Best of Tigers still worst of AFL eraJon Anderson ranks Richmond worst of the modern era.
Herald-Sun
November 9, 2015IT’S the era that clearly represents the most significant changes in Australian football’s 158-year history, one that began when the VFL became the AFL in 1990 and Collingwood finally put its Colliwobbles to bed.
To celebrate this pivotal 25 years of Australian rules history, the Herald Sun has selected “best of” teams for the 13 sides that have played since 1990, plus Adelaide, Fremantle and Port Adelaide who entered the competition in the 1990s.
In each instance Jon Anderson has acted as one selector and then employed a consultant who has a deep knowledge of the respective sides.
Over coming days we will continue the countdown from “worst to best” of these respective sides.
Anderson chose the order whereas the consultants advised on team composition.
We begin today with Richmond. The Tigers find themselves in 16th place after failing to win a flag in the AFL era and reaching the finals only a depressing five times.
Leon Daphne, president of the Tigers from 1993-99, acted as consultant and was disappointed to find that our selection criteria — 100 games, five years or 200 goals — wasn’t met by Dale Weightman and Craig Lambert, who carried their careers over from the 1980s.
Daphne agreed that Matthew Richardson was the club’s only clear-cut champion in the AFL era, although he argued Matthew Knights and Wayne Campbell had claims for the same rating.
But in the end it wasn’t a hard team to pick given the lack of viable alternatives, although Daniel Jackson and Scott Turner were both given strong consideration.
22 OF THE BEST
Richmond’s team of the AFL eraB: Andrew Kellaway, Jeff Hogg, Darren Gaspar
HB: Chris Newman (c), Alex Rance, Joel Bowden
C: Wayne Campbell, Matthew Knights, Nick Daffy
HF: Brett Deledio, Matthew Richardson, Paul Broderick
F: Brendon Gale, Jack Riewoldt, Matt Rogers
R: Brad Ottens, Trent Cotchin, Dustin Martin
I: Tony Free, Kane Johnson, Chris Naish, Chris Bond
Coach: Damien Hardwick
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/richmond-ranks-worst-in-jon-andersons-best-teams-of-the-modern-afl-era/news-story/9b35b9e36b7e09e4d969acc3ade1bbd2