Wodonga Raiders' Tom Bracher joins Richmond VFL for 2022

"It's pretty special, I've always had aspirations of playing footy at the highest level I can," he suggested.

"I wasn't sure I could get to that level, but in the last month, I got an eye-opener of how far I might go."

A winger or half-forward through his junior career, Bracher changed positions with the Murray Bushrangers when Paddy Parnell was selected by Adelaide in the AFL mid-season draft.

"I had been a little bit all over the shop (position-wise), but when Paddy got drafted I took his half-back flank role and was more settled in the team and got a good string of games together and would run out pretty confident I could have a good game," he offered.

Bracher debuted for Raiders as a tiny 56 kilograms in 2019, breaking his shoulder blade twice.

"He's a really smart footballer, good kick, good decision maker, he's got the ability to go to that (VFL) level and have an impact," then Raiders' coach Jarrod Hodgkin revealed.

"Over the last couple of years he's been able to get his training standards up a little bit to where they need to get to and he'll need to lift again when he gets to Richmond."

Bracher admits he was no 'gym junkie' when he started, but has hit the weights and is now a more robust 72kgs.

"I didn't do much gym in the early days and I didn't eat heaps either until 18 months ago, so it's just been a case of continuing to eat more and getting in the gym grinding that stuff out, I'm still aiming to put on another six or seven kilos, ideally," he explained.

Bracher will move to Melbourne early next month and discuss with the Tigers who he nominates for his second club.

ALSO IN SPORT

He's one of four Ovens and Murray juniors to snare a spot on the Tigers' list, joining North Albury's Tylar Young, Yarrawonga on-baller Jack Sexton and Wangaratta's Brad Melville, who's returning from an ACL.

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