2013 PREmier Fighting Tiger Award - THE AWARDS!

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PREmier Fighting Tiger Award 2013
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Not Ranked

Liam McBean (34)

Total Games For Richmond 0
Total Votes 0 (n/a)
Rounds Played 0 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

It’s hard to remember a player that didn’t feature in a Richmond senior side with as much hype surrounding them as Liam McBean generated in his debut season. At 202cm+ Liam sparked unprecedented adoration on the forums as he consistently kicked bags of goals for Coburg. Many of his goals exhibited freakish skills below the knees for a player of his size, with many of them coming from snaps more associated with small forwards than a full forward of his stature. McBean missed out on a senior game due to an unfortunate ankle injury that prematurely ended his season, but a full preseason should see him make a much hyped debut next year.

 

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Todd Elton (43)

Total Games For Richmond 1
Total Votes 0 (0)
Rounds Played 0 (1)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12NP
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

In his second year Todd Elton didn’t manage to add to his one senior Richmond appearance and continued his development at Coburg. A solid, if not spectacular season saw him feature regularly for the Burgers and with the demand for depth among the talls at the senior level, there is a spot at the Tigers if he can take the next step in 2014.
 

 

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Tom Derickx (39)

Total Games For Richmond 2
Total Votes 0 (3)
Rounds Played 0 (2)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11NP ‘12:28
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

2013 will probably turn out to be big Tom Derickx’s last season at the Tigers as he played out the year at Coburg, never really threatening to add to his 2 senior appearances that he managed in 2012. He did have some good games for the Burgers this year, but it appears that the VFL is his level and the recruitment of Shaun Hampson will certainly see him delisted in the coming weeks.

 

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Ben Darrou (48)

Total Games For Richmond 0
Total Votes 0 (0)
Rounds Played 0 (0)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12NP
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

Like his debut season on the rookie list, Ben Darrou played out 2013 as a key player in defence at Coburg. It is hard to see how Ben could crack a senior game, with the Tiger’s defence really gelling this year, but reports on his progress have been solid. His problem is that, as a rookie, Richmond will need to decide whether it is worth investing in a position for him on the senior list. Time will tell.

 

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Matt McDonough (36)

Total Games For Richmond 1
Total Votes 0 (n/a)
Rounds Played 1 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

Another of the new Richmond players that has generated a little bit of hype, ‘Madonna’ managed to crack a senior game in the Tigers’ round 21 loss to Carlton. The coaching staff have spoken about his good general footy skills and his potential as a solid AFL player. As a small forward that could rotate through the midfield, there is certainly a vacancy for his type in the Richmond line up. We should see a bit more of Matt McDonough in 2014.

 

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Bradley Helbig (32)

Total Games For Richmond 16
Total Votes 0 (1)
Rounds Played 1 (5)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:21 ‘12:30
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

Brad Helbig has to be at a crossroads in his AFL career after only managing a single senior appearance in 2013. Injury has not helped his cause, plaguing him throughout his time at the Tigers and an ankle injury this season cut his time short again. The problem is that after 10 appearances in 2011, 5 appearances in 2012 and only one appearance in 2013, the trend is not going in the right direction for a midfielder at his stage of development. Although his hardness and aggression could be a real asset for the Tigers, the improvement in our midfield depth means that Brad is going to struggle to retain his spot and, if he does, he will really need a solid 2014.

 

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Ben Griffiths (24)

Total Games For Richmond 19
Total Votes 0 (7)
Rounds Played 1 (9)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10NP ’11:25 ‘12:25
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

There has been plenty of angst about the career of Ben Griffiths, another player whose form line is going in the wrong direction. For a player with his physical attributes and skill set he just doesn’t see enough of the ball or impose himself on the contest. After a single appearance in 2013 in round 1, there are serious question marks over his future at Richmond. I would be surprised to see a player with his attributes discarded after 4 seasons, but the writing is on the wall and Ben is going to need to show a massive turnaround to establish a career at the Tigers.

 

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Sam Lonergan (22)

Total Games For Richmond 2
Total Votes 0 (n/a)
Rounds Played 2 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

Sam Lonergan was drafted as a rookie in 2012 to provide some midfield insurance for the Tigers and made his debut in the Yellow and Black against his old side in the Richmond loss to Essendon in the Dreamtime match. He only managed one other game in 2013, in Richmond’s upset victory against the Eagles, but his form at Coburg was very good and he did press for a senior call up throughout the season. Sam plays the inside midfielder role well, but his skills are questionable at the top level and it is unclear whether the Tigers will feel that they need the security of Lonergan with the continued development of some of the young Tiger midfielders. Again, time will tell whether Lonergan sees another year at Richmond.

 

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Matt Dea (7)

Total Games For Richmond 24
Total Votes 0 (15)
Rounds Played 3 (14)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10NP ’11:28 ‘12:22
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

After 14 appearances as a running defender for the Tigers in 2012, the return of Grimes from injury and the settling of the Richmond defence saw Matt struggle for senior appearances in 2013. Dea is certainly athletic and has the potential to play at senior level. His biggest problem is that the Richmond defence looked very settled as the season progressed and he has been relegated to the role of depth player at this stage. Hopefully he can continue to develop in 2014 and apply pressure to the Richmond defenders, a situation that may not be ideal for Matt, but is a good sign for the Richmond list.

 

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Robin Nahas (26)

Total Games For Richmond 83
Total Votes 0 (139)
Rounds Played 6 (22)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:8 ’10:14 ’11:3 ‘12:14
Average Votes/Rounds n/a
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) n/a
Best Round (Votes) n/a
Normalised Score (Rank) n/a
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) n/a
Most Votes From n/a

After appearing in every Richmond game over the previous seasons, 2013 looks like it could be the last for Nahas in the Yellow and Black after he only managed 6 appearances this season. It is an amazing fall from grace for a player that finished 3rd in this award only 2 years ago. However, it is an indictment on Robbie that he couldn’t impact more in a side crying out for a player of his type. His inability to keep his feet in the contest and to apply the forward, physical pressure that is crucial for a player in his position meant that he proved a liability this year. The latest reports have confirmed our suspicions that Nahas will not get another season with Tigers in 2014. Hopefully he can find another home at AFL level.

 

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30

David Astbury (12)

Total Games For Richmond 29
Total Votes 3 (0)
Rounds Played 5 (2)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:19 ’11NP ‘12NP
Average Votes/Rounds 0.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 30 (21-23)
Best Round (Votes) 21 vs Carlton (3)
Normalised Score (Rank) 0.109 (30)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From mk33 (2)

After a difficult couple of seasons after his serious knee injury Astbury managed 5 appearances for the Tigers in 2013 and polled his first votes in this award since 2010. Playing as a defender, Dave faces many of the same problems described for Matty Dea, in that the Richmond defence is looking very settled at the moment. This means that Dave is going to have to show marked improvement to replace the incumbents. The fact that he is more of a tall, negating defender, rather than the running type will make this even more difficult. It seems that he is one of the first picked as a depth player in that position though, so he should be safe to continue his career at the Tigers in 2014.

 

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29

Matthew Arnot (44)

Total Games For Richmond 4
Total Votes 4 (0)
Rounds Played 4 (0)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12NP
Average Votes/Rounds 1.0
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 28 (14-15)
Best Round (Votes) 14 vs St Kilda & 16 vs Gold Coast (2 each)
Normalised Score (Rank) 0.112 (29)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From Tigion (2)

Matty Arnot managed to break into the Tigers’ senior line up after solid form early in the season for Coburg. Once at the level he certainly showed some promising signs and his hardness at the ball (and the player!) was noticeable in his 4 appearances. Unfortunately, he broke down with injury, prematurely ending a promising start. With stints in the midfield and in the forward line, 2014 bodes as an important year for Arnot. His aggressive attributes and brute strength should keep him in contention once he returns.

 

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28

Jake Batchelor (11)

Total Games For Richmond 39
Total Votes 11 (50)
Rounds Played 9 (14)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:14 ‘12:18
Average Votes/Rounds 1.2
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 7 (1)
Best Round (Votes) 1 vs Carlton (11)
Normalised Score (Rank) 0.201 (28)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From Mikee & thegdog (2)

Batchelor is another one of the early career defenders at Richmond that is struggling with the improved depth in the Tiger’s backline. Jake’s 14th place finish in this award in his debut season of 2011 highlighted his strengths in his ability to read the ball in flight and a good set of hands. However, he does have a tendency to have a brain-fade at critical stages and has also been known to give away costly free kicks. Whether he can overcome some of these deficiencies and break back into the senior line-up will be interesting to see. He certainly has shown the raw tools to play the Newman type role, but he will need to become more reliable to cement such a key position.

 

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27

Orren Stephenson (37)

Total Games For Richmond 6
Total Votes 18 (n/a)
Rounds Played 6 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds 3.0
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 20 (7)
Best Round (Votes) 7 vs Port Adelaide (16)
Normalised Score (Rank) 0.445 (27)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From PBoRSM, Herr_Tiger, tigerdave & Batchelor Party (2)

Stephenson was drafted as a rookie by the Tigers to provide insurance for big Ivan. With the departure of Gus Graham it was deemed important to cover the possibility that Maric might not be able to play out the full 22+ game season. As it turns out, this was right and the Big O was able to play out 6 matches for the Tigers in 2013. He proved a capable tap ruckmen that was very good at giving our midfielders the first touch. Although he didn’t provide the impact around the ground the Ivan is capable of, he did provide a physical contest and it is good to hear that he will probably be with the Tigers in 2014.

 

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26

Luke McGuane (16)

Total Games For Richmond 105
Total Votes 33 (13)
Rounds Played 12 (9)
Historic Position ’07:18 ’08:18 ’09:13 ’10:20 ’11:27 ‘12:23
Average Votes/Rounds 2.8
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 10 (3)
Best Round (Votes) 3 vs Western Bulldogs (13)
Normalised Score (Rank) 0.862 (26)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From Baloo, Batchelor Party, Tigers of Old, Tigermad2005, GEDS1 & tigersnake (2)

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I was surprised to see Muscles (now McGun) finish at a lowly 26th this year in this award. He has never reached great heights in this award, but he did play some good games as a forward in 2013, with his efforts against the Bulldogs in round 3 earning him his best return in the voting. He really battled for his position with Aaron Edwards and eventually missed out on the finals berth on form. I am not overly surprised to see that he is looking for more consistent opportunities at AFL with his expressed desire to move back to Queensland to continue his career at the Lions.

 

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25

Ricky Petterd (13)

Total Games For Richmond 12
Total Votes 36 (n/a)
Rounds Played 12 (n/a)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:NOL ‘12:NOL
Average Votes/Rounds 3.3
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 17 (2-3)
Best Round (Votes) 16 vs Gold Coast (32)
Normalised Score (Rank) 1.017 (25)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From JimJessTorp, bigwow, taztiger4, evo, YinnarTiger, WesternTiger, Baloo, Tigermad2005 & Brodders17 (2)

The ex-Demon Petterd was picked up by the Tigers and was clearly favoured by the coaches as he managed 12 games for Richmond in 2013. Playing mainly out of defence, after playing mainly as a forward at Melbourne he did show that he has clear ability at this level. One of the main criticisms he received upon being drafted was that he was injury prone. As it turns out, his major obstacle in 2013 was remaining match fit as he succumbed to a few minor injuries throughout the season. Clearly the coaches have a lot of faith in his ability and if he can get his body right it would seem that there is a position for him in the starting Tigers line up in 2014.

 

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24

Dylan Grimes (2)

Total Games For Richmond 26
Total Votes 37 (240)
Rounds Played 9 (9)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:34 ’11:21 ‘12:11
Average Votes/Rounds 4.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 9 (4)
Best Round (Votes) 4 vs Collingwood (32)
Normalised Score (Rank) 1.268 (23)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From Streak, Coburgtiger, Gunsmoke, nwonash, Newman, bigwow & loto (3)

Another year, another injury for poor Dylan Grimes. He has shown so much in his brief 26 game career, but another injury in 2013 started discussions of whether his body was going to permit him to play out a productive career at the Tigers. Fortunately, he managed to return towards the end of the season and although he didn’t have as much impact as he exhibited when fit in 2012, he was a solid contributor to the back 6. Hopefully his injury woes are behind him and he can get some consistent game time to further develop into the solid defender that he has shown glimpses of. Fortunately he should be able to get a full preseason in this year, which should hopefully help in that quest.

 

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23

Shane Tuck (21)

Total Games For Richmond 173
Total Votes 63 (993)
Rounds Played 10 (22)
Historic Position ’07:13 ’08:3 ’09:10 ’10:6 ’11:11 ‘12:3
Average Votes/Rounds 6.3
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 4 (1)
Best Round (Votes) 1 vs Carlton (57)
Normalised Score (Rank) 1.259 (24)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 0
Most Votes From TuesdayswithTerry, shad, vernissage, MalenyTiger, WesternTiger, tommystigers & sashback (3)

In the end, Tucky’s career felt like it finished suddenly. After finishing 3rd in these awards last year, Tuck struggled to find consistency in his game and couldn’t cement a spot in the Tigers’ midfield. The fitness of Conca and emergence of Ellis and Vlastuin, essentially prevented him from playing much footy at the senior level in 2013. His inability to cement that spot led to some debate on whether he should be playing at the top level, but his constant struggle with the defensive aspects of his role meant that he was always in danger of giving up his spot to our developing mids. As a personal favourite, Tucky’s retirement announcement was sad, but understandable. I was just happy to see him play in the Yellow & Black in a final before his exit.

 

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22

Chris Newman (1)

Total Games For Richmond 233
Total Votes 64 (42)
Rounds Played 18 (22)
Historic Position ’07:7 ’08:6 ’09:19 ’10:3 ’11:12 ‘12:19
Average Votes/Rounds 3.6
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 16 (9-14)
Best Round (Votes) 9 vs Essendon (51)
Normalised Score (Rank) 1.855 (21)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 1 (=19)
Most Votes From YinnarTiger, vernissage, scottyturnerscurse, willo, Brodders17 & Mikee (3)

As we heard ad nauseam in the media throughout 2013, Chris Newman broke the record for the most games played without a finals appearance. Fortunately, the year he broke the record was also the year he removed himself as a candidate, playing in Richmond’s loss to Carlton in the elimination final. Chris’ first year back after handing over the captaincy to Cotch at the end of 2012 was solid, if not spectacular. Playing a number of roles outside of his normal position as a running backman, Newman struggled to impact on games, although he did manage a few of his trademark goals from outside 50. With his 32nd birthday approaching early in the 2014 season, Newman is not going to get any faster and it will be interesting to see how he goes holding his spot with so many up and coming young defenders itching for their opportunities. As a former skipper, no doubt Chris will be given every opportunity to hold his spot.

 

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21

Shaun Grigg (6)

Total Games For Richmond 66
Total Votes 65 (411)
Rounds Played 22 (22)
Historic Position ’07:NOL ’08:NOL ’09:NOL ’10:NOL ’11:10 ‘12:5
Average Votes/Rounds 3.0
Highest Ranking (Round(s)) 16 (13-14)
Best Round (Votes) 13 vs Western Bulldogs (64)
Normalised Score (Rank) 1.638 (22)
Richmond ‘Brownlow’ Votes (Ranking) 2 (=16)
Most Votes From dragicevic7, Smoking Aces, LeeToRainesToRoach & ToraToraTora (3)

After a top 5 finish in this award in 2012, Shaun Grigg struggled to poll this year, getting all but one of his votes in the Tigers round 13 victory over the Dogs. This is in contrast with the AFL umpires who deemed him worthy of 5 Brownlow votes this year. With his almost completely outside, running role, he needs to rack up high possession numbers, or hurt the opposition on the scoreboard. He struggled to do both of these consistently in 2013, especially when contrasted with his output in 2012. This was not to say that he had a particularly bad year, just that he will always struggle in this award if he can’t impact matches more consistently.