Gary Buckenara analyses Richmond’s season and list so far in 2018 (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Premiership recruiter Gary Buckenara analyses every club’s season and list so far in 2018

GARY BUCKENARA,
Herald Sun
July 4, 2018 12:30pm

FIFTEEN rounds into the season and the teams challenging for a finals spot have emerged, while for other clubs it’s time to look ahead and start planning for 2019.

Premiership recruiter GARY BUCKENARA analyses how every club’s year is tracking, whether they have exceeded or disappointed and the positives and negatives to take from the first four months of the season.

RICHMOND

Buckenara says:
Richmond’s form so far this season has been fantastic and I’d say their form now is as good as it was at the back end of last year. A lot of people wondered whether this group could find that form again and questioned whether there might be a premiership hangover but there’s absolutely no sign of that. The Tigers are playing the football, and displaying the form, that won them the 2017 premiership and that makes them the team to beat as things stand right now. That trademark manic pressure around the footy is there again, their structure up forward is small but effective and they’ve got pace. The way the modern game is being played at the moment, and it’s partly because the style Richmond is playing has been so successful, is like what I call rugby union and it suits them to a tee because they’ve got strong bodies in the midfield who win the ball on the inside, they’ve got great pace on the outside and they’ve got a defence that boasts players who read the ball really well.

Alex Rance, David Astbury and Dylan Grimes just keep elevating themselves to the next level. Grimes is the one I’ve been really impressed with in particular. He’s been fantastic this year, he hardly gets beaten one-on-one. Jayden Short, Jason Castagna, Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler and these types also have great pace to run back and beat their opponent to the ball, whether it’s up forward or in defence, and that is a great strength. Richmond is playing a really impressive brand of football.

The only concern I have is what happens if Nankervis gets injured? The Tigers have had a blessed run with injuries again despite the odd hiccup for Dion Prestia and Bachar Houli, but as a whole their best team has been out on the park week in, week out so their depth hasn’t been tested. In the ruck case, if something does happen to Nankervis then where does Damien Hardwick turn? Ivan Soldo is the only option as a genuine ruckman really, while the Tigers have been exposed at times (against Port Adelaide and West Coast) for using Shaun Grigg as second ruck.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/premiership-recruiter-gary-buckenara-analyses-every-clubs-season-and-list-so-far-in-2018/news-story/2b7d1cf94554c8ae51a8d12b65226046

[big tone]

You are going well when Vlastuin doesn’t get a mention when talking up our backline. His last 6 weeks have been AA standard.

[Slipper]

So Bucky is now a premiership recruiter.

Interesting phrase. Did he draft the premiership team, or was he lucky enough to be on the recruiting staff when they won a flag?

[Diocletian]

I only remember him being a very good player at Hawthorn and a shyte coach at Sydney....

[Slipper]

I only remember him being a very good player at Hawthorn and a shyte coach at Sydney....

He was a very good player. Clinch player who got the job done when it needed to be done.

[tdy]

Didn't he help recruit the 2008 Hawk premiers? I think Brereton rated him on some pickup I forget which.

[Lebowski]

Didn't he help recruit the 2008 Hawk premiers? I think Brereton rated him on some pickup I forget which.

They reckon he was the mastermind behind calling richmonds bluff to get Roughead and buddy. Apparently they knew Lids was always going to be number 1 and that we really rated roughead with our next pick at 4, so all predraft hawks kept talking up tambling, hosted him as well to draw us away from Buddy who they of course rated higher  but knew we wouldnt take him bc we preferred Roughy. So they took a chance by drafting roughead first and lol'd when we picked tambling.

Absolute rubbish and one of those footy fairytails that grew legs when they won a flag and created a dynasty off the back of drafting buddy/roughead.

[wayne]

Didn't he help recruit the 2008 Hawk premiers? I think Brereton rated him on some pickup I forget which.

They reckon he was the mastermind behind calling richmonds bluff to get Roughead and buddy. Apparently they knew Lids was always going to be number 1 and that we really rated roughead with our next pick at 4, so all predraft hawks kept talking up tambling, hosted him as well to draw us away from Buddy who they of course rated higher  but knew we wouldnt take him bc we preferred Roughy. So they took a chance by drafting roughead first and lol'd when we picked tambling.

Absolute rubbish and one of those footy fairytails that grew legs when they won a flag and created a dynasty off the back of drafting buddy/roughead.

I thought Clarko said to draft talls?

When it came to pick 5, they took extra time before they grabbed Buddy.

Sounds like a fluke to me.

[RedanTiger]

Absolute rubbish and one of those footy fairytails that grew legs when they won a flag and created a dynasty off the back of drafting buddy/roughead.

A bit of a fairytale.
The knock on Buddy was that he could be anything but was a loose cannon.
This is supported by the fact that for the first couple of years Hawthorn assigned him a minder to go everywhere with him to make sure he didn't get into trouble.
It worked out well for the Hawks but he was high maintenance and they sort of lucked out.

[Gracie]

Didn't he help recruit the 2008 Hawk premiers? I think Brereton rated him on some pickup I forget which.

They reckon he was the mastermind behind calling richmonds bluff to get Roughead and buddy. Apparently they knew Lids was always going to be number 1 and that we really rated roughead with our next pick at 4, so all predraft hawks kept talking up tambling, hosted him as well to draw us away from Buddy who they of course rated higher  but knew we wouldnt take him bc we preferred Roughy. So they took a chance by drafting roughead first and lol'd when we picked tambling.

Absolute rubbish and one of those footy fairytails that grew legs when they won a flag and created a dynasty off the back of drafting buddy/roughead.

I thought Clarko said to draft talls?

When it came to pick 5, they took extra time before they grabbed Buddy.

Sounds like a fluke to me.

That was my take on it.

They had a reasonable midfield with Crawford, Sewell, Bateman, Brown, Vandenberg but needed talls

[Lebowski]

Didn't he help recruit the 2008 Hawk premiers? I think Brereton rated him on some pickup I forget which.

They reckon he was the mastermind behind calling richmonds bluff to get Roughead and buddy. Apparently they knew Lids was always going to be number 1 and that we really rated roughead with our next pick at 4, so all predraft hawks kept talking up tambling, hosted him as well to draw us away from Buddy who they of course rated higher  but knew we wouldnt take him bc we preferred Roughy. So they took a chance by drafting roughead first and lol'd when we picked tambling.

Absolute rubbish and one of those footy fairytails that grew legs when they won a flag and created a dynasty off the back of drafting buddy/roughead.

I thought Clarko said to draft talls?

When it came to pick 5, they took extra time before they grabbed Buddy.

Sounds like a fluke to me.

Yeah he did and Buckenara is credited for 'masterminding' the way they were able to make it happen