Tigers' to-do list
Jay Clark and Glenn McFarlane | April 18, 2009
ONE of the AFL's leading draft experts has warned Richmond faces a long and painful rebuilding period at exactly the wrong time to be needing one.
Neville Stibbard, the former North Melbourne recruiting boss, has delivered a damning assessment of the Tigers’ list, saying Melbourne’s playing group is further advanced and closer to a premiership.
With six Richmond players over 28 and likely to retire in the next two years, the Tigers will have little choice but to invest heavily in youth at the draft table.
But Stibbard, who played a key role putting together the Gold Coast squad, said the new franchise’s draft concessions and the likelihood of a West Sydney team would make Richmond’s task a nightmare.
“We did a lot of work on the AFL Prospectus (publication) crystal ball a nd Richmond kept saying they had a young list, but the truth is, it ain’t a young list,’” Stibbard said. “It is a very difficult situation they are in.
“They’re in trouble because Gold Coast will get the best kids and then West Sydney will come in, and they will come in – the league is committed to that now.”
Melbourne and Richmond have taken contrasting paths over the past two years, leading into today’s clash between the winless cellar dwellers.
Former Demons ruckman Jeff White said he had no doubts Melbourne did the right thing opting for youth, drafting six players in the top-21 in the past two lotteries, despite that strategy costing him a place on the list.
“With the new club coming in in the next few years, I definitely think they did the right thing rebuilding with the kids,” White said. “It’s something basically every club has to do at some stage – just bite the bullet and look to the future.
“As much as it can be frustrating for supporters, it’s a direction the club had to take, now it’s just a matter of being patient with these very young players.”
Rather than bottom out, Richmond has kept its finals hopes alive in four seasons under coach Terry Wallace by topping up with recycled, mature players.
Its best shot at the draft came when it was handed five picks in the top 20 of the 2004 national draft.
But Stibbard rated that draft the most shallow talent pool in recent times.
“We (the Kangaroos) traded for Jonathan Hay because I didn’t believe the draft was
very strong,” he said.
“It was a bad move as it turned out, but I can remember clearly saying if you are going to trade, this is the year to trade.”
Stibbard said although the more experienced Tigers might win today, re-igniting their fading September hopes, Melbourne was more advanced toward its next flag.
“If you had the opportunity to coach both sides, you would certainly favour Melbourne,” he said.
While he insisted recruiting was a tough game, and that he, too, had made mistakes, Stibbard believed several blunders were coming back to haunt the Tigers.
“Blokes like (Kayne) Pettifer aren’t going to play in a Grand Final side,” he said.
“Cleve Hughes is playing in the VFL reserves, Dean Putt is playing in the VFL reserves at Coburg this week.
“These guys are in their second and third year, and they’re playing VFL reserves which is a real shame.”
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25354375-19771,00.html
