One More Year of Rebuilding

[PuntRdRoar]

Next years National Draft will probably be the final year of rebuilding at RFC. Its the superdraft. We have a young list. A shocking draw. Most likely we will finish in the bottom 4. This may not be so bad however. It will mean 1 early pick and another one before pick 20...in a draft where theres going to be 25 good players. Who knows...Greg Miller may pull a rabbit out of the hat and pinch some more picks somewhere else in the 10-15. Richmond are closer than alot of people think...I also think when we struggle next year people will call Miller a complete failure...that will be wrong. At the end of next year Richmond will be closer to a flag than at any stage over the last 25 years. All we need is one year more down at the bottom...to get the players we need.

[Razorblade]

The last time there was a "superdraft" we finished 3rd, so who knows!

If we have a great season, well, yay!

If we have a poo season, then we're gonna get a stuffing good player!

[WilliamPowell]

If we have a great season, well, yay!

If we have a pooh season, then we're gonna get a effing good player!

A win/win hey Razor 

[PuntRdRoar]

The mentality at RFC should be about winning the trophy...we need a bad finish next year...next year is everything...if we get 3 or 4 good ones next year...we will almost have the pieces together for a shot 2 or 3 years later. It wont be a matter of having the pieces to the puzzle then...it will be about getting experience and team systems and fitness to play at the top level.

[Razorblade]

Next year is going to be a tank-a-thon towards the end of the season IMO, and a team who REALLY wants to make the finals will probably get in!

[PuntRdRoar]

The pr machine for our tradeables must start to get into action. Anyone, who we want to offload must be talked up and rumours put about that clubs want them...a systematic, orchestrated, premeditated campaign. If Hawthorn can get 2 first rounders for Hay...then anything is possible.

[mightytiges]

The last time there was a "superdraft" we finished 3rd, so who knows!

And what did we do in that superdraft? - we gave up our first round pick because IIRC we didn't have the money, after paying $$$ on new long-term contracts, to keep Benny Gale on and so we needed to find a replacment ruckman (Staff). Then to top it off we recruited Paul Hudson and Adam Houlihan! Sheesh we totally stuffed up big time in that draft      .

If we have a great season, well, yay!

If we have a pooh season, then we're gonna get a effing good player!

If we have a great season, the trade value of our guys will skyrocket also .

It's easy to offload average footballers when you're in the bottom four. The tough ask is to do it when you're near the top as part of staying up there and improving still. 

The first 5-10 tough rounds next year will determine where will finish. The second half of the draw isn't too bad. If we are struggling at the halfway mark hopefully those within the club who matter will hold their nerve as well as their long-term vision.

[Darth Tiger]

Would want to see continual building of the list, and not just the bottoming-out to peak cycle theory.

Create and maintain a culture of success and excellance so that the Tigers never have a drought period longer than this 1981 to 20?? - the longest premiership drought in the clubs history.

[bluey_21]

As much as i would like to see us getting a Thorp, Hansen or Gumbleton next year, i hope we can at least get 10 wins like we did in this season, we need to build a mean winning mentatility in the young players. Hawthorn's approach to rebuilding may be getting them some of the best talent each year, but its ruining the mentatility of its players who will probably be accustomed to losing week in week out

[mightytiges]

Would want to see continual building of the list, and not just the bottoming-out to peak cycle theory.

Create and maintain a culture of success and excellance so that the Tigers never have a drought period longer than this 1981 to 20?? - the longest premiership drought in the clubs history.

Agree Darth. IMO when you finally get near the top you still need to make tough calls to keep improving the playing list to stay up there. That's what we failed to do in 95 and 2001 and we fell quickly back down again.

IMV list your top 10 players from 1 to 10 and after the best six, trade one of the next best (preferably a midfielder as they are more easily and quickly replaceable than a tall) who has high trade value for at least a first round pick (late top 10 pick) and a earlish second rounder. That way despite finishing high on the ladder (and subsequently low in the draft order) the club will still then  have two first round picks (say 10 and our 15) plus a pick in the early-mid 20's and the one we had already in the early 30's. Any future father/sons will be bonus in the third round (#40s). 

[bluey_21]

The pr machine for our tradeables must start to get into action. Anyone, who we want to offload must be talked up and rumours put about that clubs want them...a systematic, orchestrated, premeditated campaign. If Hawthorn can get 2 first rounders for Hay...then anything is possible.

This is a good tactic, a few names we can float around are:
Tivendale - if he gets back to his form prior to 2004-05 clubs looking for pace may look at him
JON - West Coast rated him this year's no.1, and according to PRE will go back to WA sooner or later, we could milk them for two first-rounders in next years super draft!
Krakouer - Over-rated in the footballing community because of his surname, could get some good dough for him
Meyer - Appears home-sick, and like JON we could milk two first-rounders from either Adelaide or Port if Meyer has a good year.
Rodan - Don't rate him much, bit would have some currency

Don't really want to see Meyer or JON leave the Tigers, but wouldn't shed a tear to see Krakouer, Rodan or Tiva go.

[PuntRdRoar]

JON and Meyer should not be willingly traded ... both are jets...fit perfectly into TWs plans. The others you mentioned should go!

[Razorblade]

The way i look at it:

Year to year (no trade value)
P. Bowden
Chaffey
Moore
Roach
Stafford (Will retire after 2006 you'd think anyway!)
Tivendale

2 years max to prove themselves
Foley
Hartigan (Proved himself already?)
Hyde
Jackson
Raines
Rodan

Core youngsters group (no time frame)
Casserley
Hughes
Limbach
McGuane
Meyer
Oakley-Nicholls
Pattison
Polo
Schulz (See below)
Tambling
Thursfield

Core senior group/Untouchables
Bowden
Brown
Coughlan
Deledio
Gasper
Hall (See below)
Johnson
Kellaway
Newman
Richardson
Simmonds
Tuck

Trade bait
Knobel
Krakeour
Pettifer


Schulz - Doesn't turn 21 until about the start of the season, lost a fair bit of last season to injury and as we all know talls take longer to develop.

Hall - Has height and versatility that we cannot afford to lose, his ability to play defense, forward (Hawks game) and pinch hit in the ruck if we are desperate is undervalued by a lot of Richmond supporters, not to mention the guy can play!

[Ox]

Hall - Has height and versatility that we cannot afford to lose, his ability to play defense, forward (Hawks game) and pinch hit in the ruck if we are desperate is undervalued by a lot of Richmond supporters, not to mention the guy can play!

i agree

[tiga]

I may get some noses out of joint with what I am about to say and it is my opinion not an attention seeking stunt, but I don't think Kane Johnson should be classified as untouchable. I think he is a highly over rated player and we should trade him asap. He's slow, not a great leader, regularly makes ordinary use of the massive number of touches he gets and is an average kick but hey, he was in a crows premiership side!  That's all well and good when you've got players around you like McLeod & Ricciuto who have this uncanny knack of making you look good.
Can anyone remember Kane Johnson taking a game by the scruff of the neck and turning adversity into triumph? Wayne Campbell did this on many occasions and he had more talent and intestinal fortitude in his left nut than Kane Johnson will ever have.
My comments are based purely on Kane's onfield performance as I know he is a great clubman.

My final comment is give me Brett Deledio's 15 touches over Kane Johnsons 32 any day. Look at the replays of last season and I'm sure you will be enlightened.