September specialists: How many premiership players are at your club? AFL.com.au
Ben Collins
Oct 20, 2019 12:03PMFOLLOWING its second flag in three years, Richmond easily boasts the most premiership players in the competition.
Last month the premiership players' club welcomed six more Tigers – first-game phenomenon Marlion Pickett, former Gold Coast co-captain Tom Lynch, fellow big man Ivan Soldo and speedy trio Jayden Short, Liam Baker and Shai Bolton.
This boosted Richmond's premiership player stocks to 25 – six clear of nearest rival West Coast (19), followed by the Western Bulldogs (14), Hawthorn (nine), Collingwood (six) and Geelong (six).
This was despite the fact the Tigers farewelled three men who'd experienced flag glory, with dual premiership player Brandon Ellis joining Gold Coast, Dan Butler moving to St Kilda and veteran Shaun Grigg retiring.
Richmond's modern immortals have combined to win a total of 40 premierships between them, also comfortably a League high, ahead of Hawthorn (25), West Coast (20), the Bulldogs (16) and Geelong (11).
The Tigers also have the most players with Grand Final experience with that same imposing figure 25, leading Collingwood (23), West Coast (22), this year's runner-up Greater Western Sydney (22) and the Dogs (14) and Sydney (14).
This year the Hawks and the Swans lost considerable premiership experience while Adelaide said goodbye to several members of its 2017 Grand Final team.
St Kilda has been boosted by the recruitment of three men who have played on the last Saturday in September, including premiership players Bradley Hill and Butler, while wooden spooner Gold Coast gained important big-game experience by securing ex-Tiger Ellis and former Crow Hugh Greenwood.
Carlton lost Collingwood's 2010 premiership star Dale Thomas along with Alex Fasolo, a member of the Pies' 2011 Grand Final side, and if the Blues didn't lure homecoming hero Eddie Betts back from Adelaide they wouldn't have a single player on their list who'd competed in a Grand Final.
That's the predicament of North Melbourne, who last had a premiership player on its books in 2016, in the form of AFL games record-holder Brent Harvey, who was a member of the Kangaroos' most recent flag in 1999.
PREMIERSHIP PLAYERS AT EACH CLUB
Richmond25 premiership players: David Astbury (2 flags from 2 GFs), Nathan Broad (2/2), Josh Caddy (2/2), Jason Castagna (2/2), Trent Cotchin (2/2), Shane Edwards (2/2), Dylan Grimes (2/2), Bachar Houli (2/2), Kane Lambert (2/2), Dustin Martin (2/2), Toby Nankervis (2/2), Dion Prestia (2/2), Jack Riewoldt (2/2), Daniel Rioli (2/2), Nick Vlastuin (2/2), Liam Baker (1/1), Shai Bolton (1/1), Jack Graham (1/1), Tom Lynch (1/1), Kamdyn McIntosh (1/1), Marlion Pickett (1/1), Alex Rance (1/1), Jayden Short (1/1), Ivan Soldo (1/1), Jacob Townsend (1/1)
Total premierships: 40
Others with GF experience: 0
Departed: 3 – Dan Butler (1/1) to St Kilda, Brandon Ellis (2/2) to Gold Coast, Shaun Grigg (1/1) to retirement
Premiership Total Others with GF Departed
Players Premierships ExperienceRichmond 25 40 0 3
West Coast 19 20 3 1
W.Bulldogs 14 (2) 16 0 3
Hawthorn 9 25 1 3
Collingwood 6 (2) 7 17 2
Geelong 6 (1) 11 2 0
St Kilda 4 (4) 6 2 0
Sydney 4 (1) 5 10 5
GWS Giants 2 (2) 2 20 1
Brisbane 2 (2) 5 2 1
Fremantle 1 (1) 1 6 3
Gold Coast 1 (1) 2 1 0
Essendon 1 (1) 1 1 0
Port Adelaide 1 (1) 1 0 0
Adelaide 0 0 14 5
Melbourne 0 0 2 1
Carlton 0 0 1 2
North Melbourne 0 0 0 0
(*) - Number of imported premiership players.https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-10-20/september-specialists-how-many-premiership-players-are-at-your-club
