Summary
* We made the decision a few years ago when we head-hunted Blair Hartley that we needed to rebuild our list and we decided we couldn’t do it purely through the National Draft because a number of drafts obviously had been compromised with the introduction of the two new clubs but we needed to turn over our list quite heavily. We've turned over 35 or so players the past 4 years. So we went to the National Draft and we’ve selected young blokes along the journey but we also realised we needed to make sure that we didn’t leave our list with too many holes in terms of depth and mid-20 type players. I think the football world saw in the middle and towards the end of last year, we really fell away when we got injuries and we were asking too much of some of our younger guys. So it was important for us to build some depth.
* With Sam Lonergan firstly - there were probably times during the year we'd go to Coburg, and I know we aren't recruiting for Coburg, but we wouldn't be providing them with a midfielder at all. So you'd look at the midfield for Coburg and there would be no one; not a single Richmond player in it. That was a clear indication that we lacked depth in the midfield area. So if we got injuries to any of our midfield we were going to be pretty bare bones there. So we just thought it was important to make sure that we had some depth through the midfield so that our younger guys who are coming through can develop without being rushed and asked to play inside midfield roles earlier than they should be.
* Orren Stephenson - Last season we found with Tyrone Vickery going down injured, Ivan Maric carried a fairly big load and it had an impact on him towards the end of the year in terms of his groins and general wear and tear. Losing Angus Graham to Adelaide in the trade period we were probably one ruckman down. So we were very keen to get an experienced ruckman in just in case something happened to Ivan. We wanted to make sure that someone could come in straight away and play. We took a young ruckman in the National Draft in Liam McBean so we’ve looked after our future from a ruck viewpoint but we just wanted to make sure we looked after the here and now in case we got injuries.
* Ricky Petterd - is a player who we think has always had some talent to play the game. He’s got a bit of X-factor. Our forward line last season was very Jack Riewoldt reliant and we’ve tried to take care of that by bringing both him and Aaron Edwards in.
* Cadeyn Williams - It’s interesting with all the headlines on the recycles, I was talking to our recruiters today and in both drafts and we’ve now brought in five 18 year olds. Only GWS have brought in a larger number of 18 year olds. I know the recycled guys have got the headlines but we’ve still brought in younger players. Cadeyn’s a boy who was injured for a lot of this year so he played only six or seven games for the Murray Bushrangers.He’s a really good size, good build, very strong overhead and a good kick. He’ll be an inside-mid but we just need to get his fitness levels up. So he’ll be given his time to become a midfielder.
* Dylan Grimes - He had an operation to repair the hamstring tendon (he's had the hamstring tendons on both sides repaired). We won't take him slowly but we'll take him through the normal rehabiliation. He's going to aim for round 1 I would've thought. Whether he gets there and whether the medical and fitness staff sort of push him that hard will depend on how his body responds. It's good for his competitive nature that he wants to get there but we'll make sure we get him right before we push him too hard. It does hurts us but it highlights the reason we went out and got Troy (Chaplin) at the end of last year (season 2012).
* Training in Cairns - Yeah we are keen on heat training. We have a heat room at Punt Rd. We brought the professor from Oregon University, they have a very strong bias towards heat training with their athletes over there. They probably lead the world in temperate-climate-heat training if that makes sense. So we brought him out to explain to our players why we are doing it and to talk to our fitness staff. The reason we go for heat training over altitude training is that we can actually replicate it at Punt Rd. We don't have a altitude room to keep the benefits of altitude training up throughout the season.
* I didn't go up to Cairns but yeah it would've been nice to return from Cairns with a smile on our face after what has happened over the last two years.
1/ they may have made a decision a few yrs ago but have they really taken the best available and have they really looked into the state leagues at all. why after being in charge of the list for 5 or 6 yrs do we out of neccesity have to take mature players. cmon craig.
2/ he actually acknowledges the lack of mids but it took this yr at coburg to realise the dearth of them unbelievable. whats also unbelievable is we took lonergan lol we had the choice of many mature types both from other clubs and state league. craig can i ask you what young genuine mids are coming thru outside of the seniors.
craig if you look none of our young inside mids have been asked to play inside roles unless they are built like dustin. hbf or wing has rightly been the go. can i ask you craig have we addressed depth thru the midfield especially if the kids we have taken are to be developed properly.
i have to ask why not moloney or kyle martin or sam dwyer did you lot even look at em.
3/ orren stephenson okay we needed someone who can step up if maric gets hurt. if so where does that leave 25yr old derickx why even keep him. why did we not look at other options other than two hacks from afl clubs. what the eff is going on craig.why orren craig a 31 yo last resort.
4/ ricky petterd sorry craig he may have some talent but just about every bloke who makes a list has some. with mids in great demand i have to ask why petterd after we took mcdonough in the nd, edwards in a trade and knights who has spent a lot of time forward dont we lack mids and rucks and kpfs.
5/ caydn williams. good choice the exact type of youngster we should be rookieing. but i dont understand craig you think 5 18 yr olds deserves a pat on the back. mate you job was to balance out the number of mature to youth taken you did your job nothing more. and you havent done it well imo.
why did you re - sign white and mcguane why did you not take more genuine mids. why not a kpf i can give you some advice craig if astbury and griffiths are defenders then the biggest hole in the list is tall forwards.
just a little comprison craig ill give you credit where i think you have done well and go along with your choices.
9 vlastuin more than happy to have this kid well done in fact im wrapt. only question i have is with grundy there, should we not have taken him. mcbean and stephenson as compensation for not getting him well its underwhelming. yaking these two is certainly an admission of the need for taking a ruckman or three. but i cant fault the selection
31 mcintosh again imo a very good pick well done to you and francis. but trying to tell us hes a mid craig cmon. happy to go along with this pick anyway. thats two out of two.happy to concede he may even go close to best available here but a mid sheesh. thats the criticism.
33 mc bean your telling me hes a ruckman and my eyes are telling me hes no afl ruckman bloody hell there was some good players available at this pick. sam lowrie was my choice here. have to say atm it looks like i got this one wrong he didnt even get picked up but hey im not a part of a big team with lots of backing behind it.
42 mcdonough he meets a need for a quality small forward who may or may not become a mid in time. nick graham please. people question his kicking but i dont see it. atkins was another i wanted here
happy to concede here that 1 im out of my depth with nd picks as i no longer see enough of them apart from west aussies. 2/ mcdonough and mcintosh are good selections or could be.again i question the validity of calling them mids.
where we differ greatly me i wanted the hacks out, they have had plenty of time white and mcguane gonski.
82 i wanted jack hannath, delisting white. i wanted a pick in the 50s and would have taken hannath there.
100 i wanted kyle martin but with colquhoun still there had to take a punt on him rated him a top 30 nd pick. delisting mcguane.
psd
we didnt use it. its well known i was keen on kyle martin thats an equivalant rookie pick.
rookies
sam lonergan has a lot of faults and is the exact sort of type as far as skills go that we have spent 4 yrs largely delisting. sam dwyer for me have been on about him for awhile. is probably the best performed vfl for several yrs now.
petterd for your lot craig for me i wanted the 18 yr old alex howson 195cm key forward as i said before if astbury and griffiths are backmen its a huge hole in the list.
stephenson and the way we have organised the list under you for yrs he was a real need me i took hannath in the nd.this pick would have taken james boyd a 23 yr old basically rover from central districts dont think he got picked up. have said im more than happy with williams he looks a good type.
trade free agency
chaplin well done imo i wanted him or a type like him last yr im hoping he can hold down fb as a shut down player.
knights was not on my radar im glad we took him hes exactly the type of mature we should be trying.
edwards in a trade well donme again.he meets one god awful need as far as the list goes.
for me this is where it changed again definately would have taken moloney and cut another player also wanted stefan martin he went dirt cheap to brisbane. hmm martin or stephenson one really has to wonder.
anyway its out there for all to criticise.
