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Richmond set to bolster recruiting department as part of a club review to improve on the fieldJON RALPH
Herald Sun
July 30, 2016 RICHMOND is set to bolster its recruiting department budget and staffing numbers as part of a wide-ranging review of the club.
The Tigers have invested heavily in their football department this year and have 10 full-time coaches and two part-time coaches.
But there is an admission from the club that it is not as well resourced in the recruiting department and list management area.
Its recruiting spend is mid-tier at best despite the club’s vast resources and consistent profits.
The Tigers have promised to be aggressive in trade week and the draft period this year as they try to rebound from a lacklustre season.
One of the club’s full-time recruiters went part-time 18 months ago and was not replaced, with Richmond to leave no stone unturned to rebound.
Recruiter Francis Jackson is seen to be keen to continue on, while pro-scout and list manager Blair Hartley has been offered another year on a deal expiring at the end of 2017.
Clubs now must remain under the $9.4 million football department spending cap and prudently balance their spending priorities.
The Tigers are seen to have made safe and steady decisions with their first-round selections but few of them in the past six years has been inspired.
Rival clubs have stolen a march on the recruitment of Irish and American rookies and picked up late astute selections or rookie-listed players who have become regulars.
Richmond is a clear frontrunner to secure Dion Prestia, who will leave Gold Coast, but few are certain where he will play next year.
Football boss Dan Richardson said earlier this year the club had to decide whether to go to the draft or lure elite talent.
“Clearly we need to improve our top-end talent and the best way to do that is through early draft picks, which we don’t know whether we’ve got yet, or bringing in some A-grade talent and to do that you need to give up early draft picks to get that talent in,’’ he said.
“If it does turn out that we get ... a top-10 pick, then clearly that gives us more currency to either bring in an established player or recruit a high-end talent through the draft.”
The Tigers must give their assistant coaches an idea of their plans for them by Monday under an AFLCA understanding to allow assistants time to plan their future.
It seems likely there will be a refresh of the assistant coaches after a season that has coughed and spluttered and will end in a failure given the lack of finals.
The Tigers say they will not rebuild their list — which has five elite players then a gap to the next tier — with retiree Troy Chaplin and Ivan Maric the only plus-30 players.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-set-to-bolster-recruiting-department-as-part-of-a-club-review-to-improve-on-the-field/news-story/705f7c9baab1b559b88942a47b1eacfd
