Nick Vlastuin set to move into Richmond’s midfield in 2017 in team shake-up

[MadTigerFan]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...p/news-story/417368f800d763d1250bcf67d41b4df3

Sorry if this has already been talked about but it's about god damn time.

 

[THE_GUN]

paywall

 

[Elton Johns Wig]

paywall

just type the heading into google

 

[RobsJourney]

Well there's the news I've been waiting for!

 

[Sir_Loin]

Well what I heard was he tank wasn't great. Seems like he's fixed it. Hard as a cats head that's a pretty decent midfield now with him going on though there

 

[Komrade_Tiger]

for those who cbf getting around pay-wall

RICHMOND is set to release the shackles on Nick Vlastuin and free him into a new-look midfield.

The 22-year-old, who was drafted as an onballer with pick No.9 in 2012, has spent much of his first four seasons at the club on a half-back flank and was last year sent deep into defence as a back pocket.

However, Vlastuin has spent the summer building his fitness and training with the Tigers’ midfield group as he gets set to join recruits Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy as part of a new onball brigade.

“Some of the promising young backmen have kicked me out of there so I’ll see how I go in the midfield, I suppose,” Vlastuin said during the club’s pre-season camp in Maroochydore.

One of those promising young defenders is Oleg Markov, who Vlastuin said had taken further strides forward this summer after playing eight games on debut last season.

“Oleg has been unreal,” Vlastuin said.
“(He) probably got lucky with a couple of games (last year) because of injury but then he earned his spot, definitely, and now he’s looking really well.”

While not wanting to set any expectations for the Tigers this year, Vlastuin said this pre-season had felt a lot different with plenty of fresh faces around the club both on and off the field.

Richmond chose not to renew the contracts of five assistant coaches in a 2016 post-season cull, replacing them with former Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch, Blake Caracella, Craig McRae and Xavier Clarke and bringing in Neil Balme as football department general manager.

“(There’s) a lot of new coaches, couple new players, a lot of new ideas so it’s felt really refreshing,” Vlastuin said.

Richmond tackles Adelaide in its first match of the JLT Community Series on Friday, February 24.

 

[Football Tragic]

I'm really interested to see how all the cards will fall once the pre-season is over and midfield is set. At the moment I'm assuming Dusty, Cotch & Prestia are our top three midfield followed by Miles, Vlaustin, Caddy, Grigg, Edwards and McIntosh. Where I'm curious is more the order of the midfield 'teams' that will rotate through the center square and around stoppages.
For example, will the 1st rotation be -
1st - Martin, Cotchin & Prestia
2nd - Caddy, Cotchin & Prestia
3rd - Caddy, Vlaustin & Prestia
4th - Martin, Vlaustin & Miles
5th - Martin, Cotchin & Grigg
6th - Cotchin, Grigg & Miles
7th - Cotchin, Caddy & Edwards

I always wonder how they figure out who compliments who and which players work better together. With so many rotations, how do they know who wins the ball and who spreads/runs with the ball? Will we have too many inside players who will get int he way of each other? This is why Prestia, Cotchin and Martin are so important to our side becasue they can win the ball AND spread and while Miles, Caddy and possibly Vlaustin are good ball winners but don't have the same level of leg spread and endurance to break away from packs.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to see how we line up

 

[Tetley Tigers]

Another comment from a player regarding a different feeling at the Club. Clearly the new assistants having an impact but perhaps a bit more credence to the negative impact Deledio had at the Club.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Madtiger2006]

Cotchin, Martin, Prestia
Vlastuin, Caddy, Miles

That could be the best midfield in the afl imo. Weren't we ranked 16th? Lol
Last year we only had half of these players in the middle so we are twice as good this year. Nankervis helps too

 

[Lsta062]

Cotchin, Martin, Prestia
Vlastuin, Caddy, Miles

That could be the best midfield in the afl imo. Weren't we ranked 16th? Lol
Last year we only had half of these players in the middle so we are twice as good this year. Nankervis helps too

According to an opinion piece on the AFL website that chose 6 players to be in the midfield group for us, but Champion Data ranked us 4th for our midfield.

I still think that GWS have the best midfield in the competition (they have Shiel, Ward, Griffin, Kelly, Coniglio, Whitfield, Scully Mumford as the ruck AND Deledio now )

However, I think our midfield wouldn't be too far away from the top terms of rankings. I am excited to see what this midfield can deliver.

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Midfield is still going to need players like Lloyd, Rioli , Edwards , McIntosh, Ellis' to be able to go through it and have some impact.

 

[Madtiger2006]

According to an opinion piece on the AFL website that chose 6 players to be in the midfield group for us, but Champion Data ranked us 4th for our midfield.

I still think that GWS have the best midfield in the competition (they have Shiel, Ward, Griffin, Kelly, Coniglio, Whitfield, Scully Mumford as the ruck AND Deledio now )

However, I think our midfield wouldn't be too far away from the top terms of rankings. I am excited to see what this midfield can deliver.

Lids was never a mid. I can barely remember him winning a clearance from the centre square lol. We also have Graham and C Ellis who could be pretty handy players running through the middle another 12 months

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Can see Edwards and rioli having cameos in the mid field with their run and carry...

 

[Sir_Loin]

Corey Ellis and Conca the wild cards to add to that group. Conca looking pretty fit so if he can stay healthy he'll offer some
injury depth. If Ellis can git fit and stay injury free he could add another dimension

 

[Sir_Loin]

Lids was never a mid. I can barely remember him winning a clearance from the centre square lol. We also have Graham and C Ellis who could be pretty handy players running through the middle another 12 months

I can't remember a game when cotchin, Martin and Deledio started in the centre square together. Problem we had with lids was only had one of him

 

[Nostradumbass]

Got a tank for Christmas I see.

 

[Goldust]

I'll be accused of being negative - and so be it, but seriously, when you read nonsense about Vlastuin spending the summer "building his fitness:, it's then you are vindicated in most things you say as it comes off as he hasn't been spending enough time working on his fitness base in past pre-seasons (club's fault, not his). There are basic standrads of fitness required to play AFL football and I would say in a lot of cases in previous years we have failed that.
That said, I hope it works out. I am firm in my view that he is best suited to a role across half back, but maybe the Tiger masses won't be as restless with him spending some time in the midfield.

 

[Sir_Loin]

Got a tank for Christmas I see.

You seem skeptical

 

[HumanMeatball]

I'll be accused of being negative - and so be it, but seriously, when you read nonsense about Vlastuin spending the summer "building his fitness:, it's then you are vindicated in most things you say as it comes off as he hasn't been spending enough time working on his fitness base in past pre-seasons (club's fault, not his). There are basic standrads of fitness required to play AFL football and I would say in a lot of cases in previous years we have failed that.
That said, I hope it works out. I am firm in my view that he is best suited to a role across half back, but maybe the Tiger masses won't be as restless with him spending some time in the midfield.

You realise it takes a variety of afl pre seasons for a player to build up his tank right? There are multiple examples of players who take a few years before having the ability to play midfield

 

[Goldust]

You realise it takes a variety of afl pre seasons for a player to build up his tank right? There are multiple examples of players who take a few years before having the ability to play midfield

Such as?

 

[Grrr]

I'll be accused of being negative - and so be it, but seriously, when you read nonsense about Vlastuin spending the summer "building his fitness:, it's then you are vindicated in most things you say as it comes off as he hasn't been spending enough time working on his fitness base in past pre-seasons (club's fault, not his). There are basic standrads of fitness required to play AFL football and I would say in a lot of cases in previous years we have failed that.
That said, I hope it works out. I am firm in my view that he is best suited to a role across half back, but maybe the Tiger masses won't be as restless with him spending some time in the midfield.

Who knows how good a mid he will be unless he is trained and played there. We know he is a very solid HB, can always go back there, and he'll be fitter which won't hurt.

 

[HumanMeatball]

Brodie smith took years before eventually playing midfield, atley, Taylor Adams started at half back, I'm sure there is a shitliad more if I bothered to look. Point is not many players start there career as pure midfielders

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

rich from the lions...

 

[TigerImposter]

Tank or no tank he will be better than Caddy.
DH must feel like Frankenstein with all these geniuses around him. Four years to realise he had to get fitter to play midfield.
Our fitness team have been nothing short of atrocious.
What two things do these blokes all have in common?
Flossy Conca TV CEllis Lennon ?

 

[Goldust]

Yes, Brodie Smith ... the guy who plays as a "rebounding defender" for the Crows and is about the best in the business at it.
I think he'll play defence this season.
Adams had Tyson, Coniglio, Greene drafted ahead of him as midfielders, not to mention the Giants had Callan Ward in the guts, alongside James McDionald and at times Chad Cornes.