David Astbury: Good hands and shows poise, as evidenced when he kicked three on debut, but has since played back rather than forward. Could end up a swingman, Adam-Hunter-style. Has good leadership potential.
Andrew Browne: Has the size at 205cm and 105kg. Played well at Coburg but is struggling to find his feet at AFL level. Had had four late-season games in the absence of Ty Vickery. Raw, but the Tigers believe he has potential.
Andrew Collins: Has been a big find as a small forward. Equal-second on the Tigers goalkicking is good, but has only needed 14 to get there, which is bad. Took a huge late hit in the Sydney game where he had 13 contested possessions, then came back on to kick the last two as the Tigers won by four points.
Daniel Connors: Looked to have torched his AFL career after round three in the drunken aftermath of the game in Sydney, but he took his eight-week suspension well and has been an integral part of a tight back six ever since returning. Should be top-10 in the B&F despite missed games.
Pat Contin*: Started slowly in the Coburg reserves. Improved his stoppage work and his spread in the ones. Can also kick a goal. Should be a rookie again in 2011.
Trent Cotchin: Absolute class. Can play inside or outside. Ranked 15th for contested possessions and 12th in clearances in the AFL. All this despite still being on a modified program to protect the achilles/legs.
Ben Cousins: His final year in the AFL has been a good one. Played some really good football in the second half of the year after an injury-interrupted pre-season. Slower, but still knows how to get it and how to use it and displayed terrific leadership.
Matthew Dea: Played rounds four to six, but a broken foot cruelled his season. Good attitude, and the Tigers are impressed.
Brett Deledio: Has been a star since slotting into his new role across half-back. Ironically, the only threat to his third successive best-and-fairest is his partner in crime in defence, skipper Chris Newman. Ranked first in the league for long kicks and 15th in rebound 50s per game. Clearly his best year.
Shane Edwards: Vying with Jack Riewoldt for title of most improved player at the club. Edwards has shown terrific run and carry. Still makes some errors, but is only 21.
Mitch Farmer: Good pickup. Hard at it, the former Port Adelaide utility makes good decisions and has a long kick. Currently in a brace after knee surgery, but has a bright future.
Nathan Foley: His season was ruined by an array of leg injuries. The club took a conservative approach all year and is expecting he'll be back on deck for 2011.
Alroy Gilligan*: The best name in football won't save him. Too small, and doesn't get enough of it. Will be delisted.
David Gourdis*: Was outstanding in the first game in the NAB Cup. Has played some excellent footy at Coburg at fullback and has excellent run, and looked good at AFL level. Should be promoted to the main list.
Angus Graham: Has shown a lot since the retirement of Troy Simmonds and he is starting to learn to use his big body to full effect. Played some really good football in Richmond's winning streak, but has looked a bit tired in recent weeks.
Benjamin Griffiths: Lightning-quick tall who showed a fair bit in his five games. Shoulder injuries finished his season, but the Tigers see him as a very good key forward prospect. Should be right for the start of pre-season.
Dylan Grimes: Has come on very well for Coburg. Strong defender like his brother Jack at Melbourne. Good under pressure, good football brain and deserved his senior debut in round 22.
Robert Hicks*: Genuine crumbing forward. Very lightly built, but fast enough to make up for it. Very good goal sense. Just 18 and with several games under his belt, Hicks should be retained and could go to the midfield if he can build up his body.
Tom Hislop: Played three of the first four, but has been out since midseason with knee troubles. Can be a bit reckless at times, but the footy department likes his commitment. Could stay on the list in 2011.
Daniel Jackson: Terrific leader in the midfield, but must to stop getting suspended for foolish acts of misplaced aggression. The Tigers have been really hurt this year when he wasn't available. Will poll well in the best-and-fairest.
Jake King: Reinvented as a small defensive forward. Most thought he wouldn't get a game this year, but has played more than half. Has not only done a good job in shutting down his opponent, but kicked 11 goals in the last four rounds.
Dustin Martin: To quote a long-time Richmond official: "More impact in his first year than any player since the best player we've ever had and the league has ever seen, Royce Desmond Hart". Missed just one game through soreness, and would be favourite to win the NAB AFL Rising Star award if he was eligible. The Tigers are confident of re-signing him soon, despite talk of huge money offers from the north.
Luke McGuane: Had some injuries, but always gives his all. Mostly played back but can go forward. Could be a target for the Gold Coast.
Jordan McMahon: Has had some injuries, but hasn't coped well with being sent to Coburg to work on deficiencies, and has, at times, looked completely uninterested. The only player on Richmond’s senior list not get a game this year. Will be delisted.
Kelvin Moore: Form dropped away last year after being elevated to the leadership group, but has reclaimed it this year. Good defensive qualities, but also capable of generating run. Most important bigger defender, but also capable of playing on smalls such as Milne.
Mitch Morton: Reinvented as a wingman/midfielder. Apparently went to the coach and said that's what he wanted, and spent a while at Coburg learning how to play it. Has been quite good since returning to AFL level, and can kick a goal.
Robin Nahas: Gone backwards at a rate of knots. Was dropped early in the year due to lack of defensive pressure and claimed he'd got the message, but doesn't seem to have. Loses his footing far too often. Possible trade bait or delisting.
Ben Nason: A super get at No.71 in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft. Nason runs all day and knows where the goals are. He tired late in the season as first-year players often do.
Chris Newman: Outstanding year as both player and captain. Could well win his first Jack Dyer Medal. Marshals the backline brilliantly and has been a superb pairing with Deledio across half-back.
Jamie O'Reilly*: Irish recruit who has come along brilliantly. A year ago he'd never played a game of football at any level; now he has two AFL games to his name. Incredibly diligent worker and student of the game. Makes good decisions and loves laying a good tackle.
Graham Polak: Unfortunately for Polly, he hasn't progressed this year since being redrafted by the Tigers as a mature-age rookie after they delisted him. Has also taken a couple of heavy knocks in the VFL. Has done brilliantly to get back to play at AFL level, but his three games this year will be his last.
Dean Polo: Has done well at Coburg, but can't find a spot in the senior team. Likely delisting.
Jayden Post: The Tigers need to find a position for him, probably down back. Terrific hands. A little slow off the mark, and he needs to work on that over the pre-season.
Alex Rance: Very brave, terrific at putting his head over it. Rance has been very good at Coburg, winning a lot of his own ball. Another who needs to find a spot, maybe on the wing or as a run-with player. The Tigers fielded some interest for him in trade week last year but opted to keep him.
Jack Riewoldt: Coleman Medallist in a team that finished 15th, similar to Brendan Fevola winning it when Carlton finished last in 2006. Most improved player in the league. A real leader in the forward line, his terrific leap and sticky hands have seen him beat some of the best full-backs in the league.
Relton Roberts*: Never quite adapted to life in Melbourne and to the discipline required to play AFL football. Has gone home and will be delisted.
Troy Simmonds: Announced his retirement and played round 11 as his farewell game. A terrific servant of the club, but the wear and tear on his body just got too much. Left to make way for others to have a shot.
Richard Tambling: Failed to recapture his form from the second half of last year. Played 13 of the first 16 games before his season was ended by surgery to both hips.
Troy Taylor: Just a disrupted season off-field with an ongoing court case in the Northern Territory, although that is now sorted. Played rounds four and five for not much return, then snuck in again at the end of the year. Moves really well, reads the ball nicely.
Adam Thomson: Played the first two games of the year and hasn't been seen since. Will be delisted.
Will Thursfield: Had an injury-interrupted season, and still needs to bulk up, having put on just five kilos since arriving at the club in the 2004 Rookie Draft. In danger of being swamped by the younger tall defenders. May be up for trade if sides come sniffing.
Shane Tuck: Huge turnaround for Tuck which speaks well of his character. He started the season looking as though he would spend the year at Coburg, but worked really hard to correct the issues the coaches wanted sorted and has just signed a new deal with the Tigers after topping the disposal averages.
Tyrone Vickery: Project player, needs to bulk up. Has struggled in the ruck, so at this stage could be redeveloped as a forward to help Riewoldt.
Jeromey Webberley: Good footy brain, but suffering from fatigue in his first year in the system. Finds the ball, uses it well. Definite keeper for 2011.
Nicholas Westhoff*: A long-term project, Westhoff spent most of the year in the Coburg reserves. Has the slight build common to his cousins Justin and Matthew at Port Adelaide. Attacks the ball well, quick off the mark.
Matthew White: Has had a breakout year in the midfield. Has had fewer disposals than in past years, but it using the ball - and his pace - well. Can kick goals, and is learning to using his developing body better.
By Mic Cullen
8:25 AM Mon 30 August, 2010
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/101436/default.aspx
