Tigers irate over missed deadline
4:28:40 PM Fri 8 October, 2004
Paul Gough
Sportal
Richmond football director Greg Miller has laid the blame at Essendon for the fact disgruntled Tiger Ty Zantuck failed by one minute to become a Bomber on the final day of AFL trading on Friday.
Zantuck, who is still contracted at Punt Road but desperate for a fresh start, will be forced to stay with the Tigers in 2005 after Richmond and Essendon failed to secure a trade deal by Friday's 2pm deadline.
This came after Zantuck rejected a proposed move to the Kangaroos earlier during the trade period.
"The AFL says we were one minute late," Miller said of the failed Zantuck-Essendon trade.
"Essendon came to us with about two minutes to go which was obviously too late and said they agreed on a deal."
"We then rushed down (with the official paperwork) to the AFL at the other end of the corridor but the AFL said we were a minute late."
And Miller had no doubt who was to blame for the situation.
"You've got a player who doesn’t want to play with Richmond, he wants to play with Essendon and he is with Richmond now," Miller said of Zantuck.
"That is unfair for the player but Essendon should have acted earlier."
"Hopefully Essendon will learn their lesson on that and go a bit earlier (next time).'
In the end the Bombers were not involved in any trade deals this year, but Richmond was one of the biggest players of trade week.
Not only did it finally secure a deal for disgruntled ruckman Brad Ottens with Geelong after days of haggling - in exchange for two first round draft picks at numbers 12 and 16 - but it also secured a trade for the player Miller sees as Ottens' replacement - Fremantle big man Troy Simmonds.
The Tigers secured Simmonds as part of a three way trade deal which sent Aaron Fiora to St Kilda and the Saints' Heath Black back to Fremantle.
However Miller was immediately on the defensive over reports the Tigers had offered 26-year-old Simmonds a five year contract, refusing to confirm or deny that fact.
The Tigers also still have the first pick in the pre-season draft and are likely to use it on Bulldog forward Patrick Bowden, the younger brother of 2004 Jack Dyer Medalist Joel.
But it is the fact Richmond has five draft picks - numbers 1, 4, 12, 16 and 20 - in the first 20 selections of the November 20 national draft that has Miller excited as the Tigers look to re-build after finishing on the bottom in 2004.
"We needed to replace Brad Ottens and Brad was someone who was tall and who could push forward and so is Troy Simmonds," Miller said.
"So to be able to replace him with someone similar and then get two (extra) first round draft choices, we think we are the winner."
The last time the Tigers had five early draft choices was way back in 1989 when Anthony Banik was taken at pick one but fans will be hoping the 2004 national draft will yield the same kind of dividend as the Tigers' fifth pick (number 29 overall) delivered that season - Wayne Campbell.
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