Hugo Ralphsmith

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Hugo Ralphsmith
Ralphsmith with Richmond's VFL side in July 2021
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-11-09) 9 November 2001 (age 22)
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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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 53 11 4 — 75 69 144 28 13 0.4 — 6.8 6.3 13.1 2.5 1.2
2019 Sandringham Dragons 11 10 10 — 97 62 159 38 26 1.0 — 9.7 6.2 15.9 3.8 2.6
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 21 3 2 — 16 17 33 8 6 0.7 — 5.3 5.7 11.0 2.7 2.0
Career 3 2 — 16 17 33 8 6 0.7 — 5.3 5.7 11.0 2.7 2.0

AFL career[edit]

2020 season[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

Player profile[edit]

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[edit]

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 45 0 – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
2021 Richmond 45 6 3 2 27 22 49 7 5 0.5 0.3 4.5 3.7 8.2 1.2 0.8
2022 Richmond 45 13 5 1 101 87 188 45 17 0.4 0.1 7.8 6.7 14.5 3.5 1.3
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[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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.
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  12. ^ "Hugo Ralphsmith". Aussie Rules Draft Central. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
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  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.
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  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.
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  57. ^ a b c "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.

External links[edit]

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