Miller looks to bolster backline
5:58 PM Thu 4 October, 2007
By Jason Phelan
for richmondfc.com.au
THE NAB AFL Draft Camp is in full swing at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and the Richmond delegation is right in the thick of things trying to identify the next big star to rise at Tigerland.
The camp has become one of the most important facets of the young talent identification process with approximately 78 eligible players poked, prodded, measured, tested and put through their paces for the benefit of AFL talent scouts.
As holders of the second overall pick in November’s draft, Richmond director of football Greg Miller and the recruiting team are leaving no stone unturned as they pore over test results and talk to prospective draftees.
“It’s a great three days to see the very best kids at their trade,” Miller said between player interviews on Thursday.
“It’s a busy three days, but a very enjoyable three days.
“This is an opportunity to see the athletic and personality types of the guys that we’ve viewed during the year.
“We’ve picked about 25 players to interview, we’ll get all the physical testing results, all the psychological results, all the medical tests – everything – and it’s all just extra information to add to the armoury of the things we’ve seen during the year.”
Clubs are notoriously coy about the individuals that they covet in the annual talent parade and Richmond is no different, but Miller did paint a broad picture of some areas the club will look to address, both through the draft and the trade period.
“We recognise that we need, perhaps, some more size on our backline,” he says.
“We recognise that we need, probably, some more defensive pressure and you can never get enough midfielders. The media tells us we need more ruckmen and I guess there’s probably 12 clubs in the competition who would like a bit more depth in that area.
“We had a bad run of injuries in that area this year, but the way Adam Pattison stood up, the way Angus Graham played and, of course, having Troy Simmonds back next year are all advantages in that area.”
The camp also offers a rare opportunity for all the decision makers across the 16 clubs to be in the same place and begin informal talks ahead of the trade period that starts on October 8.
While some clubs are wary of the player exchange process, Miller believes the trade period is a valuable tool, if used wisely, and can add quality to the club’s list.
“Richmond has always been a player in that,” he said, “we’ve picked up Graham Polak, Nathan Brown, Troy Simmonds and Kane Johnson in the last four years, and they are all very good players for our footy club.
“This year will be no different; we’re looking for some quality to add to our list. We are also seeing what the fallout is from the Chris Judd deal; we don’t know that yet but we don’t expect there to be any fallout.
“We’re at the least, I guess, a party to listening to what’s happening at the moment.
“We’re not expecting anything to materialise, we’re just an interested bystander in some ways and yet in another way, I guess, both Carlton and West Coast will be interested in where we stand.”
The silly season of rumoured trade proposals and player movements is well and truly upon us but, apart from a stated interest in the Judd negotiations, Miller isn’t about to fan the flames by naming any of the experienced AFL players that are on his radar.
“We’re out talking to uncontracted players,” is all he said when asked about possible targets.
“The indignity of being on the bottom of the ladder and what you suffer from that through the year, the one … payback is that you get first choice in the pre-season draft.
“So we can be out talking to clubs about players now knowing that we’ve got that leverage of getting a very good uncontracted player.
“Also we’ve got some draft choices that we will consider our options with, particularly our second-round choices, and we’ll weigh up see what’s on offer there as well.”
The Tigers are up and about as the annual hunt for the brightest and best talent kicks into high gear with the draft camp and trade week over the next two weeks, but despite all the different people involved and all the work put in, it all boils down to a pretty simple philosophy for Miller.
“We’re on the lookout for quality players,” he said.
“We’ll add quality to our list and with the experience [our young guys] are gradually getting each year, we’re only going to get better.”
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