RICHMOND’S PHENOMENAL TRADE-PERIOD POSITION
Jon Ralph
Richmond will feel it is perfectly placed to go to the draft with a phenomenal six selections in the first 21 picks as the club’s trades for three outgoing stars take shape.
The AFL’s free agency period kicks off on Friday, with compensation for St Kilda over Josh Battle’s departure to Hawthorn the most intriguing question mark.
But Richmond’s monumental decision to allow contracted players Shai Bolton (Fremantle) and Daniel Rioli (Gold Coast) to leave will shape the trade period, which runs from October 7-16.
Uncontracted vice-captain Liam Baker is also on the move but is yet to officially select a home as he chooses between West Coast and Fremantle.
Some of those players made it clear as they departed that coach Adem Yze needed to take more control of a young group.
There was a level of frustration that some players – old and younger – were allowed too many liberties around their professionalism and adherence to game plan.
The club is aware of the player feedback, even though senior players were also frustrated at Bolton playing on instinct and diverting from the game plan at times.
Departing chief executive Brendon Gale made it clear in a recent podcast that Yze was prepared to “take a lot more responsibility” and “start to really put his fingerprints on this team” in 2025.
While Richmond is yet to lock in trades with rival clubs, the centrepiece of those trades will allow it to secure footy’s best draft hauls in recent memory excluding expansion sides.
Richmond has asked Gold Coast for its No.6 pick and another early selection for Rioli and, while that seems a ridiculous ambit claim, the Suns are prepared to hand over their No.6 pick as part of a deal.
Fremantle is prepared to offer one of picks 9 or 10 for Bolton (contracted to 2028) and its No.16 pick, but not both of picks 9 and 10.
The Dockers are still hopeful Baker might choose them.
Fremantle would then use either pick 9 or 10 to secure the 26-year-old.
But if Baker chooses West Coast, the Tigers are likely to secure Hawthorn’s No.13 draft pick after the Eagles secure it in a trade for Tom Barrass.
So, while all of those deals could yet have many other elements – including Richmond even handing back later picks – the Tigers will think they can secure four picks within 16 for that trio.
With its own picks currently 1, 21, 29, 39, 41, 47, 57, 66, 72, the trade haul will give Richmond six picks within 21.
Early bids on Brisbane’s Levi Ashcroft and Gold Coast’s Leo Lombard will push out some of Richmond’s draft selections.
But on draft night, if the Tigers keep those picks, they could hope to have two of the first seven picks, four of the top 15 picks and seven of the top 35 picks as they also retain pick 29.
Gale told a club podcast in August he was confident Yze would put his imprint on Richmond next year as it quickly bounced back up the ladder.
“We have had a coach come in,’’ he said. “And we believe he’s extremely capable and he’s carried himself extremely well but it’s fair to say he comes into the program which has been successful.
“He is following a coach of historical standing (Damien Hardwick) and he has premiership players everywhere and I reckon he’s just sat back a bit, coupled with an incredibly unprecedented run of injury. And what you will see of Adem next year is a coach that takes a lot more responsibility.
“This is his team and he will intervene and poke and prod and start to really put his fingerprints on the team which will create its own energy and momentum.’’
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