The annual Lounder, Fiora and Tambling media article
AFL draft hits & misses - part 3By Michael Rogers
Source: BigPond Sport
Tuesday, November 13, 2012AFL LOWDOWN: Bargain-basement captains and Richmond's first-round failures feature in the third of our four-part series on the best and worst draft picks from the 16 established AFL clubs
RICHMONDHitsBrendon Gale (No.27, 1987). When the Tigers punted on the lanky Tasmanian, little did they know they'd have a centre half-forward, a ruckman and eventually a club CEO. It was a prescient selection by a club not generally known for its nous at player recruitment, and almost cancelled out the disappointment that was their no.1 pick that year (see below).
Shane Tuck (No.73, 2003). Richmond threw the Hawthorn discard a lifeline after his unsuccessful stint at the club where his father won seven flags and it paid off big time. While Tuck hasn't always been a first-choice selection, his ability to win the ball in close is nearly unparalleled at Punt Road. With 162 games under his belt, Tuck is coming off a career-best season in 2012 in a rising Richmond side.
Chris Newman (No.55, 2000). Like North Melbourne and Port Adelaide before them, the Tigers looked past Newman's perceived deficiencies and saw a smart player with an excellent kick and good character. He became a rock of the Richmond backline for more than a decade and captained the club for four seasons - a great return from a speculative choice.
MissesRichard Lounder (No.1, 1987). At 203cm and 116kg, Lounder's hulking physique was every full-back's nightmare. Unfortunately, his application to the little things like fitness, diet and recovery weren't ideal. After a promising four-goal debut against North Melbourne, Lounder played just three more games before fading into the reserves and quitting the club at the end of the season. There weren't many stars taken in that draft but Collingwood's Graham Wright (pick three) and Melbourne's Stephen Tingay (pick 50) gave their clubs good service.
Richard Tambling (No.4, 2004). The lightly-built midfielder was touted as a potential No.1 pick in his draft pool, such was his vision, agility and skill set. But he had the misfortune to be taken one pick ahead of Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin and was never given a chance by the Richmond faithful. He played some good footy for the Tigers in 2008 and 2009 but always lived in the shadow of Buddy.
Aaron Fiora (No.3, 1999). Chalk up another in the list of Richmond's big-time draft errors. Fiora was a silky-skilled wingman who had the misfortune to be picked up one selection before a champion key forward in Matthew Pavlich. Fiora battled through five seasons at Punt Road, averaging just under 10 touches a game before a move to St Kilda, where he was serviceable for four seasons. Meanwhile, Pavlich became a six-time All Australian. Ouch.
Other clubs here: http://www.bigpondsport.com/afl-draft-hits-misses,-part-3/tabid/91/newsid/98298/default.aspx
