On Sportsday, Matthew Lloyd posed the question to Sam McClure regarding Richmond’s intentions.
Lloyd said: “The Robbie Tarrant move to Richmond, do you see that as North messing him around and he says I’m leaving?
“Or a player who says if I’m any chance of success, I’ve just got to take this and go to Richmond, potentially with a year left to have a crack at it.”
Sam McClure says the Tigers have made an experienced key defender a priority to replace the retired David Astbury, even asking the question of former Giants co-captain Phil Davis along with reported interest in departed Adelaide veteran Daniel Talia.
“I thinks it’s the latter,” he said in response to Lloyd.
“They were clearly looking at Daniel Talia. I think they’ve asked the question around Phil Davis, who’s got a really weird situation surrounding his supposed contract at GWS. Trying to work that one out.
“But clearly they’ve arrived on Tarrant. They needed some help down back.”
In response to that discussion, Gerard Healy has endorsed Richmond’s pursuit of Tarrant despite him entering his 13th season.
“It’s a big pick-up,” said the Brownlow Medallist.
“Robbie Tarrant is one of the best defenders the game has seen for a decade. He’s been playing in one of the worst sides of the last decade.
“He hasn’t been carried along with momentum, but if you wanted to pick up a bloke even at his age and stick him into a potential premiership side, I think he’s a fair way ahead of the other two (Talia and Davis).”
Source: SEN
