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71

Richmond Rant / Re: Richmond AFLW team [merged]

« Last post by one-eyed on December 04, 2025, 05:49:03 PM »

Richmond has sacked AFLW coach Ryan Ferguson less than three months after extending his contract by one year ...

https://x.com/superfooty/status/1996456569589121284

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Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by Tiger Khosh on December 04, 2025, 05:45:48 PM »

Geez didn’t mean to start a war with my post.

My biggest issue with balta has always been his footy iq. It’s very evident that he was late to the game and it’s his athleticism that got him to adapt very quickly. When we were a great side and he had Rance, astbury, grimes, broad, vlas in the peak of their powers to take instruction from, he was a very important part in the back end of our dynasty. With the older guys finishing up / losing form, baltas form has also been on the steady decline culminating in his worst season yet this year. I’m interested to see whether last season was a result of what happened off field (and understandably so) and whether he can recapture his form this season.

Just basing it off last seasons form, I have him behind the other 7 defenders I named in my original post.

I wouldn’t be playing him wing or perm forward either, again footy iq isn’t there. I’d give sims first crack but 2nd ruck / part time fwd would be the only other place to play him imo.

Now if next season is a repeat of this one and a club desperate for key position defenders came calling with a good 2026 pick, I’d bite at that. We could cover a decent chunk of his salary too.

Hopefully he has reset his mind and gets back on track this season in which case the above is all just moot.

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Richmond Rant / Re: Richmond AFLW team [merged]

« Last post by Hart4Jack on December 04, 2025, 04:56:16 PM »

Anyone still of the opinion that the club's not taking AFLW seriously?

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Richmond Rant / Re: Richmond AFLW team [merged]

« Last post by Hart4Jack on December 04, 2025, 04:29:46 PM »

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1939032/club-statement-aflw-review

Ferg & Kate S gorn

Now that's just about everything we could wish for from this review.

Pretty much a total restructure of our AFLW program. Now all we need to have is an integral VFLW team.

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Richmond Rant / Re: Richmond AFLW team [merged]

« Last post by WilliamPowell on December 04, 2025, 04:29:25 PM »

Club Statement: AFLW Review

Richmond Football Club will implement changes after a comprehensive external review of the Club’s AFLW program.

By Richmond Media
Dec 4, 2025, 4:11 pm

Richmond Football Club commissioned a comprehensive external review of the Club’s AFLW program in October.

The review was led by former AFL Club executive Brad Lloyd with the support of independent high-performance specialists with extensive experience across elite women's team sports.

The scope of the review included program structure and governance, culture and leadership, coaching and player development, high performance and medical support, recruitment and list strategy.

Wide-ranging consultation was undertaken across the Club including program staff and the playing group. In depth benchmarking and data analysis was also considered as part of the review.

Richmond CEO Shane Dunne said the review has been thorough and carefully considered.

"We could not ignore our on-field results in 2025. Ultimately this is about building a program that gives our female athletes the best chance of success,” Dunne said.

Following the completion of the review, the Club will implement the following changes:

The Club has informed senior coach Ryan Ferguson that he will not continue in the role.

"Ryan is a good football person and has been a valued part of the Richmond Football Club for more than a decade across our AFL, AFLW and VFL programs,” Dunne said.

“Ryan was at the helm for our first-ever AFLW win and our first finals’ appearance – historic moments and sources of great pride for the Club.

“We thank him for his significant contribution and wish he and his family all the very best for the future.

"Ultimately the decision was made that we needed a different voice, and we will now commence the search to find the best possible senior coach for our AFLW team.”

Ferguson said he leaves the Club with pride.

“I’ve loved my time at Richmond, worked with so many amazing people and I’m proud to have given everything I possibly could to every program I’ve been involved in,” Ferguson said.

"I believe in this group and wish them great success in coming seasons.”

The football department will be restructured. The role of Executive Head of Women's Football has been made redundant, and the Club will appoint a General Manager - Women's Football reporting directly to the CEO.

"As Executive Head of Women’s Football, Kate Sheahan has done a huge amount of work building our AFLW program from the ground up and we thank her for her dedication and commitment," Dunne said.

“It has taken an enormous amount of energy and passion, and Kate has brought that from the moment she walked in the door. We wish her and her family the best for whatever comes next."

Sheahan said she is proud of what has been built.

"I am grateful for the opportunity Richmond Football Club gave me to lead the establishment of its AFLW program. I will cherish my time at the Club and the relationships I built with the staff and players. I wish the Club and the AFLW program every success in the future,” Sheahan said.

Among a number of other decisions taken, the Club will:

 • Develop a new AFLW Performance Strategy that defines how we will close the gap and consistently compete in finals.

• Re-structure the high-performance and medical functions to drive standards and create better alignment and clearer accountabilities.

• Increase its investment in leadership training for the player leadership group to more effectively drive agreed values and behaviours.

•Re-define list build principles to align with the future game model.

• Appoint a full-time AFLW Operations & Scheduling Manager to centralise communications and accountability.

"We are absolutely committed to delivering a successful AFLW program and this review was an important part of that," Dunne said.

"We have now established a clear direction, and we look forward to the work ahead as we prepare for next season and beyond."

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1939032/club-statement-aflw-review

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Richmond Rant / Re: Richmond AFLW team [merged]

« Last post by taztiger4 on December 04, 2025, 04:15:51 PM »

https://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/1939032/club-statement-aflw-review

Ferg & Kate S gorn

77

Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by ajGreen on December 04, 2025, 04:10:56 PM »

Another factor is -

Trainor *wants* to play backline.

His best position is prob backline.

He is one of the clubs most important assets.

Let's be honest it doesn't matter where young Luke "wants" to play his job is play where the coaches decide to play him, which is and should be what's best for the team

Yep goes without saying what he wants doesn't matter.

Yet he was a top2 defender in his draft pool. It's his natural position. The club is starting a rebuild and it's imperative to get games into him.

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Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by ajGreen on December 04, 2025, 03:25:10 PM »

Who guided Rance Asbury houli broad Vlastuin? Chaplin? Lol

It's cliche feel good untruths.

Vlastuin is more than enough. What's going to happen is Vlastuin. Broad. Short will be in the back 6 damaging the development of the club long term. And you'll be there sprouting zomg this is good! Luke hodge!!

Ideally Vlastuin and broad should be phased out of the back 6 either not playing if moving to wing/tagger/mid/ruck/fwd etc. to allow a back 6 develop together.

Most importantly Trainor and gibcus and then balta and miller.

You already likely have Vlastuin as a defender who is more hodge than hodge himself.

Yes, Rance was quite vocal about Chaplin's significant and positive influence on his development. Just because Tross became a legendary player doesn't mean Chaplin didn't help his development. Ironically Chaplin is now part of AFL coaching staff - who'd have thunk it?

Rance guided both Astbury and Grimes IMO. Probably Broad in the early days a bit as well.

Houli and Vlastuin are different sorts of players.

Broad will see out his final year and be useful, then Vlastuin will continue another year or two easily.

So you don't actually need a Luke hodge type to develop a good backline? Those were just lies a few posts up.

You can have a soft spud like Chaplin do it?

Hence balta and miller should be more than up to the task.

Well, we managed 3 flags without Luke Hodge.

Rance spoke highly of Chaplin's influence on him.

I see Broad and Vlastuin playing that role somewhat.

Evidence would suggest Balta may not be the best candidate for mentoring roles at this stage.

Balta twating a bloke in a pub disqualifies him yet hodge is the goat for drink driving. Ending his friendship with rioli. Endlessly elbowing people in the head. Heading a systematic racism scandal. Telling goodes he's a wanker etc etc. is acceptable?

Many Richmond and former Richmond have spoken highly about balta too

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Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by ajGreen on December 04, 2025, 03:22:23 PM »

I wouldn’t engage Andy. The guy is a circular reference.
It’s not hard to find many examples of older players - either in the club or brought into a club to take an on field role in player development.
It’s happened time and again over many years.

Not strictly a prerequisite but why wouldn’t you do it?
Norf has had to change it’s recruiting because Brad Scott dumped and ran on all his senior experience and their kids were exposed. Not yet fixed because the decay was so bad on morale.
If the circular reference doesn’t see that, he can continue to chase his tail.

How have north fixed their backline leadership professor Peterson? By bringing in the leadership giant that is Caleb Daniels?

If Richmond can win three times with troy bloody Chaplin as the leader why cannot miller and balta so that role?

You wouldn't so it because you want to get games into gibcus. Trainor. Brown. Banks. Etx. And you want them in their preferred positions.

Not engaging doesn't mean you are right

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Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by Andyy on December 04, 2025, 01:41:51 PM »

I wouldn’t engage Andy. The guy is a circular reference.
It’s not hard to find many examples of older players - either in the club or brought into a club to take an on field role in player development.
It’s happened time and again over many years.

Not strictly a prerequisite but why wouldn’t you do it?
Norf has had to change it’s recruiting because Brad Scott dumped and ran on all his senior experience and their kids were exposed. Not yet fixed because the decay was so bad on morale.
If the circular reference doesn’t see that, he can continue to chase his tail.

Yeah, bit of an echo chamber.

This is also why we have Taranto and Hopper, if not the reason we recruited them initially.

Thankfully someone else manages the list and runs the club.