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Trade Week - Richmond Only
- Thread starter Smoking Aces
- Start date
Like an expansion team: Tigers make history on day of sadness, rebirth
ByJake Niall
To lose three players, in their primes, during one post-season after a host of decorated veterans have retired, is unusual, but not unprecedented.
But to emerge with eight draft choices inside the top 25 - five of them created by the crisis of losing those key players – is unparalleled in the AFL’s modern model of a draft system.
2025 shapes as a tough year for the Tigers after the departure of several key players, but their draft hand should give fans optimism for the future.Credit:Getty Images
On the measure of immediate prospects, Richmond will once again be Struggletown, the name given to the former industrial, working class suburb that gave birth to the Tigers. They will do well to win more than half a dozen games next year or to make finals any earlier than 2027.
On the measure of longer-term prosperity, however, Richmond has absolutely cleaned up.
Their draft haul is comparable to the largesse that was handed to expansion clubs, Gold Coast and GWS, when they entered the competition, with the critical difference that they will be adding these talented draftees to an established, powerful club rather than a fledgling operation.
And while they have a list that has lost Trent Cotchin and most of their triple premiership core, they will be adding those teenagers – callow midfielders, key positions and flankers – to pretty reasonable remnants, such as Tom Lynch, Nick Vlastuin, Nathan Broad, Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia, Jayden Short and Noah Balta, the latter having just signed a seven-year contract extension.
If Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper didn’t sign up for a rebuild of this magnitude, they can now dream that, like Luke Breust, James Sicily and Jack Gunston at Hawthorn, they will see finals again once these youngsters have been together for three full seasons.
So, if Richmond fans lost heart during 2024 – watching the final stages of a crumbling dynasty, as Dusty Martin and Brendon Gale exited and then premiership heroes Daniel Rioli, Liam Baker and Shai Bolton headed home (Perth) or found new digs on the Gold Coast alongside Damien Hardwick – they should begin 2025 with revived spirits.
The path forward is clear. As the club’s head of list management Blair Hartley noted, they have various options for using those prized draft choices, which comprise picks 1, 6, 10, 11, 18, 20, 23 and 24.
Hartley said the Tigers “wouldn’t rule out anything” in terms of trading picks on the night of the draft, or spreading their bets by trading some of this hand into 2025.
Richmond’s general manager of football Blair Hartley will have a prominent role at the national draft.Credit:AFL Photos via Getty Images
“Patience is required, but we’re really excited by what’s to come,” he said, adding that this regeneration process at Richmond “will take time, but people understand that.”
As Hawthorn has shown, the Tigers will soon become attractive to free agents and mature players who fit their needs once their youngsters make the great leap forward in development.
In the space of 12 months, Hawthorn went from being derided as irrelevant to a team that attracted Josh Battle and Tom Barrass (who finally got to the Hawks at the buzzer).
Hartley, one of the AFL’s most well-regarded football operators, is not given to outward displays of emotion, and if he played poker his hand wouldn’t be easily discerned from his expression.
But at the conclusion of his media conference, Hartley did show the emotion that had been welling up, pressing against the dam in recent weeks as he and the Tigers dealt with the awful cancer that afflicted their popular recruiting manager Chris Toce.
Hartley ended by paying tribute to “the Toce family” – a reference to the tragic passing of their recruiting boss, who had died on the same day, October 16, that will be remembered as a rebirth of sorts for Richmond.
Toce, who had filled the same role at St Kilda and worked at Collingwood in recruiting, had been coming in to the office to assist Hartley in preparing for what will be the most consequential draft at Richmond since? Take your pick, so to speak, between the 2009 draft when Dustin Martin arrived, the 2007 draft that yielded Cotchin and Alex Rance or the 2006 version that netted Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards.
The man who helmed the draft in those seminal seasons, Francis Jackson, had increased his presence with the Tigers to assist Hartley in recent weeks, Toce having remained active in the assessing of talent, coding games right up until a matter of a few weeks ago.
He would, as the Tigers said, have a major mark on the draft of 2024. That draft class – whether it comprises eight or six or seven youngsters from around the country – will define the next phase of the storied Richmond Football Club.
we Have to get FOS and Lalor, and Carlton can get stuffed!
This is like a Hollywood movie. End of the Empire with champion players retiring and leaving, the biggest trade period in history, the tragic death of our recruiter at the vital moment. Next episode, strong draft with a huge hand of picks to come with Chris Toce's notes and the veteran FJ stepping back in to the breech.
We are witnessing history. This will be looked back on in at least the same terms, very possibly bigger, than Royce's suit, FJ, Teasdale, Whale trade (bad but huge in our history), the fab five list build, Nank, Dion, Caddy then Tom. This is massive.
We are witnessing history. This will be looked back on in at least the same terms, very possibly bigger, than Royce's suit, FJ, Teasdale, Whale trade (bad but huge in our history), the fab five list build, Nank, Dion, Caddy then Tom. This is massive.
It was good listening to Blair, spoke well
Vid goes for 7 mins.
tige.rs
Vid goes for 7 mins.
‘We’ve been able to get our deals done’ - Hartley
Richmond GM of Football Talent Blair Hartley spoke to the media this evening as the AFL trade period comes to a close.
Yep they're just opinions everyone has them. Just like everyone has an rsole, however some people talk through theirs others use them for their intended purpose.
Noticed an interesting little snippet at the end of a Hun article that was mainly in regard to Colonwood going for players rather than picks this year. Also mentioned a bit regarding all our picks n a few other clubs. Little snippet suggested the possibility of Port Bogelaide swapping pick 13 with Sydaknee for 19 and 22. Thinking why the hell wouldn't we consider a similar possibility ourselves n would it be worth doing? Pick 18 and 23 for Port's 13, similar pick value to Sydaknee. Points value out the door but would 1 - 6 - 10 - 11 - 13 - 20 - 24 be just that little bit juicier in pick value
Only thought a tad further about this idea while I was out rummaging about, but perhaps we could even consider a similar type deal with Wet Coke for pick 12 if local kid Bo Allan suddenly disappeared off the drafting board just before their pick. They might see some more solid worth in two slightly later picks rather than one mid first rounder n no local favourite available.
Only thought a tad further about this idea while I was out rummaging about, but perhaps we could even consider a similar type deal with Wet Coke for pick 12 if local kid Bo Allan suddenly disappeared off the drafting board just before their pick. They might see some more solid worth in two slightly later picks rather than one mid first rounder n no local favourite available.
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I'm not certain pick 2 is drastically better than pick 6. On current form, it seems there's a clear top 3. But I'm certain that in 5 years, we'll find that the talent in the top 10 can be found in any order.
I'm also certain that there will be a player available at 6, who would have been picked in the first 2 by at least a couple of the clubs.
We may have our heart set on a player at 2 who won't be there at 6. But we may also be wrong.
6 and even something like 18 for pick 2 is just a loss of 18.
I'm also certain that there will be a player available at 6, who would have been picked in the first 2 by at least a couple of the clubs.
We may have our heart set on a player at 2 who won't be there at 6. But we may also be wrong.
6 and even something like 18 for pick 2 is just a loss of 18.
The precedent of value of pick 2 that is set by west coast’s trade with Carlton is completely irrelevant imo. It is not about value it is about opportunity.
North want Tauru and won’t trade pick 2 unless they believe they will get him. They won’t trade pick 2 unless pick 6 is involved and even then will only do it is they know they will get him at 6. An offer without 6 in it is not going to cut it.
If they believe they can get Tauru with pick 6 then anything they get with it is a bonus for them.
To me the only danger to them getting him is Melbourne and that’s probably why they won’t deal with the demons.
North want Tauru and won’t trade pick 2 unless they believe they will get him. They won’t trade pick 2 unless pick 6 is involved and even then will only do it is they know they will get him at 6. An offer without 6 in it is not going to cut it.
If they believe they can get Tauru with pick 6 then anything they get with it is a bonus for them.
To me the only danger to them getting him is Melbourne and that’s probably why they won’t deal with the demons.
I've heard a few times 'he won't be available at 6'.
FOS won't be available at 6.
Jagga won't be available at 6.
Lalor won't be available at 6.
Langford won't be available at 6.
Draper won't be available at 6
Reid won't be available at 6.
One of them will be.
Hopefully it's Langford.
FOS won't be available at 6.
Jagga won't be available at 6.
Lalor won't be available at 6.
Langford won't be available at 6.
Draper won't be available at 6
Reid won't be available at 6.
One of them will be.
Hopefully it's Langford.
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Richmond: 1, 6, 10, 11, 18, 20, 23, 24 I see 3 options for us.. we take 5- 6 players
1. keep the draft picks as is and trade 20 23 24 for next year's firsts or seconds and thirds pending their current position of ladder, if clubs are desperate for the pick. Realistically, these are near end first rounders. 5 players and futures in 2025
2. obtain pick 2 & future third for 6 & 18 or pick 4 and a future second for 6 &18. I don't think we can do both. pick 23 & 24 for futures. 5 players
3. Keep 1,6,10,11 and trade for picks 12 & 13. This gives 6 from 13. Combination of 18 & 23 coming back second future or 20 & 23 coming back second future
I think its going to be who are the top 5 to 6 players in our eyes from our draft combination, get them, trade the rest for futures BUT keep need a late third for possible player, a spot for rookie and mid season.
1. keep the draft picks as is and trade 20 23 24 for next year's firsts or seconds and thirds pending their current position of ladder, if clubs are desperate for the pick. Realistically, these are near end first rounders. 5 players and futures in 2025
2. obtain pick 2 & future third for 6 & 18 or pick 4 and a future second for 6 &18. I don't think we can do both. pick 23 & 24 for futures. 5 players
3. Keep 1,6,10,11 and trade for picks 12 & 13. This gives 6 from 13. Combination of 18 & 23 coming back second future or 20 & 23 coming back second future
I think its going to be who are the top 5 to 6 players in our eyes from our draft combination, get them, trade the rest for futures BUT keep need a late third for possible player, a spot for rookie and mid season.
I think you have to factor in what went out the door as well. Yes our picks are great and we did the best we could given the circumstances, but the fact remains that we lost 3 of our best players in the process.
There's a link between RFC and Armstrong somewhere in all the scuttlebutt, Dell. I reckon we'd be a chance take him at #10 if he's there and we've got the pick. But I think you're right about the Saints possibly menacing Armstrong at #7. So maybe Taylor has to take him at #5.
If Thursfield trades #2 to us he knows Taylor is not taking Tauru at #5. That's a huge piece of the puzzle.
BTW I think it would be hilarious if Thursfield traded down to #6 and then took Smillie.
