AFL preview series: Richmond TigersCameron Rose
theRoar.com.au
13 March 2020The Tigers won the 2017 flag almost by stealth with a strong second half of the season, never really reckoned with as one of the best teams in the competition until the finals. They followed up by being overwhelming favourites all through 2018 but ran out of steam in the last month or two of the season.
2019 was different, injury-riddled and they were out of the top eight after 14 rounds. From that point on, they peeled off 12 wins in a row, putting the exclamation mark on their three years of dominance with an 89-point grand final victory.
Is more glory in store in 2020?
Richmond’s best 25B: Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes, Nathan Broad
HB: Jayden Short, David Astbury, Bachar Houli
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia
C: Marlion Pickett, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards
HF: Shai Bolton, Tom Lynch, Kane Lambert
F: Daniel Rioli, Jack Riewoldt, Jason Castagna
Int: Ivan Soldo, Sydney Stack, Josh Caddy, Liam Baker
Em: Jack Graham, Jack Ross, Jack Higgins
Shaun Grigg retired mid-season, famously allowing the Tigers to access Marlion Pickett in the mid-season draft. Alex Rance retired just before Christmas. Brandon Ellis exercised free agency to join Gold Coast, while Dan Butler and Jacob Townsend have moved to St Kilda and Essendon respectively.
That’s five 2017 premiership players no longer there, while Ellis won a second medal in 2019 as well.
Richmond didn’t bring anyone in from another club, the only team to do so this off-season. With their VFL side having won the flag as well, depth shouldn’t be an issue.
The back line has something for everyone – Nick Vlastuin’s intercepting, Bachar Houli’s run, Jayden Short’s penetrating kick, David Astbury’s professionalism, the dour defence of Nathan Broad, the razzle-dazzle of Sydney Stack and the unbeatable Dylan Grimes.
Up front, Tom Lynch kicked five goals in the prelim and Jack Riewoldt five in the grand final, a couple of pretty handy keys that both featured in The Roar’s top 20 this week. Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and Shai Bolton provide class and cleverness, as well as fierce defensive pressure.
Through the middle, Trent Cotchin is the best captain and midfield battering ram in the competition, Dion Prestia won the best and fairest in a premiership side and there’s only one person that can claim that every year, Shane Edwards has the most creative hands in the business, Marlion Pickett displayed his class on grand final day and Kane Lambert runs as hard as any player in the league.
And then, of course, there is Dusty. When Richmond feel they’ve got the midfield battle covered, they can just rest him forward. Six goals in the qualifying final against Brisbane and four goals on the way to a Norm Smith medal in the grand final was the result.
The Tigers have a blend of experience and youth, a dual premiership side that has only the tenth oldest list in the competition. With a full list to choose from at the start of the season and plenty of hungry young players pressing for spots, they are going to be awfully hard to stop from contending once again.
Predicted finish: third.
https://www.theroar.com.au/2020/03/13/afl-preview-series-richmond-tigers-vs-collingwood-magpies/
