This is for those who haven't read this article in the latest "Fighting Tiger" bulletin.
Tiger Talent stocks receive vital boost
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
2:47:02 PM
Fri 10 January, 2003
Richmond had a crystal-clear priority in the recently completed AFL trade period and National Draft – bolster a midfield department that lacked the quality of depth of the best clubs going around.
That being the case, the Tigers have every right to be mighty satisfied with their recruiting efforts over the past few weeks.
Two premiership midfielders in the prime of their AFL careers – Kane Johnson and Justin Blumfield – and another couple of lively on-ballers with VFL experience – Billy Nicholls and Tim Fleming – will provide the Club’s ‘engine-room’ with a much-needed boost.
Throw in talented youngsters Jay Schulz and Daniel Sipthorp for good measure, and you have a talent-spotting campaign that the Tigers can justifiably be proud of.
Here’s Richmond Recruiting Manager Greg Beck’s assessment of the players the Tigers snared . . .
KANE JOHNSON
24, 187cm, 84kg
AFL games: 104
Goals: 44
Dual Adelaide premiership player (1997-98)
“Kane was always going to be in our sights as one of those inside midfielders that we we’re after. He’s a Victorian boy, from Croydon, who had barracked for Richmond as well, which is a bonus. When you’re going to give away your first round pick, three things have to come into it. Number one, the player you’re going to be trading for has to be an A-grade player – and Kane Johnson’s that.
Secondly, they’ve got to be around for several years, and we think Kane will be around for five or six years. Thirdly, they’ve got to add something to the team over that period of time – not just be an impact player for a year or two. Kane’s got all those three things in his favor.
Obviously he’s had a couple of niggling injuries with his hamstrings over the last couple of years, but in conjunction with the Adelaide Football Club, he finally sorted that problem out.
They worked out a program which prevented him from running two days-in-row, which is no big deal because that’s the way we train anyway. He got through that program really well this year and missed only a couple of games through appendicitis – his leg was pretty good. Kane’s an inside midfielder who gets the ball whether the side’s going well or not. He’s one of those guys who get the ball 25 times each week and he’ll pump the ball inside 50 four or five times per game. Over the period of a season, that works out to be about 100 times inside 50, which is exactly what we need – especially when things are really tight. When the game’s in the balance or you’re three or four goals down, you know that the Kane Johnson type of player is always going to be there. He’s going to be the ‘tough nut’ who gets in there and pumps the ball inside 50 to our forwards. Not only can he do that role really well, but he can also go forward and kick goals because he’s so good overhead, or he could go into defence and do a tagging job across half-back. So, all those things were pretty important factors in our decision to secure Kane Johnson.”
JUSTIN BLUMFIELD
25, 188cm, 86kg
AFL games: 130
Goals: 86
Member of Essendon’s 2000 premiership side
“With Justin, the cards fell our way and it was a last-minute deal, probably because Essendon thought they were going to get an earlier selection off two other clubs and that fell through. So, I suppose the other clubs’ loss was our gain with the fact that we got him – and got him for pick No. 30. Blumfield brings a bit the same as to what Kane does. People say that Justin’s had two ordinary years . . . he said that to us as well. But when you look at his stats for last season, he’s had the ball 350 times, he’s pumped the ball inside 50 about 50 or 60 times, rebounded almost the same and been in the top six or seven possession-gatherers at Essendon.
Now, if that’s going to be his worst year for us in the next four or five years, then that’s a bonus. And, he’s going to improve on that – there’s no doubt about that! He’ll be another player, along with Kane Johnson, who’s going to pump the ball inside 50 to feed Richardson, Ottens and Stafford. And, he’s also skilled at being able to spot targets inside 50, to the likes of Fiora, Rodan, Houlihan and Hilton – those sort of boys who can find space and finish off really well.”
Tiger Talent stocks receive vital boost
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
2:47:02 PM
Fri 10 January, 2003
Richmond had a crystal-clear priority in the recently completed AFL trade period and National Draft – bolster a midfield department that lacked the quality of depth of the best clubs going around.
That being the case, the Tigers have every right to be mighty satisfied with their recruiting efforts over the past few weeks.
Two premiership midfielders in the prime of their AFL careers – Kane Johnson and Justin Blumfield – and another couple of lively on-ballers with VFL experience – Billy Nicholls and Tim Fleming – will provide the Club’s ‘engine-room’ with a much-needed boost.
Throw in talented youngsters Jay Schulz and Daniel Sipthorp for good measure, and you have a talent-spotting campaign that the Tigers can justifiably be proud of.
Here’s Richmond Recruiting Manager Greg Beck’s assessment of the players the Tigers snared . . .
KANE JOHNSON
24, 187cm, 84kg
AFL games: 104
Goals: 44
Dual Adelaide premiership player (1997-98)
“Kane was always going to be in our sights as one of those inside midfielders that we we’re after. He’s a Victorian boy, from Croydon, who had barracked for Richmond as well, which is a bonus. When you’re going to give away your first round pick, three things have to come into it. Number one, the player you’re going to be trading for has to be an A-grade player – and Kane Johnson’s that.
Secondly, they’ve got to be around for several years, and we think Kane will be around for five or six years. Thirdly, they’ve got to add something to the team over that period of time – not just be an impact player for a year or two. Kane’s got all those three things in his favor.
Obviously he’s had a couple of niggling injuries with his hamstrings over the last couple of years, but in conjunction with the Adelaide Football Club, he finally sorted that problem out.
They worked out a program which prevented him from running two days-in-row, which is no big deal because that’s the way we train anyway. He got through that program really well this year and missed only a couple of games through appendicitis – his leg was pretty good. Kane’s an inside midfielder who gets the ball whether the side’s going well or not. He’s one of those guys who get the ball 25 times each week and he’ll pump the ball inside 50 four or five times per game. Over the period of a season, that works out to be about 100 times inside 50, which is exactly what we need – especially when things are really tight. When the game’s in the balance or you’re three or four goals down, you know that the Kane Johnson type of player is always going to be there. He’s going to be the ‘tough nut’ who gets in there and pumps the ball inside 50 to our forwards. Not only can he do that role really well, but he can also go forward and kick goals because he’s so good overhead, or he could go into defence and do a tagging job across half-back. So, all those things were pretty important factors in our decision to secure Kane Johnson.”
JUSTIN BLUMFIELD
25, 188cm, 86kg
AFL games: 130
Goals: 86
Member of Essendon’s 2000 premiership side
“With Justin, the cards fell our way and it was a last-minute deal, probably because Essendon thought they were going to get an earlier selection off two other clubs and that fell through. So, I suppose the other clubs’ loss was our gain with the fact that we got him – and got him for pick No. 30. Blumfield brings a bit the same as to what Kane does. People say that Justin’s had two ordinary years . . . he said that to us as well. But when you look at his stats for last season, he’s had the ball 350 times, he’s pumped the ball inside 50 about 50 or 60 times, rebounded almost the same and been in the top six or seven possession-gatherers at Essendon.
Now, if that’s going to be his worst year for us in the next four or five years, then that’s a bonus. And, he’s going to improve on that – there’s no doubt about that! He’ll be another player, along with Kane Johnson, who’s going to pump the ball inside 50 to feed Richardson, Ottens and Stafford. And, he’s also skilled at being able to spot targets inside 50, to the likes of Fiora, Rodan, Houlihan and Hilton – those sort of boys who can find space and finish off really well.”
