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71

Richmond Rant / Re: 2025 AFL Draft

« Last post by Tiger Khosh on November 26, 2025, 01:25:09 PM »

It’s unfortunate that neither Essendon and Dees bit at our pick, we could have got an extra top15 pick on top of Grlj and Cumming but can’t fault the recruiters, they hid their plans as much as they possibly could.

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Richmond Rant / Re: 2025 AFL Draft

« Last post by one-eyed on November 26, 2025, 01:08:26 PM »

Inside the draft: The 'Grlj spill'

Callum Twomey takes a closer look at the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes at the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft

By Callum Twomey
Nov 26, 2025, 6:00 am

When Richmond selected Sam Grlj with its second pick in last week's Telstra AFL Draft, it set in motion a chain of selections and consequences that saw Essendon and Melbourne land their targets, one club trade back down the order and another push up and a ripple effect that lasted until the early 20s picks.

It was not that the Grlj pick was unexpected. For a month he had been viewed as one of four leading contenders for Richmond's pair of choices, which was narrowed to three after its first pick of Sam Cumming, and rival clubs had pieced together the Tigers' interest in Grlj over the two days preceding the draft. It was just that so much hinged on Richmond's second pick through the early stages of the draft order that whichever way it went was set to cast the draft die.

It was the central pick of a first round of 25 selections with even more bluffs, bids, strategy, gameplay and tactics than before.

Here is AFL.com.au's behind-the-scenes inside story of the first round of the draft and the deals that did happen, those that fell over, what was on the mind of every club and the sliding draft moments that linked every pick to the next.

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WEST Coast had settled on Willem Duursma for some time, with his VFL performances for Casey Demons in July and August all but cementing his position there.

Eagles coach Andrew McQualter live streamed those games online from Perth and watched as Duursma's competitive edge and versatility stood out, but it was only on Wednesday afternoon, hours before the draft, that the Eagles called Duursma and his family into an apartment room in Docklands to inform him he would be their No.1 pick.

The Eagles had kept the door ajar for an offer to come for pick No.1 or No.2, but nothing had eventuated. Essendon put in a final call to the Eagles two days before the draft floating options, including two of the Bombers' three top-10 picks as a trade, but when it became clear the price for pick No.2 was going to be similar to the price of pick No.1, Essendon didn't formalise a deal proposal.

West Coast had decided it would bid on Gold Coast Academy gun Zeke Uwland and immediately follow it with another bid on Carlton father-son Harry Dean, which had both of their clubs prepared with their points.

In settling on 'Duff-ma', the Duursma and Cooper Duff-Tytler double, the Eagles had also let the Calder Cannons big man know about their bidding plan so he was across the strategy. He wasn't fussed what number he was selected, simply buoyed to be heading at No.4 to the Eagles, who were equally as taken by his VFL form as Duursma's late in the season when they saw him beat opponents as a forward.

Midfielder/forward Cumming and Victorian bolter Sullivan Robey were part of the Eagles' next group on the order of available non-tied prospects.

Richmond, as expected, started its draft by placing bids on Suns Academy excitement machine Dylan Patterson and then Brisbane Academy star Dan Annable. Some clubs rated Annable as the best player in the draft; others thought it could have been Patterson.

Richmond knew it wasn't getting either but wanted to make clear where the pair sat in its eyes, before grabbing its own two players, which shaped as the crucial picks in the top 10.

Five days before the draft, Tigers recruiting manager Rhy Gieschen and list manager Blair Hartley took a 1pm flight from Melbourne to Mildura in country Victoria to see Cumming and his parents. They were yet to meet the family of the hard-edged talent, and also got Cumming to drive to the airport to pick them up, so they could spend more time with him.

It was an in-and-out recruiting mission that solidified their plan he was their man and by 5pm they were back on the flight home, perusing more under-18 edits of him on the way back. Post-draft, it became clear that a number of clubs ranked Cumming a top-three talent, even winning some 'Patrick Dangerfield-like' comparisons.

Clubs were less sure about the direction of the Tigers' second choice. Along with Cumming, they had narrowed their group to four players for their two live picks: Xavier Taylor, Sullivan Robey and Grlj. All made sense – Taylor as the long-term Nick Vlastuin replacement, Robey as another midfielder after their tall-heavy 2024 draft crop and Grlj for some much-needed speed.

The Tigers' strategy was to keep quiet on their preferences so that if a club, such as Essendon or Melbourne, thought they were interested in Robey or Taylor, then they might offer 'overs' for a shift one, two, three or four spots down the draft order and still be able to get their preferred player in Grlj.

On the Tuesday before the draft, clubs begun to put that puzzle together, knowing the only player Richmond could confidently slide down and still get was Grlj. But neither Melbourne nor Essendon put forward a trade offer for either of Richmond's picks.

In fact, the only club to table a bid was Adelaide on draft night, with the Crows offering their first-round pick this year and next year for Richmond's second pick. It was a throw at the stumps the Crows knew wasn't going to strike, but they were happy to chance their arm regardless. It wouldn't dent their trade enthusiasm later in night.

Essendon, holding the next two picks, and Melbourne, the two after that, were pleased when Grlj became a Tiger.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1456963/inside-the-draft-the-grlj-spill-sharp-chase-and-dees-perfect-pickett-plan

73

Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by Andyy on November 26, 2025, 01:03:18 PM »

1. Nank

Hopefully a couple seasons left.

2. Sims.

3. Hayes-Brown

Getting better. 63 hit-outs one vfl game, others 40+

4. Ryan.

Obviously limited but as fine the 4th ruck for one more year.

Fawcett. Lefau break glass emergency options. I don't see the point of another stop gap ruck ahead of a kid with upside.

All that said they prob take Burton.

Nank established but ageing and gets quite beat up most years.

The idea that our #2 ruck is a teenager with 1 year under his belt and coming off surgery is concerning.

OHB untried at AFL level altogether.

Ryan with clear deficiencies and not looking promising at all.

Fawcett in the ruck?
Lefau also coming off another injury-riddled year.

I don't agree that we're set to go or that an 18yo undrafted kid is the answer for the medium term. We would definitely benefit from having a bloke aged 23-28 on the list with some proper ruck experience.

The bookmakers have Richmond finishing last.

What is the point of a 28 year old state league ruck currently?

The point is to remain competitive, try to win games, protect the kids (so Sims isn't #1 ruck if Nank goes down) and build a culture of success.

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Richmond Rant / Re: Coach Adem Yze [merged]

« Last post by Andyy on November 26, 2025, 01:00:41 PM »

I think we all agree with that sentiment Camboon, I don’t think you need to sign him for 3 more years to achieve that.
Like I have said, copy the model of the Dockers with Longmuir, far more progressive, achieving the same outcome.

He was signed for 2 more years not 3, still had 1 left on his original contract.

Exactly

2026 Final year of his contract and they've added a further 2 years

I have 2 points:-
1) We don’t really know a whole lot about Yze as coach. We cannot say he’s the answer yet and we cannot say he is not the answer - jury is out.
2) Noone can really articulate why based on point 1) on what basis he therefore qualifies to coach for another 3 years by being extended by 2 years

Therefore:-
Why extend him? Is there not a better mechanism than that?

All other points about the hand he has been dealt with are fine but  no new coach (except Chris Scott) inherites a set and forget team.

I guess the simplest answer to this is that the board probably knows best whether or not Yze is the man for the job for the next 3 years.

All we see is game day and press conferences. Surely there's a lot more that we don't see that the board appreciates.

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Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by camboon on November 26, 2025, 12:27:05 PM »

I like the sound of developing ruck who is athletic , can mark , can pick the ball up below his knees   and is a ruck first. We have a bit of a hole in our list in that area.
If this kid is a chance of making he is probably worth a go as you can pick up VFL ruck as a stop gap through a draft or trade without a problem.
I guess they will have a good look at him and assess if he is worth the punt.

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Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by ajGreen on November 26, 2025, 12:03:03 PM »

Not sure about a half back whose main weaknesses are kicking efficient and decision making. Sounds like someone you wouldn’t want distributing the ball out of the back half.

Dylan Alexander is also saying Burton cannot kick the ball far

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Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by Tiger Khosh on November 26, 2025, 11:53:30 AM »

Which bookmaker you looking at? Eagles defo fav for the spoon ahead of us.

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Richmond Rant / Re: Coach Adem Yze [merged]

« Last post by Tiger Khosh on November 26, 2025, 11:51:44 AM »

If you’re asking why he got a 2 year extension vs a 1 year extension that’s a fair question. My only response to that is that it doesn’t really show a lot of faith in the coach if you’re only extending 12months.

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Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by ajGreen on November 26, 2025, 09:27:12 AM »

1. Nank

Hopefully a couple seasons left.

2. Sims.

3. Hayes-Brown

Getting better. 63 hit-outs one vfl game, others 40+

4. Ryan.

Obviously limited but as fine the 4th ruck for one more year.

Fawcett. Lefau break glass emergency options. I don't see the point of another stop gap ruck ahead of a kid with upside.

All that said they prob take Burton.

Nank established but ageing and gets quite beat up most years.

The idea that our #2 ruck is a teenager with 1 year under his belt and coming off surgery is concerning.

OHB untried at AFL level altogether.

Ryan with clear deficiencies and not looking promising at all.

Fawcett in the ruck?
Lefau also coming off another injury-riddled year.

I don't agree that we're set to go or that an 18yo undrafted kid is the answer for the medium term. We would definitely benefit from having a bloke aged 23-28 on the list with some proper ruck experience.

The bookmakers have Richmond finishing last.

What is the point of a 28 year old state league ruck currently?

80

Richmond Rant / Re: SSP

« Last post by ajGreen on November 26, 2025, 09:25:28 AM »

1. Nank

Hopefully a couple seasons left.

2. Sims.

3. Hayes-Brown

Getting better. 63 hit-outs one vfl game, others 40+

4. Ryan.

Obviously limited but as fine the 4th ruck for one more year.

Fawcett. Lefau break glass emergency options. I don't see the point of another stop gap ruck ahead of a kid with upside.

All that said they prob take Burton.

Nank a few seasons so where is his replacement?

Sims is a key fwd who can pinch hit ruck, from the clubs mouth.

OH-B is quite literally still a rank long shot despite some improvement. yes about all he does is get hit outs.

Ryan is a dinosaur and already a bust imo. Low no agility cant mark not at afl level and still gets pushed around like a rag doll.

Atm there is 31 yo Nankervis and then day light.

We need both a junior genuine ruckman who has a footy background and we also need a mature back up for Nankervis.
It would allow us to pee off both Ryan and OH-B.

You can't have two rucks because there is one list spot left. The only other spot is catB which would have Andy continuing to cry about a basketball or rugby player again.

Obviously you can get new players including rucks in the future. What a mind bogglingly obvious point.

The point is now the player should be a 18/19 year old ruck to develop and add to the young stocks.

There is the opportunity to try to add Kras and hope he develops into a O'Brien/xerri/Reeves/English/Briggs/marshall etc. type homegrown.

It doesn't matter what the horse says. Sims was clearly the #2 ruck as shown by the stats.