PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum

Where does the list sit after the trade week, and what are our options.

Now that the Trade week is over it may be time to llok at where the list sits currently.

Here is our list:


The low-down on the trade week is:
1. We failed to obtain the 21/22yo ruckman & the 21/22yo defender that we needed.
2. We failed to trade off players that we'd held off delisting in the hope of gaining advantage.
3. We've taken on 2 players that belong to a group that we were already in excess of.

Note that in 2004 we had 16 players in the 185-189 height group. A list needs probably 9, maybe 10 as a maximum. Geelong have 10, Westcoast have 12, we now have 14.

Contrast this with the taller end of the scale, where Geelong, after the trading off of King & Playfair, have 7, Westcoast have 9, we now have 4, with 2 of those over 28yo.

If some argue that our kpps are between the 190-194 height group, well Geelong have 8, Westcoast have 9, we have 7.

At this point, my summary on our current list is that we haven't progreesed our list that will make us competitive with top sides.
So what should we be looking to in the coming drafts?

The recruiting department desperately needs draft players to fill our dearth of talls.
Some may argue that quality in these players don't exist.
I do have some options, and it's no good to keep them a secret.

1. A 21/22yo ruckman.
My best option didn't quite make the 22-24yo age bracket and he's not quite 200cm, but his drafting now becomes an imperative.
He is 198cm, no where near my ideal height, but he stars at the next level down from AFL, at state screening he has the physiological capacity to have un upside in AFL footy.

He is Stefan Martin of Sandy in the VFL, he is 198cm, 98kg, 21/22yo, he beeps at over 13, and does a 20m sprint at 3.01, which is pretty good for a ruckman, has reasonable skills, and a VFL experience.

I may not have picked him earlier in the year, but because of our missed opportunities, he's basically the only quality experienced one left.
We will have to take him at #18, to be sure of getting him.

A 18/19 junior ruckman.
There are options on inexperienced juniors later on.
The best I've seen both in football talent and physiological capacity is Dean Putt.
Some of you would have seen him during the year, some others might have seen him earlier on GF day, in a TAC premiership side.
Dean Putt is 202.5cm, 89.7kg, 18yo, has a beep above 14, and sprints 20m in 2.93, that's incredibly fast.

A 21/22yo tall defender.
Beau Wilkes seems our best bet. At 194cm, 93kg & 21yo, he fits the bill. Hopefully he merely puts himself into the PSD, and we can take him with our first pick.

A 18/19yo tall defender.
There is one tall defender who is an authentic defender out of the TAC.
Luke Casey-Leigh is 195/6cm, 87kg, he has a beep in excess of 13, and a 20m sprint of under 3.
So he's tall, has some footy talent, he has speed & capacity to play 4 qtrs.
I know that both Essendon & Melbourne are interested in him.
He is hoping to be rookied by a club, but our circumstances probably mean that we should take him with our next best pick after #18.

As an aside for those who may have been interested in Rance. He was measured in the National Camp at 192.3cm, which was marginally disappointing. He's another 6'3"er, rather than a 6'4" or above.

We may need to delist a couple more players to allow scope for drafting. Hopefully these will come from areas between 180-189 where we have an excess. We have about 25 players in that group, over 50% of our list.

The above is my opinion only. I'm sure there are others who would disagree, probably mainly amongst our coaching staff.

There is more I'd like to put into this, but cricket responsibilities beckon.
Maybe I'll come back to it later.

I invite your responses.