The disappointment of the past two years has highlighted that our list needs rebuilding. The improvement that Fremantle and St Kilda
have shown from two years ago has highlighted just how fast a side can be turned around from being aging ordinary teams into the two most promising sides in the AFL.
I think that the time has come for Richmond to make some tough decisions in respect of the playing list and adopt a rebuilding policy with a view to being a force again in four to five years time. We need to be open to trading some loyal and much loved Tigers (eg Richo, Cambo, Gaspar etc) if the right deal came along which would see the Tigers getting their hands on some of the best young talent going around. Talent that gives us a chance of being a force in the AFL again in five years.
Obviously there is plenty of dead wood on the list and you can only hope that players in this category will be delisted at the end of the season and replaced with younger players who show ability and have a go.
The club I believe has no option but to try and rebuild the list with quality young players who will hopefully deliver better results than the current player group has done.
This could mean a very lean couple of years a la early 90's but what option do we have? Most players that we have on the current list aren't taking us anywhere fast and of the quality players that we do have, many are aging and won't be around to be part of a potential premiership team in 5 years time.
Apart from the following players (Coughlan, Johnson, Ottens, Newman, Rodan, Krakouer and Schulz) I would be open to trading any other player on the list providing the deal was right and we were able to secure some quality young players.
The obvious concern that I have with rebuilding has been the lack of quality young players that we have been able to draft and develop over the past 15 years. Given Richmonds poor performances over the past 15 years, we consistently have had high draft picks but this has not converted into any period of sustained success. Hence I am worried with our recent track record, that we may still not be able to identify and pick up the best available young players even if we do decide to rebuild and go for youth. I can only hope that Greg Miller can rectify any aspects in the recruitment area of our club that he believes is not up to scratch.
One aspect that throws a spanner in the works of a rebuilding plan is the year left to run on Danny Frawleys contract. If it was not for the fact that Frawley has another year to go on his contract (and the club is not flush with funds) I doubt that Danny would be appointed as coach for next year. Again this highlights the danger of long term contracts. A plan to go for youth and rebuild the list would mean that a bottom four finish next year is highly likely again. This might be in the long term interest of the Club (eg rebuilding) but it will not help Frawley get another coaching contract at the end of next year and that to a large degree leaves the club in limbo.
