Smithy's VFL Off-Season Update: RichmondBrendan Rhodes
afl.com.au
26 January 2023
Rebounding defender
Garrett McDonagh has returned to Tigerland after a solitary year on Essendon’s AFL list. McDonagh, 26, was selected from Richmond by the Bombers in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft, playing 17 VFL games and averaging 16.6 touches but not making his AFL debut. He has played 33 VFL matches, also representing Northern Blues and Coburg.
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The Tigers have strengthened their backline with developing defender
Mutaz El Nour crossing from Northern Bullants. The South Sudanese talent from Caroline Springs Football Club played 12 VFL games last year for a total of 18 and had been touted as a NAB AFL Draft fancy. He averaged 16.5 disposals, 5.8 marks and 5.1 rebounds in 2022.
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Captain
Lachlan Street will be a Tiger again. Street, 24, took the top job with aplomb last year, playing every game and averaging career bests in disposals (18.6), marks (4.6), rebounds (3.5), tackles (2.
and clearances (2.2) to share second spot in the best-and-fairest.
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Rookie
Jackson Bowne has joined Coburg. The Bundoora small forward made his VFL debut for the Tigers in Round 5, gathering six disposals, but didn’t add to that appearance. He played 19 games and kicked 13 goals for Northern Knights in 2019-21.
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Mykelti Lefau and
Misilifi Faimolo will remain at Swinburne Centre. Former Casey Demon Lefau, 24, played six games and kicked five goals last year before injuring his knee, while Faimolo, 23, ran out seven times in his debut season.
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Richmond has a new assistant coach, with
Mo Kaakour promoted. The experienced Kaakour led Westmeadows to consecutive fourth-placed finishes in Division 1 of the Essendon league and has been leading the Bachar Houli Academy.
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Brad Melville’s first three years at Richmond have been racked by bad luck – Covid lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 before suffering a serious knee injury – and will be hoping for a better run after committing to a fourth year at Punt Rd, according to The Border Mail Albury-Wodonga. The Wangaratta midfielder-forward, 24, got back for two matches late in the 2022 season. Meanwhile,
Angus Hicks,
Fraser Elliot and
Nick Guiney will also continue at Swinburne Centre.
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Itchy areas are a thing of the past at Richmond, with Johnson & Johnson filling the changerooms again.
Austin Johnson, 20, played nine games last year for a total of 10 since crossing from Frankston, while
Lachlan Johnson, 21, the son of Brisbane Lions triple premiership great Chris, fronted three times for a total of 13 after being delisted by Essendon.
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2021 Richmond VFL best-and-fairest winner
Will Martyn has signed at Port Melbourne. The Brisbane Lions Academy graduate played all 28 VFL games in the past two seasons at Swinburne Centre, last year averaging 18.1 disposals and 4.7 marks.
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Tylar Young’s decision to move from Frankston to Richmond VFL at the start of last year paid off in spades when he was promoted to the Tigers’ AFL list in the NAB Rookie Draft. Young, 24, played 14 games for Richmond last year, averaging 9.6 disposals.
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Shepparton youngster
Ashtyn Atkinson is pushing hard for an opportunity on Richmond’s VFL list. Atkinson, 18, a Yorta Yorta youngster from Rumbalara Football Club, played 11 NAB League games for Murray Bushrangers, averaging 12 disposals.
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An important Tiger will play for the Tigers in 2023. But it’s not happy news for Richmond with
Bailey Henderson switching to Werribee. Henderson, 23, played 14 matches for Richmond last year, averaging 13.6 disposals and kicking seven goals.
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Delisted Tiger
Riley Collier-Dawkins has opted for the SANFL to try and reboot his career, according to Zero Hanger. Collier-Dawkins played 16 VFL games last year for a total of 41. He also played 11 AFL games.
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North Melbourne has boosted its forward line with the signing of young Richmond goalkicker
Sam Tucker, according to Code Sports’ Paul Amy. Tucker, 21, booted nine goals in six matches for the Tigers last year, including five in one match against Port Melbourne.
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Youngsters
Cam Olden,
Joel Nathan,
Jess McGrath and
Tom Bracher will return to the Swinburne Centre to continue their development.
Tom Brindley gained a small taste of VFL footy in 2022 and will also be back for more. Brindley, 24, played just one game last year – his debut – with his seven disposals and four tackles showing enough to earn another contract.
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Best-and-fairest winner
Jake Aarts lost his spot on the AFL list at the end of last season and won’t be back to defend his Guinane Medal, signing with Mornington Peninsula-Nepean club Dromana. Aarts, 28, played 14 VFL games last year, averaging career-bests in disposals (21.4), clearances (4.2) and tackles (5.4) and kicking 16 goals. He finishes with 112 VFL matches for Richmond and Bendigo, along with 42 AFL games for the Tigers.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/872885/smithy-s-vfl-off-season-update-richmond-sandringham-southport-sharks
