Tough Tiger recruits Brandon Ellis, Matthew Arnot in Hardwick mouldhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tough-tiger-recruits-brandon-ellis-matthew-arnot-in-hardwick-mould/story-e6frf9jf-1226205410535RICHMOND coach Damian Hardwick just isn't interested in skinny kids who play pretty football.Tonight, following the demands of Hardwick, recruiter Francis Jackson plucked two born competitors who love the hard stuff, plus a beanpole tall who took nine contested marks in a game this year.
As Jackson said of the recurring message: ''There is a theme and you know where it comes from of course. (Hardwick) is going to love those boys because they won't need any motivating. He likes the competitive boys.''
The Tigers took Calder Cannon Brandon Ellis with pick 15 - the first selection from a Victorian club in the draft - and know they have a 181cm rebounding defender with an elite kick and a will to compete.
Then they added 197cm tall Todd Elton at selection 26, who blew hot and cold all year but has huge potential as a marking forward.
His under-18 national carnival was affected by treatment for a spider bite which saw him in hospital on a drip for seven nights mid-year.
Their third and final pick (selection 55) was used on Oakleigh Chargers onballer Matthew Arnot, who Jack Riewoldt has already tagged ''Biscuit'' on Twitter.
He is another inside midfielder with fierce determination to win the football.
Given they have already traded for hard nuts Steven Morris and Ivan Maric, this club is all about players who win their own ball and then use it well.
''Brandon Ellis had a fantastic year playing for Calder,'' Jackson said.
"He had an outstanding finals and a good national carnival. He is a rebounding defender and an outstanding kick.
"We rated him in the top three kicks in the draft and he is top five per cent endurance.
"It is possible he could play a midfield role down the track. And he is very competitive in contested situations. That is the prototype we are looking for.''
Elton has massive potential and could ruck as well as play forward, but needs to improve on a year which disappointed some recruiters.
Playing for the AIS against Geelong's VFL side he held his own against Trent West, but also went missing at times.
''Todd Elton, we actually didn't think he would get through to 26,'' Jackson said.
''It's the old cliche. He is an AIS boy who is very mobile and we think can play a forward role for us. He was inconsistent but he had some great patches.''
Jackson says the spider bite might have affected Elton's national carnival.
''He had to go to hospital eaach night to have a drip for seven nights in row before the carnival. He had to keep going (to hospital) so it was an issue for him.''
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tough-tiger-recruits-brandon-ellis-matthew-arnot-in-hardwick-mould/story-e6frf9jf-1226205410535
