“Needs to be addressed”: Richmond left with mixed emotions after top draft pick slides“I think when you finish second bottom on the ladder, you probably don’t expect to have Pick 7.”
Mitch Keating
Editor
Zerohanger.com
November 20, 2025 Richmond exited night one of the AFL Draft with mixed emotions after an eventful opening to the 2025 intake.
The Tigers, who finished the season second last, used their opening pick seventh overall in the final draft order, with a combination of draft bids and free agency compensation playing a part in their delayed place in the queue.
West Coast placed bids on Gold Coast Academy talent Zeke Uwland and Carlton father-son Harry Dean at Picks 2 and 3, before the Tigers themselves forced the hand of the Suns and Lions, bidding on Dylan Patterson and Daniel Annable respectively.
With the Eagles also carrying the first two picks into the draft off the back of their compensation for the departure of captain Oscar Allen, the situation saw the Tigers make their first pick, and the third from the open pool, at Pick 7.
Richmond were rapt with taking North Adelaide's Sam Cumming at that selection, before adding Oakleigh's Sam Grlj one spot later.
Quizzed on the outcome of the wait-and-see game the Tigers would end up playing, recruiter Rhy Gieschen stated the AFL's draft system is in need of improvement.
"The system needs to be addressed a little bit," he said on Wednesday night.
"I think when you finish second bottom on the ladder, you probably don't expect to have Pick 7.
"We're really strong and confident with the boys that we have, but I'm not sure that's the way the system was designed in the first place.
"We contributed to that. We bid on two players, and we did that because they're quality players as well. So we think that we contributed to making that a little bit more fair and equal, with those clubs having to work for them.
"It's something that the AFL is looking at, and they've clearly changed rules for next year as well. so it'll be a work in progress to try and get a balance right."
The Tigers will make at least one more selection at the AFL Draft, and have two picks remaining at 31st and 61st in the queue.
Pick 31 is the sixth next pick heading into night two, but mauy also be pushed up due to rival bids on Academy and father-son talent.
Nevertheless, Gieschen knows his team will come away with another highly-rated prospect.
"At this stage, we hold two picks, so we've got two list spots and we can pick two, but we're definitely picking," he said.
"We've got Pick 31 and we're really excited about that.
"We've got some names on the board, probably regardless of what the other clubs do, we're confident with the guy that we're getting, and then we'll just sit and wait."
Father-son talent Louis Kellaway will also be in mind late into the draft, with the Sturt prospect having to play a wait-and-see game of his own.
An early enough bid could see Richmond pass on Kellaway, following suit of multiple clubs that decided against matching bids for their own club-tied talent in the first round on Wednesday night.
"We've had really good chats with Louis. I think I'm on record as saying that we'll just see where the bid comes. It's probably up to the other clubs a little bit," Gieschen said.
"Whether he goes tomorrow night and his name's called out, then we've got a decision to make, or whether he's through to the Rookie Draft, we'll have a decision to make there.
"As you've seen tonight, bids are occurring and clubs have got decisions to make. We've worked really closely with Louis. We love the family. We love the kid. We've just got to evaluate accordingly and make a decision like the other clubs have done tonight."
https://www.zerohanger.com/needs-to-be-addressed-richmond-left-with-mixed-emotions-after-top-draft-pick-slides-171026/
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