- Mykelti Lefau was set to make senior AFL debut for Richmond
- Dropped from Tigers VFL program just 34 days ago
- Kiwi was initially part of Melbourne Storm’s NRL development team
Injury-ravaged Richmond are set to debut former Melbourne Storm development player Mykelti Lefau against Port Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday after Jacob Hopper and Nathan Broad withdrew late due to injury.
New Zealand born Lefau’s debut comes just 34 days after he was waived from the Tigers’ VFL program.
Lefau, 25, moved to Melbourne in 2012 and was initially part of Storm’s NRL development team before switching his attention to chasing a Sherrin.
He quickly came to the attention after scoring 25 goals in an under-19 match for St Kilda City in 2016.
Lefau played 11 games for Richmond’s VFL side last season after recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and trained with the AFL senior group last summer.
Richmond will debut former Melbourne Storm development player Mykelti Lefau against Port Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday
Lefau moved to Melbourne in 2012 and was initially part of the Storm’s NRL development team before switching his attention to AFL
The Kiwi was recently signed from the Tigers’ VFL program and once scored 25 goals in a match for St Kilda City
In February, Lefau told reporters that playing senior footy for the Tigers was his main goal.
“I will always put my body on the line for the boys,” he said. ‘All the boys know what I can do physically.
“My strength comes from playing competitively, but I have to get my body in the right position because you don’t want to injure anyone or get into trouble.
“If I get a chance, it’s about being consistent to stay in the team.”
The Kiwi joins a side also depleted by the loss of Dion Prestia with a hamstring problem, as new coach Adem Yze looks for a first win after defeats to Gold Coast and Carlton.
Yze said the territory game would be crucial against Port Adelaide, but he backed Richmond’s system to get results.
“They’ve got some speed, they’ve got great talent in midfield. We hope to match them on the inside… around the approval, around the downtime,” he said.
‘We just have to start well and perform very consistently over four quarters.’