Richmond must say 'no tanks'
24 June 2007 Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph
DRAFT picks are over-rated.
Say that within breathing space of a Tiger fan desperate to rebuild through priority picks, and you are likely to cop a Chris Tarrant uppercut to the chin.
But Richmond's brains trust has some decisions to make, because the supporters can't have it both ways.
The Tigers either tank for a priority pick or come home like a freight train, singing their theme song and missing that extra selection.
The beauty of the AFL's recent changes to the priority pick system means - with only pick 17 up for grabs for underperforming - to tank or not to tank is a question up for debate.
Here is the deal: a side that wins four or fewer games in any given year receives the first pick of the second round of the draft (17), with pick one given only for two consecutive seasons under four wins.
If the Tigers were in this situation last year, their worst move would have been to start winning games to disqualify themselves from that pick.
With only pick 17 on offer, will the Tigers benefit more from a second-round pick or from winning 4-6 of their last 10 games to build some momentum for next year.
One of the furphies surrounding recent draft successes at various clubs is that first and second-round picks always come through.
The situation couldn't be further from the truth.
First-round picks are like gold, but from there it is still very much a mixed bag.
Consider pick 17s from 1998-2006: Peter Street, Ezra Bray, James Davies, James Kelly, Cameron Faulkner, Billy Morrison, Andrew McQualter, Darren Pfeiffer and Shaun Hampson.
Not a lot of stars in there, notwithstanding Kelly's form this year.
Richmond - already guaranteed a top-three pick - simply must build for the future by trying to finish the year as Hawthorn did last year: on a roll.
The Hawks won their last four of 2006, stored away that self-belief, worked their butts off over the preseason and came out firing this season.
Richmond must do the same.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21956749%255E19771,00.html
