Sullivan Robey. And what a finals series he had. Four games. Averaged 26 disposals and 2.5 goals. Those aren’t midfield numbers. They’re match-winner numbers.
Robey is big. He’s strong. He’s clean at ground level and aerially. And most of all — he’s versatile.
Can play deep.⁹
Can play high.
Can go on-ball.
Can hurt you in multiple ways.
That’s the kind of modern mid-forward every top side has. Think Isaac Heeney. Think Shai Bolton. Robey is in that mould. He’s no slouch either — not Grlj-quick, but explosive over the first 10-15m. Think right-footed Harvey Langford.
When the game is hot, Robey stays composed. He wins his ball and he finishes. That combo is rare in draft mids. I genuinely believe he’ll thrive at AFL level — he’s got the physicality, footy IQ, and big-game temperament.
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✅ THE LIST FIT – WHY THEY’RE TIGERS
Let’s be real: this is a list that needs to be rebuilt on speed, versatility, and weapons. These two boys aren’t depth picks. They’re difference-makers.
Grlj gives us raw pace, outside run, and defensive pressure.
Robey gives us midfield power, forward craft, and scoreboard impact.
Last year, I was early and loud on Sam Lalor — said he had the traits we needed, and look how well he’s tracking. This year, it’s these two. No hesitation.
They’re not like what we already have. They’re what we need.
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🔒 LOCK IT IN – THE VERDICT
📌 Sam Grlj and Sullivan Robey = Pick the need + pick the future.
📌 Draft night will always have curveballs — but these two should be priority targets for Richmond.
📌 If we walk out of the draft with just one of them, I’ll be thrilled. If we get both… it could be the turning point in our rebuild.
Remember the names.
Remember the Tragician said it first.
🟡⚫ Get back to me in November.
As the September winds begin to bite and the shadows grow long at Punt Road, the lights have already dimmed on another Richmond campaign. No stirring finals charge, no famous upset under lights at the ‘G. Just the hum of list management meetings, exit interviews, and a playing group slowly scattering — some for Mad Monday, some for contract talks, and others... perhaps for the last time.
I watch the footage again. Not of our last game, but of the golden era — Cotch brushing past danger like it’s just mist, Jack wheeling around from 50, Dusty... being Dusty. That time feels both impossibly recent and heartbreakingly distant. But the wheel never stops turning. The Tigers are in transition — not a rebuild, not a reload — but something greyer, murkier. Something less defined.
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🧳 Who Could Be Leaving the Den?
We have six Tigers without contracts, and in their stories lie the uncertainty of this in-between phase we’re now in.
Campbell Gray: A midseason punt who looked the part as a swingman before a cruel knee injury closed his campaign. There’s something about him — a rawness, yes, but also composure. With both Koschitzke and Blight delisted, surely we keep a flexible tall with upside? Or will he be another story of 'what could've been'?
Kaleb Smith: Eight games, flashes of run, but not enough to hold a spot. A distributing backman in a system craving stability — the modern game is unkind to those stuck between roles. He’s on the cusp... but does the axe fall?
Ollie Hayes-Brown: The forgotten man. An ex-basketballer still learning the game, but internally rated. There were whispers of a debut late in the season. Could we see the club play the long game with a Category B project?
Then the trio of:
Thomson Dow: Perhaps the most unlucky Tiger of 2025. A breakout year cut short by a kneecap injury, just as he looked at home in the midfield. There's craft and clean hands, and Richmond fans are suckers for a comeback narrative.
Tylar Young: A rare find — mature-age key defenders don’t grow on trees. He’s raw but brave, and whispers of interest from West Coast, North and the Dogs make this tricky. Do we fight to keep him? Or cash in and invest in someone else’s surplus?
Tyler Sonsie: The wildcard. There’s undeniable talent, even if the contested side of his game still wavers. He grew as the season went on — and in a forward-mid role, he might just find his place. But does he wait too long, and watch the club move on without him?
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🌟 Could a New Star Emerge?
Enter Malcolm Rosas Jnr — electric, elusive, enigmatic.
A livewire from the Gold Coast whose time looks up north of the border. He’s not signed beyond 2025, and the vultures — including us — are circling. Reports suggest it’s a two-horse race: Richmond vs Sydney. A choice between bright lights and tradition... or the soul of Tigerland.
We’ve lacked consistent small forward pressure. Maurice Rioli Jnr couldn’t cement a spot. Steely Green flickered but didn’t catch. And Jasper Alger, still green, is more potential than product.
Imagine Rosas roving at the feet of Lynch, or breaking lines off half-forward with Taj Hotton wheeling past. We haven’t had that spark since Castagna at his peak. It might not be the biggest move of the off-season — but it could be the smartest.
The club may also scour the delisted free agent list. We’ve done it before — think Bachar, Lambert, even Pickett. Expect a few speculative swings at fringe talent. Not for the headlines, but for the build.
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🚪 Who’s Already Walked Through the Door?
Kamdyn McIntosh – The premiership wingman. So much heart. His dash, his toughness. The man with 100-metre lungs. Delisted, but never forgotten.
Jacob Bauer, Mate Colina, Jacob Blight, Jacob Koschitzke – Depth players, each in different stages of the dream. Koschitzke came with promise from Hawthorn, but it never clicked. Sometimes the yellow and black just doesn’t stick.
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📦 What Are We Playing With?
Two picks inside the top three.
Let that sink in.
Pick 2. Pick 3.
This is rare air. The club is hinting at youth, but playing coy. Could we package one to move down and gain more assets? Could we keep both and land two future stars?
The 2025 draft is reportedly deep — especially in midfielders and dynamic half-forwards. We’ve lacked polish and speed. Do we find another Shai Bolton? Another Trent Cotchin?
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⚖️ The Verdict
This off-season is not one of sweeping declarations or dramatic changes. It’s quieter than that — a sharpening of edges, a slow turning of the list management wheel. The scars of a golden era are still visible, but so too are the green shoots: Tarranto, Hopper, Prestia, Lynch, Nank, Balta. These are not the bones of a team starting over — they’re a team waiting to rise again.
But the questions remain.
Which players get the chance to wear the sash again?
Who will become the next Tiger tragic story — or the next redemption arc?
Can we walk the line between honouring our past and shaping our future?
The answers will come — not today, and not in full. But as the leaves fall at Punt Road and the club quietly goes about its business, one truth remains:
You don’t stay down for long at Richmond.
Not when you’ve lived what we’ve lived.
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🟡⚫ Go Tigers. Forever.
