Opinion What should season 2024 be?

[SplintWhisky]

With the latest Hammy injury to Lynch, I find that I am reflecting on what this year should be from a football perspective and for our future. Tom Lynch will be 32 in October and I think that if his body holds up he could have a few more years in the game. He is not a player that relies on supreme speed and agility to win the ball, he does it through fantastic body work and creating separation.

With his injury we could see him back around the Bye or just after with our game against Carlton in round 16 which leaves 9 games of football left. With that in mind the question comes down to, should we give Lynch an extra month and no a mini-preseason and bring him back for maybe 3 - 4 of the final games of the season and load him up for a big 2025 preseason or should we play him straight away and risk another injury that will ruin another preseason for the bloke.

I personally think that with where our list is at and with the void of A grade talent sub 23, I think that us finishing First week of the finals to 12 would be the worse thing for our long term success as a club. We need to start finding some of the next big things at the club and getting games into them. The rest of the season is paramount to finding out about the 2021 draft (at the moment I think only Clarke looks to be the spud).

This kind of brings me to the real question - What should this season be for Richmond?

 

[Truetiger]

A season for development, put the kids in and let them play.

 

[RobsJourney]

I think we still try to win every game, but get as many games into the kids as we can. I'd love to see McAuliffe and Smith get games soon, for example. Prior to the Sydney game I would have said we need to move on from KMac and Pickett, just for example, but both were fantastic, and we need senior players around.

I don't want to tank, but honestly without Lynch for ages and without Balta for a while, we're gonna struggle to knock off too many teams, so whilst I'd like to play like we did against Sydney every week, I don't know that we will be able to, and I wouldn't be upset with a bottom 4-6 finish for the draft picks.

I reckon we have a solid group of players to work with, and our strategy should be to rebuild a bit on the fly.

- It sucks but I reckon we're still a few years off, so we COULD benefit from moving Lynch on to a contender at the end of the year. He is still contracted so we will probably get a decent deal for him.

- Dusty, pains me to say it but if he wants to go, let him, won't be around for our next tilt, let him move on and we'll get the most we can in compensation hopefully.

- Baker seems gone, why else would he buy a house back home in WA? The compensation we get for him could be really good.

- Broad might go too, I think we can cover his loss now with Brown and Trezise.

- Grimes and Prestia to retire (the latter might just move back to GC).

- Graham to move on as well.


Finish the year with a host of good draft picks and start our rebuild with this:

Tom Brown, Tylar Young, Ben Miller
Nick Vlastuin

1

Nick Vlastuin

Age

30

Ht

187cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.7

4star

MG

269.3

4star

D

13.3

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

4.3

3star

M

4.9

5star

T

1.8

3star

MG

257.6

4star

D

20.2

5star

K

11.4

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

7.4

5star

T

2.8

5star

, Josh Gibcus, Jayden Short

15

Jayden Short

Age

28

Ht

178cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

13.3

5star

HB

4.1

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.5

3star

MG

430.8

5star

D

19.0

4star

K

14.1

5star

HB

4.9

3star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.8

1star

MG

447.1

5star

D

7.8

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.4

2star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.4

4star

MG

185.2

3star

Judson Clarke, Jacob Hopper

22

Jacob Hopper

Age

27

Ht

187cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.0

5star

K

9.9

4star

HB

11.1

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.5

5star

CL

4.3

5star

D

17.6

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

4.6

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

18.6

5star

K

8.4

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.4

5star

, McIntosh OR Pickett
Maurice Rioli, Shai Bolton

29

Shai Bolton

Age

25

Ht

176cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

12.7

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

3.5

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.8

4star

D

9.2

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.0

1star

, Daniel Rioli

17

Daniel Rioli

Age

27

Ht

179cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.2

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

2.7

3star

T

3.2

5star

MG

179.2

3star

D

8.1

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

3.3

2star

M

2.0

2star

T

2.6

4star

MG

144.9

3star

D

9.0

3star

K

3.8

2star

HB

5.2

4star

M

0.8

1star

T

3.8

5star

MG

160.2

3star

Seth Campbell, Noah Balta

21

Noah Balta

Age

24

Ht

194cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

3.1

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.9

4star

MG

236.3

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.3

1star

MG

233.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

217.4

4star

, Rhyan Mansell
Toby Nankervis

25

Toby Nankervis

Age

29

Ht

199cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.2

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

2.9

4star

HO

21.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

6.3

4star

CL

3.0

4star

HO

17.0

5star

D

7.8

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

4.4

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

8.4

5star

, Tim Taranto

14

Tim Taranto

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.3

5star

K

12.8

5star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

5.6

5star

CL

4.1

5star

D

17.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

5.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

3.0

4star

CL

5.5

5star

D

15.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

4.0

5star

CL

2.2

4star

, Jack Ross

5

Jack Ross

Age

23

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

2.2

2star

T

2.7

4star

CL

3.0

4star

D

13.7

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

1.7

2star

T

1.7

3star

CL

2.0

4star

D

17.8

5star

K

8.0

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

CL

3.0

5star

James Trezise, Tyler Sonsie, Kane McAuliffe, Thomson Dow

Then I still reckon we hang on to Cumberland and Smith, and adding whatever draftees we get this year and probably next year, we can then do some trades for need, and hopefully have a really solid team.

Per the above we will of course need to draft another key forward, or we can maybe trade for need for the 2026 or 2027 season. We'll still need to improve our midfield stocks too.

 

[SplintWhisky]

I think we still try to win every game, but get as many games into the kids as we can. I'd love to see McAuliffe and Smith get games soon, for example. Prior to the Sydney game I would have said we need to move on from KMac and Pickett, just for example, but both were fantastic, and we need senior players around.

I don't want to tank, but honestly without Lynch for ages and without Balta for a while, we're gonna struggle to knock off too many teams, so whilst I'd like to play like we did against Sydney every week, I don't know that we will be able to, and I wouldn't be upset with a bottom 4-6 finish for the draft picks.

I reckon we have a solid group of players to work with, and our strategy should be to rebuild a bit on the fly.

- It sucks but I reckon we're still a few years off, so we COULD benefit from moving Lynch on to a contender at the end of the year. He is still contracted so we will probably get a decent deal for him.

- Dusty, pains me to say it but if he wants to go, let him, won't be around for our next tilt, let him move on and we'll get the most we can in compensation hopefully.

- Baker seems gone, why else would he buy a house back home in WA? The compensation we get for him could be really good.

- Broad might go too, I think we can cover his loss now with Brown and Trezise.

- Grimes and Prestia to retire (the latter might just move back to GC).

- Graham to move on as well.


Finish the year with a host of good draft picks and start our rebuild with this:

Tom Brown, Tylar Young, Ben Miller
Nick Vlastuin, Josh Gibcus, Jayden Short
Judson Clarke, Jacob Hopper, McIntosh OR Pickett
Maurice Rioli, Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli
Seth Campbell, Noah Balta, Rhyan Mansell
Toby Nankervis, Tim Taranto, Jack Ross
James Trezise, Tyler Sonsie, Kane McAuliffe, Thomson Dow

Then I still reckon we hang on to Cumberland and Smith, and adding whatever draftees we get this year and probably next year, we can then do some trades for need, and hopefully have a really solid team.

Per the above we will of course need to draft another key forward, or we can maybe trade for need for the 2026 or 2027 season. We'll still need to improve our midfield stocks too.

In relation to Lynch I would love to give him a preseason and not rush him back where he can end up damaging more of his body. I think keeping hold of him would be important because we have no experienced Key forward stocks and we could use that knowledge and teaching.

On Baker, Jon Ralph made a fantastic point that Freo got Collingwoods 2024 First rounder + 2023 35 for Shultz and Baker is a much better player than him so we could at least look at that or better.

The thing I think we need to 100% ensure is that we have our young talent and Culture Fabric players all locked away from Tassie. We also need to make sure that we are rising back up the ladder when their bullshit draft compo comes in.

 

[skinnyP]

Best possible team no matter what. The kids have to earn their spot and will be better off for it.

 

[Morro]

best description I have heard is a "stocktake"

 

[Coach_Required]

Totally tank.

 

[energyquant]

"Tanks" for a top 4 draft pick. Lots of games into the youngsters. Teach effort and pressure football. Find the new Richmond style. Play our style of game, even if some of the pieces aren't good enough (e.g. Kosi or Ryan for Lynch). We can then slot in better players as they become available.

 

[TigerImposter]

Go with best possible team on form whether they are kids or senior players & DON'T bring back injured players straight away.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

"Tanks" for a top 4 draft pick. Lots of games into the youngsters. Teach effort and pressure football. Find the new Richmond style. Play our style of game, even if some of the pieces aren't good enough (e.g. Kosi or Ryan for Lynch). We can then slot in better players as they become available.

 

[Gunit]

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

 

[Tygrys]

To be honest I am not entirely sure. However, I have a very strong suspicion after the Swans match that our best team on paper is not necessarily out best team on the field. Would our best team on paper have bought the speed and pressure that we did against the swans? I severely doubt it. That being the case when our supposedly best 22 paper tigers become available, whether we are winning or losing, make them work their way back through the reserves. Regardless of the name or the size of the contract.

 

[juss]

Play the kids, bank a top 3 pick.
Experience is huge and we will benefit so much from this in 2025 and onwards.

Play some of the older guys where needed for structure, but not at the expense of kids.
E.g. don't be playing Grimes, Pickett, Macintosh, Naismith while Brown, Clarke, Macauliffe and Ryan are impressing in the VFL.

 

[_RT_]

I've said that I have a core of experienced players(already with 50+ games) that I want to try and keep for 2025. Those players being:

Martin
Lynch
Vlastuin
Daniel
Short
Taranto
Nankervis
Hopper
Broad
Bolton
Graham
Baker
Balta
Ross

When they are healthy and available they should be picked and surrounded with kids that are preferably in form or those required to play to cover injury.

At the moment we've got the following inexperienced players currently in the 23:

Brown
Miller
Young
Campbell
Mansell
Sonsie
Dow
Maurice
Lefau
Banks

Hopefully this week McAuliffe joins that group as the next young player to step up and take a spot. While it's likely that both Ryan and Koschitzke will get to return to the line up, hopefully we'll see Trezise & Clarke back in the line up when they recover from injury and it would be great to see Cumberland Bauer Coulthard & Smith all getting a chance before the season ends to prove that they have a role to play in Yzes plans moving forward.

For mine, the plan should be to play to win even though we're undermanned because of injury. If you start playing to lose it can become quite difficult to climb back out of that rut. FWIW 18 of our 26 premiership players from 2017-2020 were taken outside the first round, so while first round picks are useful in building a premiership side, having success across the entire draft, pus utilizing trade & free agency to bring in targeted acquisitions to fill holes is just as important.

So tanking for picks isn't how we should go about the rest of the year, what we need to do is uncover which of our unproven kids have the ability to be part of the list moving forward and the best way we'll find that out it putting them on the park with our best possible side and playing with the intention to win the game even though it may seem unlikely heading into the game.

This year is a stocktake where we can take a good look at the list without expectation before Yze gets to work building the list that he truly wants that suits his game plan and how he sees us playing the game from 2025.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

I've said that I have a core of experienced players(already with 50+ games) that I want to try and keep for 2025. Those players being:

Martin
Lynch
Vlastuin
Daniel
Short
Taranto
Nankervis
Hopper
Broad
Bolton
Graham
Baker
Balta
Ross

When they are healthy and available they should be picked and surrounded with kids that are preferably in form or those required to play to cover injury.

At the moment we've got the following inexperienced players currently in the 23:

Brown
Miller
Young
Campbell
Mansell
Sonsie
Dow
Maurice
Lefau
Banks

Hopefully this week McAuliffe joins that group as the next young player to step up and take a spot. While it's likely that both Ryan and Koschitzke will get to return to the line up, hopefully we'll see Trezise & Clarke back in the line up when they recover from injury and it would be great to see Cumberland Bauer Coulthard & Smith all getting a chance before the season ends to prove that they have a role to play in Yzes plans moving forward.

For mine, the plan should be to play to win even though we're undermanned because of injury. If you start playing to lose it can become quite difficult to climb back out of that rut. FWIW 18 of our 26 premiership players from 2017-2020 were taken outside the first round, so while first round picks are useful in building a premiership side, having success across the entire draft, pus utilizing trade & free agency to bring in targeted acquisitions to fill holes is just as important.

So tanking for picks isn't how we should go about the rest of the year, what we need to do is uncover which of our unproven kids have the ability to be part of the list moving forward and the best way we'll find that out it putting them on the park with our best possible side and playing with the intention to win the game even though it may seem unlikely heading into the game.

This year is a stocktake where we can take a good look at the list without expectation before Yze gets to work building the list that he truly wants that suits his game plan and how he sees us playing the game from 2025.

No one is asking the RFC to play their games to loose...
Just asking the RFC to play their youngsters in the side to gain more experience...and see who has the talent to shine!
We have more draft picks come the mid season and end drafts!
It's really time to start playing the kids or we will end end up with one of the youngest inexperienced sides going.
Take the time for both Balta's and Lynches recovery...no rushing backsies!
No need to play the slightly injured...rest them!
The Club needs to plan its run and max their advantages for when the Tassy side comes into the AFL Comp!