Analysis - Michael Warner ranks Richmond’s top-20 players of the modern era, from 1987 to nowHerald-Sun
6 April 2020Is it a dual Norm Smith medallist, a 13-time club leading goalkicker or a five time All-Australian who has been crowned as the top Tiger of the modern era? HAVE YOUR SAY
Dusty, Richo or Rance?
Who has been the best Richmond player since the formation of the national competition in 1987?
Across a generation of despair, Matthew Richardson, the son of “Bull”, was a ray of light for the long-suffering Tiger Army.
But the planets never aligned for the superstar key forward from Devonport.
In 1995, when Richmond fielded arguably their best team of the wilderness years (beating Essendon in an epic second semi-final at the MCG with a midfield featuring Matthew Knights, Wayne Campbell and Paul Broderick) Richo was sidelined with a knee reconstruction. He booted 91 goals the following year.
The Tiges made another prelim in 2001, but it was slim pickings at Punt Road until Damien Hardwick transformed his young list into a dual premiership team in 2017 and 2019.
Dustin Martin, Alex Rance, Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt picked themselves in the Tigers’ top 20 of the modern era.
Another flag, Norm Smith or Brownlow Medal would elevate Dusty into the conversation alongside Kevin Bartlett and Royce Hart as the greatest Tiger of them all.
Shane Edwards, Bachar Houli and Dylan Grimes could not be denied a spot but Dion Prestia, best and fairest in last year’s premiership season, and his big mate Tom Lynch need a few more seasons in yellow and black to edge past some stars and stalwarts of the late 1980s, 90s and early 2000s.
If the selection criteria was pure talent over longevity, Nathan Brown would get in (just ask James Clement) but he played only 82 games for the Tigers and was never the same after that broken leg.
Brad Ottens was an All Australian in 2001 (but did his finest work at Geelong) and heads a list of Tigers stiff to miss out including Jeff Hogg (five-time leading goal scorer), Michael Pickering, Matthew Rogers, Leon Cameron, Shaun Grigg, Nick Daffy, Kane Lambert and Nick Vlastuin.
# ELIGIBILITY FOR THE TOP 20 SELECTION – stars must have played the bulk of their footy in the national competition era, which started in 1987
1. DUSTIN MARTINTambling over Franklin, Fiora over Pavlich. Draft blunders were an art form at Richmond until Melbourne tanked for Scully and Trengove in 2009 and left this bloke on the table at pick No.3. A midfield bull whose trademark ‘Don’t Argue’ buys him time and space, Dusty uses the footy with power and precision and is lethal around goals. The best since Bartlett.
Key stat: Two Norms, two Jack Dyers and a Brownlow Medal in a season Leigh Matthews declared the best ever played speaks for itself.
2. MATTHEW RICHARDSONA beacon of hope during the Tigerland dark years. Booted 800 goals in 282 games, including 464 on the MCG (the most by any player at the home of footy). A contested-marking machine, Richo played with passion and athleticism and ran the game’s best key defenders ragged. As one Tiger teammate said: “Richo in a great side would have kicked over 1000 goals and was robbed of a Brownlow the year he played on a wing”. Best-and-fairest in 2007 and three-time All Australian.
Key stat: Club’s leading goalkicker 13 times over 17 seasons.
3. ALEX RANCERanks alongside Matthew Scarlett as the key defender of his generation. Brave, instinctive and athletically gifted, Rance was an intercept king, who had days where he could beat opposition forward lines all on his own, setting up counter-attack after counter-attack. Won a best-and-fairest in 2015 and runner-up twice. A torn ACL denied him a second premiership in 2019 before his premature retirement.
Key stat: Five-time All-Australian.
4. JACK RIEWOLDTPeople laughed when his coach said he kicked too many goals, but the selfless Riewoldt that emerged under Damien Hardwick has become an all-time club great. Three Colemans, two flags, three All Australians, two Jack Dyers and a nine time Richmond leading goal scorer.
Key Stat: Three bags of 10 goals or more and 28 of five goals or more in a low-scoring era.
5. TRENT COTCHINAFL recruiters once asked his Vic Metro coach to take him off the ground in a trial game at Victoria Park to give other kids a go. A midfield star from day one, collecting three best-and-fairests and a Brownlow Medal. Lost his way for a while chasing possessions before transforming himself into the competition’s ultimate team man. Ranks No. 1 for clearances, contested possessions and tackles at the Tigers since 2009.
Key stat: Two-time premiership captain.
6. MATTHEW KNIGHTSIn the lost years, Richmond’s 1995 second semi-final win over Essendon at the MCG was the high-point for the tortured Tigers faithful. Knights’ three first-half, running bounce goals epitomised his poise and class across 279 games between 1988 and 2002.
Key stat: Won two best-and-fairests, his first at age 19, the youngest in club history.
7. WAYNE CAMPBELLProlific, hard-running midfielder who played 297 games across 15 seasons, the fourth most for the Tigers. Captain in 2001 when the Tigers reached a rare preliminary final. Another Tiger who played the bulk of his footy in an ordinary team.
Key stat: Won four best-and-fairests and runner-up three times.
8. SHANE EDWARDSOne of the cleanest, most creative players of his era. Does things you need to watch in slo-mo to truly appreciate. 255 games and counting with one All Australian jumper. Not far behind Maurice Rioli as the club’s greatest Indigenous player.
Key stat: Jack Dyer Medal runner-up in a premiership year (2019).
9. BRETT DELEDIORichmond’s best and most versatile player for close to a decade. An elite user of the ball, Deledio debuted at age 17 and won the AFL Rising Star, playing 243 games before shifting to Greater Western Sydney 12 months before the club’s drought-breaking flag.
Key stat: Two best-and-fairests and twice All Australian.
10. JOEL BOWDENHighly-skilled left foot kick who could play any position. Played 265 games, kicking 171 goals. His football smarts triggered an AFL rule change after conceding two behinds in the final 30 seconds against Essendon at the MCG protecting a six-point lead in 2008.
Key stat: Two best-and-fairests and twice All Australian.
11. DYLAN GRIMESLike his wine, Grimes gets better with age. Can play small or tall, intercept at will and an efficient disposer. Cruelled by hamstring injuries early in his early days but now one of the game’s most complete defenders.
Key stat: Voted by his peers as the league’s “most courageous player” in 2019.
12. DARREN GASPARRarely beaten one-on-one in his back-to-back All Australian years of 2000 and 2001. Cat-like when the ball hit the deck giving him the edge over the power forwards.
Key stat: Like Alex Rance, won a best-and-fairest playing at fullback.
13. BACHAR HOULIUnwanted at Essendon, Houli was a whipping boy for a while before emerging as an elite rebounding halfback with a penetrating left boot. A role model on and off the field.
Key stat: Runner-up twice (behind Dusty) in Norm Smith Medal voting.
14. PAUL BRODERICKDurable, classy left foot midfielder who lobbed at Punt Rd courtesy of the infamous Jeff Hogg trade in 1994. Not blessed with speed but brilliant by hand or foot and composed in heavy traffic. Played 169 games in yellow and black.
Key stat: Best-and-fairest in 1996.
15. CHRIS NEWMANSkipper during some of the darkest years. Played 268 matches, despite suffering a gruesome broken leg against Collingwood in 2006. Exceptional left-foot kick with an uncanny ability to kick a long bomb from outside 50m. Kept his club together when a leader was needed.
Key stat: Only eight Tigers have played more games.
16. TONY FREEFerocious, relentless utility and a much-loved player in the Tigers’ lost years. “One of the toughest players I ever ran out with,” a teammate said. Struck down by knee injury in 1995 but good enough to make the club’s Hall of Fame from his 133 games between 1987 and 1996.
Key stat: Two-time best-and-fairest.
17. CRAIG LAMBERTTough as nails midfielder with quality hands. Stared down taggers, ran both ways and won a best-and-fairest in 1991 before being traded to Brisbane.
Key stat: Wore the Big V with distinction on seven occasions.
18. DUNCAN KELLAWAYMr Dependable. Loved by his teammates, ‘The Glove’ had an ungainly kicking style but was as courageous and reliable as they come and got every ounce out of himself, often beating much bigger, stronger star opponents.
Key stat: Set the standard for workrate with 27 disposals on debut.
19. BRENDON GALEThe ‘Chief’ played 244 games during the hard yard years as a centre-half-forward/ruckman. Took vital grabs deep in defence and only let himself down as a guitarist in the band, Trial by Video.
Key stat: Kicked 209 goals and 20 or more in six of his 12 seasons.
20. KANE JOHNSONHard-working, efficient midfielder who came to Tigerland in 2003 after playing in two Adelaide Crows premierships before his 21st birthday. Captain for four years in another tough period.
Key stat: Won a best-and-fairest in 2006 and runner-up twice.
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