Hugo Ralphsmith
Ralphsmith with Richmond's VFL side in July 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-11-09) 9 November 2001
Original team(s) Sandringham Dragons (NAB League Boys)
Draft No. 46, 2019 AFL draft
Debut Round 9, 2021, Richmond vs. Greater Western Sydney, at Marvel Stadium
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 83 kg (183 lb)
Position(s) Wing / Half-forward
Club information
Current club Richmond
Number 13
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2020– Richmond 32 (9)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023 season.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Hugo Ralphsmith (born 9 November 2001) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life and junior football

Ralphsmith was raised in the bayside suburbs of Melbourne and played junior football with the East Brighton Football Club in the South Metro Junior Football League.[1] He attended high school and played school football at Haileybury College.[2][3]

Ralphsmith earned selection in the local NAB League Boys representative side the Sandringham Dragons as a 16 year old in 2018.[4][5] The same year, Ralphsmith was chosen to represent the Victorian metropolitan side at a special series of Under 17s exhibition matches against other states, including as one of his side's best players in a win over New South Wales.[6] At the end of the year, Ralphsmith was among 48 players in the country chosen to play in a special Under 17s exhibition match on the MCG ahead of that year's AFL Grand Final.[7]

Ralphsmith joined the AFL Academy's specialised training program ahead of his final year of underage football, after being identified as a potential AFL draftee.[8] He resumed representative football with Sandringham that year and was named a member of the club's official six-player leadership group.[9] Mid-way through the season, Ralphsmith was selected to the squad for the Victorian Metropolitan side at the 2019 AFL Under 18 Championships.[10] He played in each of the series' first three matches, but was omitted from Metro's final match of the series, finishing the tournament with two goals from three matches.[11][12][13][14] Ralphsmith featured in NAB League matches over the second half of the season including being named in the Aussie Rules Draft Central team of the weeks in round 12 and 13.[15][16] He injured his shoulder soon after and missed six weeks of football as a result.[1] After recovering from that injury, Ralphsmith was among Sandringham's best players in a semi-final win over the Calder Cannons, recording 19 disposals, eight marks and three goals.[17] He added one goal in the club's losing preliminary final against the Oakleigh Chargers.[1][18]

AFL recruitment

Following the end of the 2019 junior season, Ralphsmith was invited to test athletically at the AFL Draft Combine.[19] There he recorded the equal fifth best results on the two kilometre time trial (6 minutes 12 seconds) and the running vertical jump test (86 cm) of any player that year.[20]

Prior to the draft, Ralphsmith was projected by to be selected at pick 29 by AFL Media, at pick 34 by Aussie Rules Draft Central, at pick 35 by Fox Sports and at pick 42 by ESPN.[21][22][23][24]

He was notable at this time for his speed, endurance and all-round athletic prowess and drew comparisons to Hawthorn wing Isaac Smith.[25][26]

Junior statistics

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks

NAB League Boys

Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2018 Sandringham Dragons 53114—756914428130.4—6.86.313.12.51.2
2019 Sandringham Dragons 111010—976215938261.0—9.76.215.93.82.6
Career 21 14 — 172 131 303 66 39 0.7 — 8.2 6.2 14.4 3.1 1.9

Under 18 National Championships

Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2019 Vic Metro 2132—161733860.7—5.35.711.02.72.0
Career 3 2 — 16 17 33 8 6 0.7 — 5.3 5.7 11.0 2.7 2.0

AFL career

2020 season

Ralphsmith was drafted by Richmond with the club's fourth pick and the 46th selection overall in the 2019 AFL national draft.[2]

He began his professional career by playing pre-season VFL practice matches with the club's reserves side in March 2020.[27] By mid-March however, reserves matches were cancelled due to safety concerns as a result of the rapid progression of the COVID-19 pandemic into Australia.[28] Though the AFL season would start on schedule later that month, just one round of matches was played of the reduced 17-round season before the imposition of state border restrictions saw the season suspended for an indefinite hiatus.[29][30][31][32][33] Ralphsmith returned to the reserves group when the season resumed after an 11-week hiatus, playing an unofficial scratch match against Collingwood's reserves due to AFL clubs' withdrawal from the VFL season.[34][35] After three more scratch matches playing mostly as a half-forward, Ralphsmith moved with the main playing group when the club was relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne.[36][37][38][39] Three matches into that stay, Ralphsmith was named as a non-playing AFL-level emergency for the club's round 8's match against Greater Western Sydney.[40] He continued to be overlooked for AFL selection through the remainder of the season and finals series, playing reserves matches while being named as an AFL emergency on one further occasion.[41][42][43][44][45] Ralphsmith went without making an AFL debut that year, in what was a premiership-winning season for the club.

2021 season

Ralphsmith followed a full 2020/21 off-season training program by being named to play half-back and wing in the senior side during an unofficial pre-season match against Melbourne in February 2021.[46][47][48][49] He was unable to secure selection in the club's official pre-season match however, and was restricted to appearances for club's reserves side in the VFL for the entirety of March.[50][51][52] Ralphsmith was named an AFL emergency in round 2, but a one-week suspension earned in a VFL match that weekend denied him an opportunity to make an AFL debut in Richmond's injury-hit round 3 side.[53][54] He sustained an ankle injury in the early minutes of his return match in the VFL in late April, but was able recover in time for the following week's match, before again being named an AFL-level emergency in round 8.[55][56] Following injuries to Shane Edwards and Shai Bolton the previous week, Ralphsmith was called up to senior level to make his debut in the club's round 9 match against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium.[57][58]

2022 season

Ralphsmith won the Grand Final Sprint on Grand Final Day 2022.

Player profile

Ralphsmith is a versatile player, featuring in various positions over two years with Richmond including as a wing, half-forward and half-back.[57]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 23, 2022.[59]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2020 Richmond 450––––––––––––––
2021 Richmond45632272249750.50.34.53.78.21.20.8
2022 Richmond4513511018718845170.40.17.86.714.53.51.3
Career 19 8 3 128 109 237 52 22 0.4 0.2 6.7 5.7 12.5 2.7 1.2

Personal life

Hugo's father Sean played 34 matches over a seven-year Victorian/Australian Football League career with Hawthorn and St Kilda.[57]

Ralphsmith currently studies a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science/Bachelor of Business (Sport Management) at Deakin University.[60]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Collins, Ben (27 November 2019). "They couldn't lose, could they? Five likely top-30 draftees from the one team". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Ralphsmith to Richmond". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  3. ↑ Leonard, Owen. "NOT HERE TO MAKE UP THE NUMBERS: RALPHSMITH READY TO PROVE HIMSELF AGAINST THE BEST". Sandringham Dragons. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  4. ↑ Di Pietro, Kavisha (9 April 2018). "The Sandringham Dragons finish hard to get over the top of the Calder Cannons". Herald Sun. Moorabbin Kingston Leader. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  5. ↑ McEvoy, Simon (15 March 2018). "New breed of Sandringham Dragons ready to roar in 2018". Herald Sun. Moorabbin Kingston Leader. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  6. ↑ Williams, Peter (13 August 2018). "Vic Country, Metro defeat Queensland and NSW/ACT in close contests". AFL Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  7. ↑ Williams, Peter (4 September 2018). "Dragons dominate Under 17 All Stars squads". AFL Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Williams, Peter (25 October 2018). "Dragons dominate revamped state-based AFL Academy". AFL Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Bunn, Sam. "LEADERSHIP GROUP ANNOUNCED AT SEASON LAUNCH". Sandringham Dragons. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  10. ↑ "NAB League 2019: Sandy Dragons grind out win over Gippsland Power". Herald Sun. Bayside Leader. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  11. ↑ "NAB League 2019: Sandringham Dragons make 18 changes, suffer 16-point loss". Herald Sun. Moorabbin Kingston Leader. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "Hugo Ralphsmith". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  13. ↑ "Scouting notes: AFLU18 Championships – Vic Metro vs. Vic Country". Aussie Rules Draft Central. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  14. ↑ Twomey, Callum (2 November 2019). "Class of 2019: Pressure to perform almost ended athletic forward's draft hopes". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  15. ↑ Williams, Peter (11 July 2019). "Team of the Week: NAB League Boys – Round 13". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  16. ↑ Williams, Peter (17 July 2019). "Team of the Week: NAB League Boys – Round 12". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "NAB League 2019: Hugo Ralphsmith sparkles as Sandy Dragons see off Calder Cannons". Herald Sun. Moorabbin Kingston Leader. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  18. ↑ "Scouting notes: NAB League Boys – Preliminary Finals". Aussie Rules Draft Central. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  19. ↑ "Hawks father-son Finn Maginness, top five candidate Hayden Young stand out at AFL Draft Combine". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  20. ↑ Twomey, Callum (7 October 2019). "Draft combine wrap & results". North Melbourne FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  21. ↑ Doerre, Chris (27 November 2019). "Every club, every pick: ESPN's full AFL phantom draft". ESPN. Disney. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  22. ↑ Twomey, Callum (25 November 2019). "Cal Twomey's 2019 Phantom Draft: Top 30, your club's whispers". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  23. ↑ Balmer, Matt (8 November 2019). "AFL draft power rankings 26-50: The hidden gems your club can snare for a bargain". ESPN. Disney. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  24. ↑ "2019 Draft Central Phantom Draft". Aussie Rules Draft Central. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  25. ↑ Cavanagh, Chris (30 November 2019). "Richmond draftee Hugo Ralphsmith joins under-18 teammates on AFL list". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  26. ↑ Kalac, Grace (12 December 2019). "Ralphsmith raring to go". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  27. ↑ Mann, Brenton (8 March 2020). "VFL Tigers overrun Werribee". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  28. ↑ Beveridge, Riley (13 March 2020). "Game off: Tiger stars to miss valuable practice match". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  29. ↑ "AFL to go ahead with round one of men's 2020 season amid coronavirus pandemic". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 March 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  30. ↑ Barrett, Damien (10 March 2019). "Why coronavirus could force the AFL to play games without fans". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  31. ↑ Barrett, Damien (13 March 2020). "Coronavirus crisis: AFL makes call on round one". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  32. ↑ Barrett, Damien (22 March 2020). "'Most serious threat in 100 years': AFL postpones season". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  33. ↑ "AFL suspends season in response to coronavirus, with AFLW season cancelled — but NRL plays on for now". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 March 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  34. ↑ Cleary, Mitch (10 June 2020). "Will your club play a scratch match this weekend?". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  35. ↑ "Scratch match player summary". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  36. ↑ "Scratch match player summary v Hawks". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  37. ↑ "Scratch match player summary v Saints". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  38. ↑ "Scratch match player summary v Demons". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  39. ↑ Jake Niall, Peter Ryan and Toby Crockford (15 July 2020). "AFL to move all Victorian clubs to Queensland to save season". The Age. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  40. ↑ Kalac, Grace (23 July 2020). "Naish recalled for GWS clash". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  41. ↑ "Coaches' Corner: Clarke on development". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  42. ↑ "Scratch match v West Coast player summary". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  43. ↑ "Scratch match v Geelong player summary". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  44. ↑ "Scrimmage match v Collingwood player summary". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  45. ↑ Cleary, Mitch (1 September 2020). "Teams: Freo to unleash monster three-headed attack, cheeky Jack back". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  46. ↑ Zita, David (26 February 2020). "Dees' old issue returns, Tiger cubs pushing for R1: What we learned from Melbourne v Richmond". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  47. ↑ Twomey, Callum (26 February 2020). "Big Max dominates, fringe forward fires, Dusty finishes early". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  48. ↑ McGowan, Marc (26 February 2020). "AFL 2021: Max Gawn's forward role headlines key take-outs from the Richmond-Melbourne practice match". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  49. ↑ Gleeson, Michael (26 February 2021). "Gawn forward as Demons move on Tigers". The Age. Nine Entertainment Co. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  50. ↑ Batten, Dan (18 March 2021). "KFC SuperCoach 2021 Rookie Bible: Best cheapies for your team". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  51. ↑ Mann, Brenton (13 March 2021). "VFL Tigers surge past Bombers". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  52. ↑ Mann, Brenton (29 March 2021). "VFL Tigers come back to defeat Box Hill". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  53. ↑ Twomey, Callum (7 April 2021). "Who wants to borrow a ruckman? Dimma backs player loan system". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  54. ↑ Batten, Dan (27 March 2021). "AFL 2021: Round 2 team news". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  55. ↑ Schmook, Nathan (6 May 2021). "TEAMS: Cats drop speedster again, flag Tigers return". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  56. ↑ "VFL Report: Round 2". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  57. 1 2 3 "Ralphsmith to debut against GWS". Richmond FC. Telstra Media. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  58. ↑ Landsberger, Sam; Lerner, Ronny; Prime, Toby; Young, Lachie (8 May 2021). "AFL 2021: Hugo Ralphsmith in line for Richmond debut after Shane Edwards injury blow". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  59. ↑ "Hugo Ralphsmith". AFL Tables. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  60. ↑ "Elite Athlete Program Profiles". Deakin University. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
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