Every Tiger rated: The key to Richmond’s finals hopes in 2024How high should expectations be at Richmond in Adem Yze’s first season? One man in particular holds the keys. GLENN MCFARLANE AND JON RALPH rate every Tiger.
Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane
HeraldSun
Feb 5, 2024Tim Taranto
86
The midfielder held up the dam wall for Richmond as rivals came at the Tigers until he and the club were finally overwhelmed in the back end of the year. This year if he can tidy up his kicking game in a midfield likely to use Shai Bolton and Dustin Martin as centre square weapons, he can be even more damaging.
Dustin Martin
85
Incredibly stiff to miss the All Australian side last year but was in the 44 and only his inaccuracy — 25.22 and a heap of total misses — saw him excluded. At 32, some might believe he will hit the wall. But given he rediscovered durability in 2023, there is no reason why he can’t dominate matches again in 2024. The fire is still in the belly.
Shai Bolton
84
Richmond would have hoped Bolton would have gone past Martin as his heir apparent, but his elder still pipped him in the best-and-fairest even if Bolton (31.30 and plenty of total misses) kicked more goals. Both were inaccurate, but both were lethal when injected into the midfield. Bolton can be a top-six AFL player. Is 2024 the year?
Daniel Rioli
80
Battled away with a badly damaged ankle last year but still finished fifth in the best and fairest with very similar numbers to his exceptional 2022 season. If he can survive injury-free, he should believe he can be an All Australian halfback under Adem Yze, who is pushing a corridor-based attacking game perfect for Rioli.
Jayden Short
80
Sat out a chunk of last season with a hamstring issue and was sorely missed given the 2020 best-and-fairest winner’s offensive drive. However, he is another who should thrive under Yze’s game plan given his glorious right boot. Expect a big bounce-back season.
Liam Baker
79
Was Damien Hardwick’s Mr Fixit, whether playing as a small defender, goalsneak or even midfield spark plug. It probably hurt his All Australian aspirations, but he won’t mind. Can Yze settle him down in a single position? Richmond’s area of need is probably in the small forward department.
Tom Lynch
78
The key forward would be higher rated, if not for the queries about his body. His 2023 season was a write-off after dual foot surgeries that have also impacted his summer. Lynch is the difference-maker at Richmond. Without him, it’s hard to see this side playing finals.
Nick Vlastuin
78
A sneaky good year from Vlastuin in 2023, who finished fourth in the Jack Dyer Medal and averaged 3.4 intercept marks to go with 354 metres gained. He will hope he isn’t under siege the entire year, so he can get on the front foot more with his rebound.
Dion Prestia
76
The onballer played 20 games last season but finished only eighth in the best and fairest count, which for him was slightly below par given his consistency. Can he find a role playing as a midfielder and high half-forward, which rewards his power running and goal kicking ability? Yze needs to find his very best football.
Toby Nankervis
76
The captain only played 15 games in 2023 and his absence in key moments hurt. He has such an impressive skill set — elite pressure, good clearance numbers and so reliable dropping back a kick behind play. He also averaged 16.7 possessions a game in 2023. He’s old-fashioned, but he’s a star.
Nathan Broad
75
The defender has been one of footy’s most underrated players across his career as a three-time premiership Tiger. In 2023 he kicked the footy at 85 per cent efficiency and won 2.1 intercept marks and six intercept possessions a game. He’s still a marvel at 30 years of age and rarely gets a bag kicked on him.
Noah Balta
74
The Tigers rated Balta’s 2023 highly, as they handed him a seventh placing in the Jack Dyer Medal. The fullback averaged an exceptional 3.8 intercept marks, but also got his bum kicked by some premier AFL forwards. Now he’s likely to start forward given Tom Lynch’s issues and Jack Riewoldt’s retirement. He’s an athletic freak, but can he channel Alex Rance and eradicate the brain fades to become an out-and-out star?
Jacob Hopper
70
At his best the onballer is a clearance beast who can use his lateral movement to dance around oncoming tacklers. But he has durability issues, having only played 23 games in the past two seasons. He also didn’t kick the ball well or affect the course of games in 2023. It will be a huge season of scrutiny ahead.
Jack Graham
70
At his best he’s a relentless two-way runner who can also hit the scoreboard. But in 20 games in 2023, Graham was distinctly average — for disposals, clearances and metres gained. He will hope to dodge his hamstring issues of early last season and will back himself for a bumper contract year.
Kamdyn McIntosh
69
The hard-running wingman played 22 games and squeezed into the top 10 of the best-and-fairest last year, despite averaging the fewest ranking points of his career at 55 per game. He’s also capable of playing half back. He’s a good player, but can deliver more.
Josh Gibcus
69
Football is so tough. After his 18-game debut season, Gibcus battled hamstring tendon issues — including infections — and had his entire season wiped out in 2023. Now a player who looked a certain 200-gamer at Richmond must prove himself once more.
Tylar Young
65
The defender’s debut season was extremely solid as the 25-year-old played on talls and smalls with equal impact. He will need to improve his kicking, which was rated poor, but it was a very encouraging season for a player who should play 100-plus games alongside fellow key back Josh Gibcus.
Dylan Grimes
64
The former co-captain signed on for 2024, but had some shaky moments last year as the ball lived in Richmond’s back half for much of the season. If the Tigers can play a more effective season and he can trust his body, he will hope 2024 is a more consistent season.
Sam Banks
55
This rating is largely about expected returns rather than past performance. Richmond is keen to get the ball into the hands of the pacy distributor across half back and on the wing. The No. 29 draft pick from 2021 thrived playing six senior games off halfback late last season and is a player to watch.
Tom Brown
54
Having long excited those at Punt Rd, Brown made his AFL debut in round 24 last year and looked fantastic. He kicked the ball well, showed touches of class and looked totally unflustered. The 17th pick in the 2021 national draft is exactly the kind of player Yze needs in his side.
Jacob Koschitzke
53
The former Hawk comes as a pack-crashing lead-up forward who kicked 27 goals in 2021. But after only nine goals in 12 games in 2023, his recruitment comes with some level of risk. He isn’t a No. 1 forward so he will be desperate for Tom Lynch to be up and running by round 1.
Jack Ross
52
In his fifth season last year, Ross played a career-high 19 games as a wingman but missed the top 20 in the best-and-fairest. His best was solid and his kicking was a clear highlight. At 24 years old, can he take the next step and consolidate a spot in a crowded Tigers midfield?
Marlion Pickett
51
Despite facing a serious criminal charge in Perth, Pickett played through last season. However, he never really hit his straps and finished a lowly 19th in the club best and fairest count. The premiership player averaged only 13 possessions and needs a big season to continue his AFL career, given he is out of contract at age 32.
Samson Ryan
48
A project player who is worth persevering with. In 14 games last year, Ryan showed himself to be an excellent tap ruckman and at times flew high to outmark opponents when he was forward as he kicked 12.5 for the year. He looks like he needs 40 more games to find his feet, but the raw 23-year-old will likely get them given his potential.
Tyler Sonsie
48
Selected at pick 28 in the 2021 national draft, Sonsie played only three games in his second season for a handful of possessions. While the inside midfielder’s 14 VFL games were encouraging, he missed three weeks after a horror incident striking an opponent. Sonsie will hope to dodge controversy and receive more opportunities in 2024.
Judson Clarke
47
The forward clearly has a touch of class and returned an accurate 11.3 from 14 scoring shots last year, including slotting some nice goals on the run. He averaged only nine possessions and was an average tackler, but will hope he can round out his game in his third season.
James Trezise
46
The defender debuted alongside Brown in the round 24 against Port Adelaide and looked just as comfortable playing as a wing and halfback. The 21-year-old, who measures 188cm and has a booming left foot, was Richmond’s second mid-season pick last year and looks a real prospect.
Thomson Dow
45
The midfielder has played only 18 games across four seasons at Punt Rd. While his best game was his last — 27 possessions against Port Adelaide in round 24 — he kicked at only 37 per cent efficiency. The No. 21 pick in the 2019 national draft can find the pill, but will he get enough chances in this midfield?
Jacob Bauer
44
The Tigers believe there is something worth persevering with in mid-season draftee Bauer, whose AFL debut against Sydney lasted 78 seconds before he suffered a hamstring strain. He did return to kick four goals from three games late in the season, though. The 192cm tall has a nose for goal and can play at either end.
Rhyan Mansell
43
Filling a role as a pressure forward last year, Mansell played 17 games and averaged 2.5 tackles. However, he kicked only 10 goals and finished 20th in the Jack Dyer Medal. He played almost every week when available, given he was suspended for three weeks. So the Tigers like his brand of pressure, but can he add more goal power?
Ben Miller
42
A player with huge versatility as a 198cm ruck, forward or defender. But in 2024, he will have to master one of those portfolios. He kicked just six goals in 13 games and played a chunk of ruck time, but with Sam Naismith and Jacob Koschitzke arriving the pressure for spots might be more intense.
Maurice Rioli
40
It was a disappointing 2023 season for Rioli. There is no other way to say it. He kicked two goals in round 1 but then didn’t hit the scoreboard again in nine more games. He has promised to increase his fitness, given he just can’t get to enough contests. He has so much talent, but it will be a year of reckoning ahead for the pressure forward.
Noah Cumberland
40
Following a nine-game, 18-goal breakout season in 2022, Cumberland regressed last year. He again featured in nine games, but only went at a goal a game and recorded an average pressure rating. At his best he’s a difficult mid-sized forward match-up. But Richmond believes he needs to work harder and be a more selfless and disciplined player. There’s no time like the present given this forward line is crying out for goal kickers.
Sam Naismith
40
Nank will still rule the roost in the ruck stocks with some help from Samson Ryan and Ben Miller, but the Tigers were keen on some big man insurance. That’s why they added former Sydney and Port Melbourne ruckman Sam Naismith. He's played 30 AFL games but hasn’t played a senior match since 2020. But don’t be surprised if he gets a call-up at some stage.
Hugo Ralphsmith
39
A dashing defender or wingman, Ralphsmith played 13 games last year — often as the sub — and won another contract. But he needs to find more of the footy and use it better when he does, with his kicking being rated as poor last season. He’s a talent, but it is a big year for his ongoing prospects.
Matt Coulthard
38
A mid-season draftee, Coulthard is a clever small forward from Glenelg who kicked a single goal in his four late-season AFL games. The Tigers need small pressure forwards, so he can set himself up with a big summer.
Kane McAuliffe
31
Richmond’s first selection at pick 40 in November’s draft, the South Australian midfielder came off a strong under-18 championships campaign which included a 15-tackle, 16-possession game against WA. He averaged an exceptional 8.5 tackles across four championships games.
Liam Fawcett
30
A key forward who was taken at pick 43 by the Tigers in last year’s draft, the 197cm tall was recruited in an area of need. But 2024 looms as very much a development year.
Seth Campbell
29
A long-running groin injury ruined Campbell’s 2023 season as the 2022 rookie managed only five VFL games. At his best he’s a damaging half forward, but the Tigers will be keen to see more of him in 2024.
Kaleb Smith
24
Snapped up at pick 49 in the 2022 national draft, the 180cm utility possesses speed and a big vertical leap. But a navicular injury wiped out his 2023 season, so he’s starting from scratch in 2024.
Steely Green
24
A former small defender, Green played 16 VFL games last year and averaged 10 touches playing in a variety of positions including across half forward. The No. 55 draft pick from 2022, named after Steely Dan, is likely to need another year of development.
Mate Colina
20
Ruckman Colina only played seven VFL games as he battled a serious back injury and was given another year on the rookie list after AFL approval. The former basketballer, who stands at 211cm, starts the season as a project player a long way back from an AFL debut.
Oliver Hayes-Brown
20
The former Perth Wildcats development player is the latest code-hopper to turn his hand to football, with the Tigers offering the 23-year-old a Category B rookie spot last September. He stands at 208cm, weighs 114kg and possesses an elite mullet, but will take plenty of time to find his feet.
-----------------------------
Shai BoltonLet’s not beat around the bush here.
Shai Bolton, it is time for you to put the Richmond football club on your back.
Richmond is attempting to defy footy logic under new coach Adem Yze by remaining in premiership calculations despite the loss of most of its flag heroes.
So as Richmond’s kids are fast-tracked while Dustin Martin and Tom Lynch try to hang on, it is time for Bolton to take over.
He is more than capable – 43.41 in 2022 and 31.29 last year while playing a dangerous mid-forward role but remains a wildly inaccurate shot at goal.
Adem Yze has flagged a predominantly forward role this year with less midfield time and that is where the challenge lies.
Can Bolton turn from a blaster – kicking way more points than goals – into something closer to Charlie Cameron, who last year kicked 59.27.
It wasn’t even Cameron’s best year but he kicked 50 for the fourth time in five seasons.
In a recent scrimmage Bolton had a dozen shots or involvements close to goal but only kicked two goals and more than half a dozen points.
If Bolton can slow down a racing brain to pick the best option – and split the big sticks – he could be Richmond’s best player by year’s end.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ultimate-player-ratings-jon-ralph-and-glenn-mcfarlane-rate-every-richmond-player/news-story/ca8083e01111ceeeec18f1ee3c3fb172
