Keddel no sure thingShepparton News
March 9, 2011Ex-Shepparton Swan Mitch Keddell is not guaranteed a spot on Richmond’s AFL rookie list despite seemingly being the last man standing.
Keddell, 22, started the summer vying with former Tiger Travis Casserly and South Adelaide teenager Liam Corrie for Richmond’s final rookie-list position.
The race was down to Keddell and Casserly before the latter received a two-year ban for testing positive to a performance-enhancing drug during last year’s WAFL grand final.
Casserly has appealed the decision, but Tigers officials are unsure when it will be heard.
AFL officials introduced a training-squad selection draft last year where clubs could leave one rookie place open following the AFL Rookie Draft.
Clubs can trial up to three players for the vacancy and have until before round one of the home-and-away season to make a decision.
Only Richmond and Hawthorn have taken the opportunity.
Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said after Friday night’s AFL practice match at Deakin Reserve that Keddell was "looking a lot better" since Casserly’s drug ban, but stopped short of awarding him the position.
Richmond spokesperson Adrian Ceddia told The News this week that the Tigers may elect not to recruit any of the footballers.
"We don’t know how soon Travis’ appeal will be heard, so there has been no decision made yet on the final rookie spot," Ceddia said.
"The club has until next week to decide, and is under no obligation to even pick a player on the list, out of the three that are training."
Keddell, a 186 cm, 90 kg midfielder, didn’t play in Friday’s night’s game, but was part of Richmond’s losing NAB Cup pool matches against Carlton and Collingwood last month.
He was runner-up in the Swans’ 2009 best and fairest award to Morrison medallist Brian Durbridge despite playing half a season.
Keddell, who played for VFL club Port Melbourne last year, would become the third former GVFL player in two seasons to earn an AFL rookie-list spot if he is successful.
Ex-Euroa midfielder Relton Roberts and former Shepparton United best-and-fairest winner Michael Barlow played for the Tigers and Fremantle, respectively, last year
http://www.sheppnews.com.au/article.aspx?id=1205311