Josh Gibcus [merged]

[camboon]

Or JVR at our second pick.
Oh well,It doesn’t matter now, only time will tell
 

[one-eyed]

‘Strong defence’: Richmond’s youth movement ready for senior challenge

Jon Pierik
The Age
November 27, 2021

Blue-chip Richmond draftees Josh Gibcus and Tom Brown know they have work to do but the two defenders shape as key pieces in the Tigers’ bid to remain a sustained power.

Gibcus, taken with pick No.9 in the national draft, and Brown, also a first-round pick at No.17, cannot wait to get started in their new lives at Punt Rd this week.

The high-marking Gibcus, a product of St Patricks College in Ballarat, was the No.1 intercept player in the NAB League last season.

He comes on board at a time when David Astbury has retired and Dylan Grimes is in the latter stages of his career.

“They picked two of the best defenders, I reckon,” Gibcus said in a light-hearted moment.

“Definitely, Richmond will have a strong defence in the coming years.”

That comment may have been said with a laugh but it’s exactly why the Tigers took Gibcus and Brown with their top two selections.

The Tigers secured Robbie Tarrant, the veteran North Melbourne backman, through the trade period to plug a hole but the Tigers have used this draft, with five selections in the top 30, to hopefully lay the platform for another decade of success.

Through the Tigers’ premiership run from 2017, that game plan was built on intense forward-half pressure, but changing times now appear to mean a premiership blueprint is built on rebound and clever kicking from half-back, as Melbourne showed this season.

That suits Gibcus, also from the GWV Rebels and Vic Country, just fine.

“I see myself as more of an attacking defender … I am more of an intercept key back. That’s how I go about my game. I try to focus my game a bit on Jake Lever, see what he is doing down back and bring that into my game as well,” he said.

The welcome messages have flown thick and fast for the pair, including from coach Damien Hardwick.

“I had a few calls and texts and had a good call from Dimma … he is over in Los Angeles at the moment, it was good to get a call from him,” Gibcus said.

“I got a text message from Cotchy (Trent Cotchin), I was pretty happy with that one. It was just a welcome to the club and the boys can’t wait to meet us all. I am just so rapt to be chosen by them.”

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/strong-defence-richmond-s-youth-movement-ready-for-senior-challenge-20211126-p59ce6.html

[one-eyed]

Gibcus is a liability as a key forward at this point in his development. I find it staggering Richmond would even flag that as a possibility. He has had a few games there and struggled to impact in each of those games to any degree this year.

If he's to be a success, it's as a key defender and one who focuses on going for intercept marks. He reads it better behind the ball. As a forward he isn't great at ground level and hasn't shown any of the key forward talent/instincts to be a success there.

The improvements players make can often be unpredictable. It's like looking back at Fischer McAsey, who saw him having this poor of a start to his career? I didn't see that coming. And it can equally work the other way just as easily where guys can become amazing as Harris Andrews did.

Since the start of the year, Gibcus has grown 1cm and gained 3kg. Nothing extraordinary and definitely does based on that fit the late bloomer category, but still some growth.

Both for floor and ceiling, I have Alleer ahead of Gibcus because we've got the standard of play from Alleer now, but then he is that later developer, newer to playing in defence, still learning the game and really despite being older going through a physical transformation stage where he's really putting on a lot of muscle and should be in particular in contested situations become even more of a force.

At this stage, we're all making our calls off of what we've seen and how we believe things will track based on how things have trended recently.

I fully expect Gibcus to become a best-22 player and he should I'm projecting at this stage become a good if not a very good key defender, particularly if he's encouraging to really go for his intercept marks because that's when he's at his best. I can't say I'm seeing anything transcendent with him where I can see him becoming one of the competition's very best key defenders.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/knightmares-2021-draft-almanac.1257391/

[Owl]

Good, that means we got a star on our hands.

[lamington]

I think Balta can definitely play forward. Gibcus I think we should properly develop him in ONE position first and not just throw him all over the park . As an aerialist I’d say defence is better for him. My wet dream would be if he became a wingman and marked every long kick out of D50

[the claw]

Listen to the kid speak he 100% sees himself as a defender. Why recruit arguably the best KPD  in the draft to straight away try and turn him into a forward.

Said it before if we wanted a Key forward then we should have drafted one at pick 17.

Other thing is if we think we need a key fwd then i know Balta is way better suited to the role. This can only happen if a another player steps up im hoping like hell Ben Miller steps up this year.

[one-eyed]

Your club’s most important recruit of the off-season

Whether it was through trading, free agency or the draft, we’ve identified the recruits set to have the biggest impact at their new clubs.

By Mitch Keating
zerohanger.com
November 30, 2021

Richmond - Josh Gibcus

While the Tigers were able to secure Robbie Tarrant from North Melbourne to further strengthen their rearguard, it's the selection of Josh Gibcus via the National Draft that is sure to bode well for Richmond's premiership credentials.

The GWV Rebels defender will be capable of holding down a key role in Damien Hardwick's backline next year, able to play both tall and small.

As opposed to the recruitment of Tarrant, Gibcus firms as a name for the long run that can further extend the Tigers' premiership window.

https://www.zerohanger.com/your-clubs-most-important-recruit-of-the-off-season-95122/

[one-eyed]

With just one high mark (not this one) in the short match simulation at open training, new recruit Josh Gibcus gave those fortunate enough to be there a mouthwatering glimpse of his obvious talent. Cannot wait to see much more of this kid. Think it's going to be a fun ride.


https://twitter.com/Tigers_of_Old/status/1469798717746126852

[one-eyed]

As an aside, Gibcus came second in the club’s 4x1-kilometre time trials of first-to-fourth-year players last week. He is 196 centimetres. He beat the midfielders.

Source: HeraldSun.

[camboon]

Love it , say to that he’s in a hurry to get there

[Andyy]

If he's fit I say play him now with Tarrant and Grimes around to take more experienced opponents.

[one-eyed]

Great to see Josh Gibcus working hard, back home in Ballarat working with the elite Radcentre - Definitely think we have a player here #gotiges


https://twitter.com/wonderbonzi/status/1473763669490036737

[one-eyed]

CUBS ARE PURRING​

A recent trip to Bright – with an Amazing Race theme under Damien Hardwick’s watch – further solidified the strong relationships at Tigerland and confirmed Jack Riewoldt’s suspicion that the five new Tigers are more than ready for what the AFL system will bring. Josh Gibcus was Richmond’s top pick at the draft and has lived up to the hype, and could well feature early in the season. Has shown plenty in recent weeks and is providing plenty of excitement at Punt Road.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-2022-jack-riewoldt-weighs-in-on-richmonds-big-captaincy-call/news-story/1cf3bd0f4fb0b4e25d7f6ddcc1109c86

[pmac21]

Lock him in for round one

[the claw]

If and i say its a big if, this kid is ready to play then it still fees up Balta to play fwd.

Personally i like the idea of a dour big one on one shut down player to take over from Astbury for me the one with the size height strength should be Miller.

If Miller is only a magoos player then why did we keep him.

Ideally the future that is three year time would be Miller= Astbury  Gibcus = a taller Grimes  and Balta = hopefully Rance but after his season im not sold on that.

Right now we have Grimes and Tarrant that frees a natural fwd like Balta up to actually go fwd while we get games into the other two.