Recent Posts

71

Richmond Rant / Re: Our midfield

« Last post by the claw on December 31, 2025, 11:29:01 AM »

Im actually talking about depth and list balance.
People may think it dumb but im a fan of copying what you do in the seniors in the reserves.

You have named 10  players.
I would not classify Alger or Grlj as mids at this point in time. Both should play but their primary roles should be h/b and hf.

That leaves 9 mids of which bar one will have to fit into the senior team. We need more mids if we are to mirror the senior team.

Seniors goes something like this

Vlastuin - Gibcus - Trainor
Grlj - Miller - Brown

Retschko - McAuliffe - Banks/Campbell
Nankervis - Taranto - Lalor

Hotton - Faull - Algar
Mansell - Lynch - Armstrong

Hopper - Cumming - Balta - Prestia -  Broad

Reserves

Trezise - Gray - Third tall
Smith - Fawcett - Short

Clarke - Smillie - Ralphsmith
O H-B - Ross - Sonsie

Rioli - Lefau - Green
Peucker - Sims - Ryan

N R-T - Mid - Mid - Utility - Mid.

Yep i think another 3 or 4 mids are needed. Especially with Prestia close to retirement and Ross and Sonsie being overtaken.

72

Richmond Rant / Re: Taj Hotton [merged]

« Last post by the claw on December 31, 2025, 10:34:42 AM »

So I'm assuming this is fact? Is it reported yet or being kept under wraps?

Hugo has done a hammy, not Taj

Should i be so churlish to say hooray to both 

And to think that some other club wanted to trade with us for HRS a few years ago or whatever. I can't see him fitting into our best 23 unless we have at least half a dozen blokes injured.

He will play round 1 you can bank on it.

73

Richmond Rant / Re: Iconic misses in draft history (AFLFA)

« Last post by the claw on December 31, 2025, 10:32:59 AM »

JON was the top stuff up imho , was earmarked as a speculation rookie by WA clubs and we took him with our first pick .

Its widely known  Wallace wanted the best running type we could get.
I know for fact Miller was keen on Varcoe and Jackson wanted JON and they went that way.
Lesson keep coaches out of it. They can ask for certain types  but the decision stays with the recruiters on where we take each type.

For what its worth i was hoping like mad one of Josh Kennedy or Paddy Ryder both East Freo products would get to us.
Another e/f player in Mitch Clarke who also went top 10  i prayed we would stay away from. I think 5 E/F got picked in this draft and i liked them all bar Mitch Clarke.

Shannon Hurn was the live pick i wanted. Garrick Ibbotson was another E/F lad i liked a lot and wanted him with our second pick #24.

74

Richmond Rant / Re: Iconic misses in draft history (AFLFA)

« Last post by Damo on December 30, 2025, 08:05:24 PM »

JON was the top stuff up imho , was earmarked as a speculation rookie by WA clubs and we took him with our first pick .

Agree , was a joke of a pick .. and followed up by Cleve Hughes and Casserley, top shelf draft that

But in saying that, there was no huge miss after him
Plenty of very good players , but no superstar

75

Richmond Rant / Re: Iconic misses in draft history (AFLFA)

« Last post by camboon on December 30, 2025, 05:46:50 PM »

JON was the top stuff up imho , was earmarked as a speculation rookie by WA clubs and we took him with our first pick .

76

Richmond Rant / Re: Taj Hotton [merged]

« Last post by Andyy on December 30, 2025, 11:25:47 AM »

So I'm assuming this is fact? Is it reported yet or being kept under wraps?

Hugo has done a hammy, not Taj

Should i be so churlish to say hooray to both 

And to think that some other club wanted to trade with us for HRS a few years ago or whatever. I can't see him fitting into our best 23 unless we have at least half a dozen blokes injured.

77

Richmond Rant / Re: Iconic misses in draft history (AFLFA)

« Last post by Andyy on December 30, 2025, 11:23:35 AM »

Gotta wonder if we took Buddy +/- Roughy if we'd have ended up with dusty at all and subsequently the 3 flags

Well the Hawks did get 4 flags. They ultimately lost Franklin to Sydney on a gazillion dollar contract in that same sort of time frame.
Afl shenanigans propping up the cola love child while the  Hawks got stuff all compensation.

How the hell did they leave out Fiora for Pavlich in that list. Did they take pity on us because we already had enough blunders mentioned.

Yep, that's a worse stuff up IMO.

At least we got Deledio in the Tambling year.

78

Richmond Rant / Re: Our midfield

« Last post by Andyy on December 30, 2025, 11:15:34 AM »

Didn’t we draft an explosive bull of a mid who can break away from packs and get forward???

Would be nice if we could throw him in there from time to time…..

Imo we have two of them with McAuliffe yet to show what he has fully but has shown some great glimpses, he too looks like he has the tools to become a formidable player.

 Things are looking bright. Just add Hotton and Cumming and hope Smillie can get over his freakin injuries.

From here on in its about adding depth we still remain in an overall list perspective a little bit light on for mids.

Are we really light on still? I know we have a lot of kids but the numbers are there, between full timers and blokes who can rotate.

Prestia (last year)

Taranto, Hopper.

Ross (rotate)

Lalor
Smillie
Mccauliffe
Hotton
Cumming
Alger
Grlj

The one for me who should be given a go inside is actually Kaleb Smith.

79

Richmond Rant / Re: Best 23 in 2026?

« Last post by Andyy on December 30, 2025, 11:11:51 AM »

Gunna start by saying Broady is a favorite and been a great servant.

I have to ask though should he have retired this year.
Could have - yes, should have - no. Just my 2c. Doesn't mean he has to play 20+ games in 2026. He might have to transition to depth this year unfortunately.

I ask simply because of where our general defenders are at.

First off Luke Trainor. Future KPD but should be playing third tall until the real size and strength comes. Third tall is potentially a role Broad plays.
Priority one for me is getting games into Trainor in a tall role where he belongs.
Broady should be playing small if he can still run fast enough. Honestly though we are very top heavy if we're going with Miller, Balta, Gibcus, Trainor, Broad, Brown etc

Then there is Broads main role general defender plays one v one well, provides a bit of rebound and can intercept mark.He can play on talls and smalls.

We have a bloke in Tom Brown who is 22 who has just got to 42 games and he is tracking well in that role, would like a bit more offense from him but he is building.
Do we try Brown forward maybe? Bloke has a serious leg on him.

We also have a general defender called Nick Vlastuin who is probably the first defender picked every week.
Thankfully we didn't trade this legend out like someone else suggested LOL

There is only six spots in a back line so obviously our kpd's will be two of Miller, Balta and Gibbo. Vlastuin makes three automatic selections.. Trainor and Brown make 5 if they are to be developed in their best roles.
It still leaves us fitting in highly likely Grlj as a running hb and Banks in the old Short role.
Is Grlj really a HBF or are we just talking about HBF until he's big enough to play inside? I was under the impression he can play as a pacey extractor

For the roles Broady plays for us and given where those coming thru are at and not to forget We do have likely replacements for him in a period of rebuild. I am asking the question should he play in front of those mentioned.

I hate leaving him out of our best 23, but the back half does have its share of experienced players, the main reason why Nathan would get picked.
Imo its time to give Brown Broads role. We need to develop Trainor out of the back half as our y Grimes type third  tall who can play kpd but can be effective as a general defender on smaller types if needed.

This is not a disrespectful go at Broady, its  good to have him around the place with so many kids. But i keep asking what is best for us and i think playing both Trainor and Brown in the backhalf is the way to go.

80

Richmond Rant / Re: Favourite player game

« Last post by sabartooth on December 30, 2025, 05:27:12 AM »

Armstrong  5
Brown        2
Faull          7
Fawcett     3
Gray         8
Lalor         8+
Lynch       5
McAuliffe  0-
Rioli         5
Taranto    2
Hotton 10

****sabretooth..this is the final 0 drop out but everyone one keeps going. The last man standing is the winner