Your Round 1 2019 Team

[one-eyed]

R1, 2019: Who makes the cut in your club's season-opener?

Sarah Black
afl.com.au
15 December 2018

RICHMOND

TEAM EXPLAINED: It's much of the same for Richmond's round-one team, with only three changes from the side which lost the preliminary final. Reece Conca (Fremantle) is replaced by classy forward Dan Butler, who had an ankle injury late in the season. The big off-season recruit, Tom Lynch, slots straight into full-forward, with a slight rejigging of the side – Shane Edwards moving further up the ground – meaning wingman Kamdyn McIntosh misses out. It's almost a flip of the coin between Brandon Ellis and Nathan Broad, as was the case late in the season. It comes down to opposition match-ups, with Ellis a running defender and Broad a lock-down who allows Alex Rance to roam free. Ellis just makes it on disposal ability. With all of Richmond's draftees being midfielders, none is able to break into the well-established Tiger engine room.

PRE-SEASON BATTLE: Will Shai Bolton force his way into the top echelon of Richmond's mosquito fleet over summer? The highly talented Bolton is coming into his third year at the club and has been unable to make a spot his own. Housemates Jason Castagna and Butler could be two within reach of Bolton, as Daniel Rioli and Jack Higgins are able to also push up the ground.

Round 1, 2019 team

B: Dylan Grimes, David Astbury, Alex Rance
HB: Bachar Houli, Nick Vlastuin, Jayden Short
C: Shaun Grigg, Dustin Martin, Shane Edwards
HF: Dan Butler, Jack Riewoldt, Daniel Rioli
F: Josh Caddy, Tom Lynch, Jack Higgins
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Dion Prestia, Trent Cotchin
I/C: Brandon Ellis, Jason Castagna, Kane Lambert, Jack Graham


Defender depth: Nathan Broad, Oleg Markov, Ryan Garthwaite, Patrick Naish, Ben Miller, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith

Forward depth: Shai Bolton, Callum Moore, Jacob Townsend, Noah Balta, Mav Weller, Liam Baker, Mabior Chol, Jake Aarts

Midfield depth: Kamdyn McIntosh, Connor Menadue, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Luke English, Jack Ross, Fraser Turner

Ruck depth: Ivan Soldo, Callum Coleman-Jones

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-12-15/r1-2019-who-plays-in-your-clubs-seasonopener

[mightytiges]

Unless we're going to continue with Grigg as second ruck (unlikely after what happened in the Prelim) then I don't see him and Houli as veterans both in the side together anymore.

We're also going to need a fringe player or newbie to have a breakout year like Short and Higgins did this year to improve and keep us up around the top of the ladder. Obviously, the spotlight will be on Bolton, Markov and Menadue. Last chance saloon for all three in 2019.

[MintOnLamb]

Maybe Sydney Stack will be the under the radar player for us?
If we take him up where would he play??

[tdy]

Castagna has to play in the forward line to add pressure. Someone else in the forward line has to give way for him IMHO

[mightytiges]

Castagna has to play in the forward line to add pressure. Someone else in the forward line has to give way for him IMHO

Caddy is going to be the interesting one next year. He was effectively our second 'key-position' forward target this year. Where does he fit in with Lynch and Jack from now on being our two tall forwards? He might be the one to make way and play more gametime in the midfield rotation. Otherwise, it's Rioli, Higgins or even Butler spending more time in the midfield allowing George to remain in the forward line to provide that defensive pressure.

[the claw]

FB: Vlastuin - AstburyBalta/Garthwaite - Grimes
HB: Rance -  Balta/Garthwaite - Houli/Broad/Short/Markov/Naish/Turner/Ellis

Four certainties in the back half for me. Rance kpd, Grimes to play sml/med, Vlastuin Medium, Astbury kpd. Imo because of Grimes role there is a spot for a third tall.  Really want us to get games into  Balta and Garthwaite. Play Balta in Rances place and allow Rance to play third tall. Or we could just play either of the two kids  as the third tall.

There are lots of options for the last spot at H/B. Unfortunately Houli imo is in front of the other options still. Only one spot imo available out a possible 7 options. Naish and Turner probably not ready, Ellis a hack, Markov with injury and failure to grasp chances so its probably down to three. Would like to see Broad played as a tagger in the midfield. leaves Houli and Short and i prefer Houli at this stage.Both have defensive failings.

C: Edwards - Martin - Lambert/Menadue/McIntosh/Markov
R: Nankervis - Cotchin - Prestia

For me McIntosh just doesnt get enough ball for a mid and he just is not clean enough when he does get it on top of that no one in the league fumbled as much as he did last yr. . Menadue and Markov have both had plenty of opportunity and failed to grasp their chances. Similar problem to McIntosh they just dont stay in games enough or get enough ball.

HF: Rioli - Riewoldt - Butler
FF: Moore/Caddy - Lynch - Castagna/Bolton/Aarts/Baker

Heaps of small fwd options and we will play three. Clearly Rioli, Butler and Castagna have the front running atm.

We know we are going to play two key fwds but could we play a genuine third tall as well.We could possibly play Moore instead of Caddy in the fwd half but i think we will stick with Caddy to start the yr at least.

INT From:  Higgins - Graham - Grigg - R C-D - Ross - English 

Pretty simple for me here we need to continue to get games into Higgins and Graham as mids, and Grigg remains well in front of most of if not all of our junior mids and will play in the 22.

We need a big inside mid in the team and if Caddy plays predominately as a fwd then i would really like to see R C-D or Ross if they show enough to get games.

To my way of thinking we could bring in three or four juniors and the only regulars who would miss are McIntosh, Ellis, Broad, Short, and Conca has gone thank god.

[Diocletian]

FB: Vlastuin - AstburyBalta/Garthwaite - Grimes
HB: Rance -  Balta/Garthwaite - Houli/Broad/Short/Markov/Naipoourner/Ellis

When did we draft an Indian cricketer?

[Assange Tiger 😎]

NaishTurner with an extra T

[Assange Tiger 😎]

or an I before the T........

[Diocletian]

I thought Ike Turner was dead....

[torch]

Let the guessing games begin ... really early ...

From the horrible last match we played, the team:

B: David Astbury Alex Rance Dylan Grimes
HB: Jayden Short Nick Vlastuin Nathan Broad
C: Shaun Grigg Trent Cotchin Kamdyn McIntosh
HF: Daniel Rioli Shane Edwards Jack Higgins
F: Jack Riewoldt Dustin Martin Josh Caddy
FOL: Toby Nankervis Kane Lambert Dion Prestia
I/C: Jason Castagna Bachar Houli Reece Conca Jack Graham


Here are my changes and Round 1 line up:

OUT: Conca, Broad, Grigg, McIntosh

IN: LYNCH, BUTLER, BALTA, COLLIER-DAWKINS

B:   SHORT            RANCE         GRIMES
HB: VLASTUIN       ASTBURY      HOULI
C:   LAMBERT        COTCHIN       PRESTIA
HF:  HIGGINS        LYNCH          EDWARDS
F:    CADDY           RIEWOLDT    RIOLI
FOL: NANKERVIS   MARTIN        GRAHAM
I/C:  BALTA           CASTANGA    COLLIER-DAWKINS    BULTER
EM:  ELLIS            MARKOV       MOORE

Make it happen Hardwick!

[Tiger Khosh]

Really like it! Although I can’t see grigg being dropped.

[Diocletian]

Who should we play if Lynch isn't fit by round one? Chol? CCJ? Moore? Balta? Garthwaite? Miller? Or should we just stick wth the midget forward line?  Can't imagine we're not training with the new two-tall set up though....

[pmac21]

I'd be stunned if Balta and RCD played round one.  Be great but they would have to have a special next 6 weeks. 

[torch]

Agree!

They love Grigg. Grigg is taking a spot on the field.

Playing RCD is a risk but him playing games with Cotchin, Martin, Prestia, Lambert would help his intell dramatically and from reports is a sponge and clean in the contest.

Balta to play if Lynch not fit. Unleash The Balt!