Kane and Kingy set their 'Pass Marks' for @Richmond_FC in 2023!
LISTEN: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/NTETP7392740660?selected=NTETP3314020301-----------------
Transcript:David King:Hardwick will be able to win in different ways this year. He's had the intercept game down pat. They are a scary proposition when they move the ball by hand. They've got those fleet of foot HBFs and HFFs. Taranto and Hopper come in. That's your midfield brutes.
Can't rely Prestia. Missed 12 games in 2020, 13 in 2021 and only 4 last year where he came 3rd in the B&F. That's how important this guy is.
But if you don't have to rely on him being healthy every week and you've got Bolton, Short, Baker, Dusty, Pickett can go in there, Sonsie, Dow's had a good preseason, Prestia I've mentioned, then you've got genuine midfield depth. That's the luxury Richmond are going to throw at the opposition each week. They are in for a big year the Tiges.
Kane Cornes:Agree with that on paper. However, Richmond get injured a lot. Their best players get injured. Prestia gets injured, Martin gets injured, Grimes gets injured, Cotchin is always injured, Graham is injured at the moment, Lynch gets injured, Castagna has a hammy, Gibcus has got a serious hammy, Vlastuin missed a lot of games last year. They all do hamstrings for whatever reason at Richmond and they do them at crucial times. So provided they stay sound, not everyone is sound for the whole season, but if they get the majority of those to play 18+ games then yep they will be in the mix. But if not, then it could go wrong pretty badly at Richmond injury-wise.
King:Think Tim Taranto will announce himself as a bona fide star of the competition under the bright lights of the Richmond Football Club. He's 25 and played 114 games. He's entering his prime years. He's never been All-Australian.
Kane Cornes:He's another injured player. He gets injured as well.
King: You're hot on this.
Cornes:Richmond's injuries. I've said it for three years. I'm right on this. They get injured a lot. Their best players do a lot of hamstrings. I don't know what it is.
King: The way they play maybe? It is a ballistic brand of footy.
Cornes:Yeah that and age. When you've done one hammy and you get older, then you're prone to doing others.
King: They had five games decided by under 10 points last year and lost four of them. Some of them comical. They lost to Geelong by three points, Swans by six points.
Cornes: The one at Marvel that was a draw.
King:They were in control. Even the final up north was just crazy. The goal umpiring and all that stuff.
Cornes:What I am excited about Richmond is Martin and Bolton. And you've watched them during the preseason. Bolton does his best work front of centre and when he goes into the centrebounce and finds a mismatch, he's a nightmare. But Bolton and Martin could be the best medium to small forward duo in the game. I don't know ... how many goals combined could they kick ... I think 80+.
King:The most goals Martin has kicked in a season is 37. That sounds low but he has played a lot of midfield. I'm tipping 45+.
Cornes:Dusty gives a lot away. I'd like to see his assist numbers.
King:I'm excited by Noah Balta at CHB. I think he is one of the most athletically gifted players in the competition. And Noah Cumberland as that wildcard forward who rides shotgun next to Lynch and Riewoldt.
Cornes:You've mentioned Sonsie. He plays footy the right way. Defensively, he is really strong.
They've topped up but they haven't neglected the draft. They've been pretty shrewed with their picks.
My only concern as I've said is injuries.
What's their pass mark? You've got them top 4?
King:Yeah. I'm really excited about their season. Their pass mark ... winning one final is probably their pass mark but they will be top 4 for me. I'm flirting with the idea of tipping them to win the whole lot.
