23 Tigers yet to signBy Marc McGowan and Jake Niall
The Age
March 12, 2024 — 7.50pmRichmond’s league-most 23 out-of-contract players include a mix of ageing premiership stars, senior regulars aged in their mid-20s – led by Liam Baker and Jack Graham – and young, mostly unproven talent.
Welcome to first-year coach Adem Yze’s Tigers, who could reasonably tumble further in 2024 after finishing 13th last year, as their transition continues from the golden run of three flags between 2017 and 2020 under Damien Hardwick.
Hardwick’s new side, talent-laden Gold Coast, led Richmond by 67 points in the first half last Saturday before cruising to a 39-point victory to mark the beginning of their fresh era.
Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia, Dylan Grimes and captain Toby Nankervis are the highest-profile Tigers without a contract beyond this year, while other interesting names are Samson Ryan, Thomson Dow, Marlion Pickett, Maurice Rioli, Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh.
Richmond want triple Norm Smith medallist and club legend Martin, 32, to be a Tiger for the rest of his career.
They have been in ongoing discussions with Baker’s management since late last year, but no resolution is imminent, two sources familiar with negotiations said on the condition of anonymity.
The 26-year-old, who finished sixth in the club’s best-and-fairest award in 2023, has become one of Richmond’s most dependable and versatile players, and is set to spend more time as a midfielder under Yze.
Baker, from Western Australia, has been courted in the past by both Fremantle and West Coast. He fits the Dockers’ age profile best, and they have three first-round selections this year, but the Eagles – who appointed Richmond’s ex-national recruiting manager Matt Clarke as list boss in February – would love to add a high-quality local product to fast-track their rebuild.
Ryan, who is part of the club’s post-Jack Riewoldt plans in attack, is getting near to finalising a new multi-year contract, according to two sources knowledgeable with the situation who spoke anonymously because the deal was not done yet.
This column revealed in April last year that Nankervis, 29, had quietly reached a contract trigger to extend his stay until this season, but discussions are now under way for a longer-term arrangement for the captain this time.
Prestia, Grimes, Graham, Rioli and fellow out-of-contract Tiger Matt Coulthard are all Kapital Sports Group clients. Dual premiership player Graham, who captained South Australia at under-18 level, toured Port Adelaide’s Alberton facilities after the 2022 season before the Power prioritised trading for Jason Horne-Francis.
West Australian defender Kaleb Smith, the No.49 pick in the 2022 draft, privately extended until next year after a foot stress fracture ruined his debut season.
Pickett’s future is clouded after he was charged in connection to a spate of thefts across Western Australia from December 2022 to January 2023.
The 32-year-old Tiger has not entered a plea. His case is next due to come before the court on March 27, but Pickett has continued to play throughout this period.
Richmond already locked away some of their leading players, including Shai Bolton (2028), Daniel Rioli and Jayden Short (2027), and Nick Vlastuin (2026), while the likes of Noah Balta, Nathan Broad and Josh Gibcus are out of contract next year. Gibcus, a top-10 draft pick and one of the club’s brightest prospects, could be a candidate to extend early.
They gave up a bevy of high-end draft picks to bring in ex-Giants Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper in the 2022 trade period on seven-year deals. However, they are in a good position for the 2024 draft, with their own first-round selection, plus two in the second round, and three in each of the third and fourth rounds, as a result of trades last year.
Then-head recruiter Clarke said at the time he expected the Tigers to bundle picks to try climbing the order.
“We had to strengthen our draft hand for next year [2024],” Clarke said.
“To get those picks into next year’s draft is going to put us in a great spot ... and hopefully that will give us the opportunity to get right up in the front half of the draft.”
Richmond’s 23 out-of-contract playersLiam Baker, Seth Campbell, Mate Colina, Matt Coulthard, Noah Cumberland, Thomson Dow, Jack Graham, Steely Green, Dylan Grimes, Mykelti Lefau, Rhyan Mansell, Dustin Martin, Kamdyn McIntosh, Ben Miller, Sam Naismith, Toby Nankervis, Marlion Pickett, Dion Prestia, Hugo Ralphsmith, Maurice Rioli, Jack Ross, Samson Ryan, James Trezise.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/23-tigers-yet-to-sign-giant-contract-offers-on-horizon-for-star-defender-20240311-p5fbej.html
