Matthew Clarke | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
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Matthew Clarke

T-Shirt Tommy said:
Is this thread even active if we won last week? Amazing how one loss can change opinions.

Just an observation.
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This thread has been somewhat inactive because our recent success has masked some poor recruiting choices from 2017 draft onwards.
Until R1 of a brand new season, after a generally positive pre-season, after the longest off-season break in four years that has supposedly reinvigorated the team, when the side turned up and played in bursts, and overall looked tired and uninspired.
And when we look beyond the imminent football mortality of Cotch, Lambert, Prestia, Edwards, Jack and Dusty, we see that the supposed nextGen back-up mids are not travelling that well, and its a few years until the stellar class of 2021 draft start to consistently impact.
Hence the focus on recruiting.
 
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How times have changed. Back in the good old days players were given fifty games at the top level before a decision was made on whether they were up to it or not. Now we bag players with less than 20 games but proclaim others as superstars before they have played a VFL game, yet alone an AFL game. I am certainly confused, is anyone else ?. It was also interesting to see the average games played by draft pick number. I see pick 17 has an average of 70 AFL games. Despite a brain injury and a very strong list whilst at Richmond, Jack Higgins has already played 63 games over two clubs. Therefore he should comfortably pass the 70 game mark this year all being equal, hardly a dud I would of thought even though he did have a shocker against the pies.
 
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Dont Argue said:
Not sure why he would lie to a coterie group in a closed room that discusses in-house information but please tell me more about what else he didn’t tell us whilst you’re guessing things
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You reckon the story’s aren’t filtered some, or it’s 100% bullseye what went down straight to the public you heard it here first , cmon
 
17 said:
This thread has been somewhat inactive because our recent success has masked some poor recruiting choices from 2017 draft onwards.
Until R1 of a brand new season, after a generally positive pre-season, after the longest off-season break in four years that has supposedly reinvigorated the team, when the side turned up and played in bursts, and overall looked tired and uninspired.
And when we look beyond the imminent football mortality of Cotch, Lambert, Prestia, Edwards, Jack and Dusty, we see that the supposed nextGen back-up mids are not travelling that well, and its a few years until the stellar class of 2021 draft start to consistently impact.
Hence the focus on recruiting.
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Our next gen mids have had very little exposure coz they been in a successful environment, reason why lipinski just departed, not coz he was no good, never got a look in . Time is nigh for rcd Dow Martyn stack to get their chance for a sustained run at it , they’ve all shown form at the next level
 
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BillyJean17 said:
Our next gen mids have had very little exposure coz they been in a successful environment, reason why lipinski just departed, not coz he was no good, never got a look in . Time is nigh for rcd Dow Martyn stack to get their chance for a sustained run at it , they’ve all shown form at the next level
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None of those first three are in any danger of getting poached anytime soon.
Stack has more talent than those three combined but is currently getting some tough love on professional standards and fitness requirements.
I hope he is in the side pronto because his X factor is exactly what we need right now.
 
BillyJean17 said:
Our next gen mids have had very little exposure coz they been in a successful environment, reason why lipinski just departed, not coz he was no good, never got a look in . Time is nigh for rcd Dow Martyn stack to get their chance for a sustained run at it , they’ve all shown form at the next level
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our ressies midfield got thrashed by 80 odd pts last week. believe me when i say the cupboards bare
 
17 said:
None of those first three are in any danger of getting poached anytime soon.
Stack has more talent than those three combined but is currently getting some tough love on professional standards and fitness requirements.
I hope he is in the side pronto because his X factor is exactly what we need right now.
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Wasn’t even close to my point ,,,,I says these guys haven’t had any sustained senior exposure , just like lipinski coz they were in successful environment, spots don’t grow on trees when your winning
 
spook said:
I just don't see how you can rate Higlet and CJ as OK when in their place we have an 18-year-old and a draft pick.
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Enjoying reading the argument but this point is a stretch... I don't think you can blame a recruiter for a player's decision to leave the club a few years later.

I can see your argument - if they were better they would have got more opportunity and not left, and maybe it's also a personality flaw that a recruiter may have picked up on. But that's asking them to predict results, team form, etc etc a few years out.

Agree with someone earlier that Higgins is maybe not a good example given his extreme personal situation.
 
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AngryAnt said:
Enjoying reading the argument but this point is a stretch... I don't think you can blame a recruiter for a player's decision to leave the club a few years later.
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I've said several times already that I don't blame Clarke for Higlet leaving. I blame him for burning pick 17 on a player we were happy to let go.
 
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At what stage do we shift the blame away from Clarke and turn it onto our development team?
 
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spook said:
Do you have any reason to do so? Like they say in the classics, you can't develop a silk purse from a sow's ear.
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Staff cuts in the football department due to COVID might mean we havent got the right people/amount to help in this area which could be a result of our young players taking longer to develop.
 
Smoking Aces said:
Staff cuts in the football department due to COVID might mean we havent got the right people/amount to help in this area which could be a result of our young players taking longer to develop.
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Mm. Same for every club though.
 
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Scoop said:
We got this so wrong. Balta is a huge win but this cannot be a tick. Its a bloodbath. So many options that would‘ve given us serious depth and another 3-5 years of top four football. Turning point of the list.


National17RichmondJack Higgins18yr178cm76kgEast Malvern/Caulfield Grammar/Oakleigh U1862 (43)561
Free Agent Compensation (Tom Rockliff)National18BrisbaneBrandon Starcevich18yr187cm84kgTrinity College (WA)/East Perth4720
Free Agent Compensation (Steven Motlop)National19Gold CoastWil Powell18yr184cm65kgScarborough JFC/Claremont57120
National20RichmondCallum Coleman-Jones18yr201cm99kgUnley/Scotch College (SA)/Sturt9111
National21West CoastOscar Allen18yr191cm83kgWhitford JFC/West Perth596611
National22GeelongLachlan Fogarty18yr179cm75kgSpotswood/St Kevin's College/Western U1840 (23)120
National23North MelbourneWill Walker18yr187cm78kgHampton Rovers/Sandringham U18640
National24GeelongTim Kelly23yr182cm82kgPalmyra JFC/South Fremantle85 (48)5958AA: 2019; AFLCA Young: 2019; AFLPA 1st: 2018
National25RichmondNoah Balta18yr195cm95kgDoutta Stars/St Bernard's College/Calder U184491Prem: 2020
National26West CoastLiam Ryan21yr179cm71kgSubiaco691003AA: 2020; Prem: 2018
National27GWSBrent Daniels18yr171cm70kgNyah-Nyah West United/Bendigo U18/Geelong (VFL)62222
National28GWSSam Taylor18yr196cm87kgGuildford Grammar/Swan Districts5310
National29MelbourneCharlie Spargo18yr172cm70kgScots (Albury)/Albury FC/Murray U18/Western Sydney University59420Prem: 2021
National30CarltonTom De Koning18yr200cm90kgMount Martha/Dandenong U182280
National31MelbourneBayley Fritsch20yr186cm74kgColdstream/Casey851188AA40: 2021; Prem: 2021
National32West CoastBrayden Ainsworth19yr183cm75kgEsperance Ports/Subiaco1440
National33SydneyTom McCartin17yr193cm84kgSt Joseph's/Geelong U1870280
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Was best available, absolutely the right pick. I thought he’d be gone.

Fits our game plan, wins footy on the inside and has mongrel.

The Toby Greene comparison is a really good one.

Guess who made these comments about Jack Higgins - yep you guessed it, Scoop. What a turn around with the benefit of hindsight.
 
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