Richmond's successful offseason is driving its onfield success and premiership hopesJON RALPH,
Herald Sun
12 September 2017RICHMOND is the club that told its head recruiter it was firing him before he was about to select the five top-18 selections that would define its future.
The Tigers are the club that brought you Fiora-over-Pavlich and Tambling-over-Franklin.
And yet if it has taken them many painful years for those memories to fade, they might just be having the last laugh.
Last Friday night Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy, Toby Nankervis and Jack Graham played critical roles in a preliminary final win.
Electric forward Shai Bolton is nipping at Jason Castagna’s heels trying to knock down the selection door.
And should the Tigers fall over in a preliminary final the small silver lining will be two first-round picks and five selections in the first three rounds of the draft.
It is part of a masterful off-season trade, free agency and draft period that could reap the ultimate reward this year.
It slotted together like a jigsaw puzzle and has taken a season to construct as Caddy teased, Prestia plodded and Graham battled injury.
It was a masterpiece on Friday night after a trade period where a series of interconnected trades worked to perfection.
As clubs consider what to throw at Jake Lever, Jake Stringer, maybe Josh Schache and Bryce Gibbs, last year the Tigers gave up plenty and got even more back.
In all the Tigers gave up pick No.6, Brett Deledio, pick No.24 and a 2017 second-round pick now sitting at around 34.
Gold Coast midfielder Prestia was acquired for pick six (Gold Coast picked Jack Scrimshaw), the Tigers desperate to add inside grunt to their midfield.
The steak-knives element to that deal was the Tigers also got pick 24 by giving up their 2017 second-rounder, now at pick 34.
Then they used pick 24 when it became apparent Josh Caddy was available, swapping their pick 64 in that same trade for the Cats’ 56.
With that pick they secured the 2016 Larke Medallist, a tackling machine harshly considered by some recruiters to be a just honest trier with poor foot skills.
That player is Jack Graham, who has applied 27 tackles in his first three AFL games and is right now exactly what they need him to be.
By now it is well known they were able to rip required player Toby Nankervis out of Sydney with the bargain-basement selection of 46.
Imagine them without him this year, as Shaun Hampson battled a back injury, Ben Griffiths sidelined with concussed and Todd Elton came and went from the senior side with little impact.
Then when Ty Vickery departed they secured a second-round compensation pick and snared small forward Bolton at pick 29.
Bolton looks to have a huge future and the Hawks seem to be shopping Vickery just a season in.
Those kinds of buyer’s regrets once happened at Richmond, but now the boot is on the other foot.
To top it off Deledio had a qualifying final stinker, with his saved salary cap room helping sign Dustin Martin.
The harsh reality of recruiting is that one finals can vindicate a trade, with Prestia in the votes on Friday and Josh Caddy’s 2.2 and 17 possessions significant.
The Tigers have made as many mistakes as most but right now they could hardly have asked for more after hitting off-season paydirt.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmonds-successful-offseason-is-driving-its-onfield-success-and-premiership-hopes/news-story/ea5be88375c475c5458a92e8f73bfbe1
