Player Watch Welcome To Richmond - Pick 12 - Taj Hotton

[Football Tragic]

Interested that the Dad said on SEN this morning that Richmond contacted Taj only days after he did his injury in May, to say that we would still be taking him in the draft. Just shows you the confidence we had in this kid and that choosing him on the night, might have been a surprise to may, but was certainly pre-planned.

Taj must be a star in the making. We didn't even do that for Lalor.

 

[Crumpet_avenger]

Interested that the Dad said on SEN this morning that Richmond contacted Taj only days after he did his injury in May, to say that we would still be taking him in the draft. Just shows you the confidence we had in this kid and that choosing him on the night, might have been a surprise to may, but was certainly pre-planned.

Taj must be a star in the making. We didn't even do that for Lalor.

Im amazed the club said that. We hadnt even secured the picks for bolton and baker at that stage

Great pick. Im more excited looking forward to this kid than any of the others we got

 

[tigs2010]

Im amazed the club said that. We hadnt even secured the picks for bolton and baker at that stage

Great pick. Im more excited looking forward to this kid than any of the others we got

Maybe meant 2nd rounder and it was just a throwaway comment

 

[Muddiemoose]

Sounds like he was always a target

 

[Stylo]

Happier our way personally.

Smillie is going to be better than either of them. He is already over 195cm and very hard to tackle. Imagine him with 4 preseasons under his belt. He will be unstoppable.

Yeah definitely not unhappy with these two. Langford & Lindsay were just some personal faves. Reckon both are safe bets. Smillie & Hotton are a lot more boom/bust... but if they boom, absolutely the right choice.

 

[Calcium Man]

Yeah definitely not unhappy with these two. Langford & Lindsay were just some personal faves. Reckon both are safe bets. Smillie & Hotton are a lot more boom/bust... but if they boom, absolutely the right choice.

I wasn’t huge on Langford. I can’t get past the pace, don’t care if Cripps and Bont ran similar times, draftees and the aps, from what I’ve seen, have become far more professional since 2013. His pace was exactly the same at start of year as at combine, it was the one thing he was being questioned on and it didn’t improve. Just tells me he’ll always struggle with pace.

Lindsay is a gun though, sad to miss him.

 

[prodigy]

Sounds like he was always a target

We must have known a fair way out that we weren't just going to have pick 1.

Still over the moon with this selection.

 

[Calcium Man]

We must have known a fair way out that we weren't just going to have pick 1.

Still over the moon with this selection.

Feel like it was more a reminder to him that he was still gonna get drafted despite injury.

 

[Ancient Tiger]

Im amazed the club said that. We hadnt even secured the picks for bolton and baker at that stage

Great pick. Im more excited looking forward to this kid than any of the others we got

They already knew they were going and that Freo and WC had the picks.

 

[Stylo]

I wasn’t huge on Langford. I can’t get past the pace, don’t care if Cripps and Bont ran similar times, draftees and the aps, from what I’ve seen, have become far more professional since 2013. His pace was exactly the same at start of year as at combine, it was the one thing he was being questioned on and it didn’t improve. Just tells me he’ll always struggle with pace.

Lindsay is a gun though, sad to miss him.

His pace isn't a huge worry for mine, makes up for it with endurance and footy IQ and has a decent cruising speed anyway, just no burst. Will watch his career with great interest

 

[Muddiemoose]

We must have known a fair way out that we weren't just going to have pick 1.

Still over the moon with this selection.

Go’s to show our ****ed the industry is in a way and how immature it is

The club obviously knew about Baker, Bolton and even probably Rioli from a fair way out but publicly they need to act dumb

I understand to an extent but wish it wasn’t the case either

 

[RockJobster0312]

I understand we had so many picks we could afford to roll the dice but I am anxious that one of Hotton or Trainor will self combust.

Personally I would've preferred the safer Berry or M Reid. Both will play 150 games at AFL level.
I certainly hope we've "got all our major injuries out of the way in 24" and we can see what Taj can do in the distant future.

Two things, firstly the chance that one or more of our picks don’t make it is high. No draft has guarantees.

Secondly, Zach Merrett has played 230 games and never been on a team that’s won a final.

Pickett had played one and won a premiership.

How many games a player plays is meaningless, you’re trying to build a premiership list.

Go’s to show our ****ed the industry is in a way and how immature it is

The club obviously knew about Baker, Bolton and even probably Rioli from a fair way out but publicly they need to act dumb

I understand to an extent but wish it wasn’t the case either

I read it as more of something the club did to keep his spirits up after the injury as opposed to agreeing to draft him six months out from the draft.

 

[captain blood 17]

 

[Karp3_dm]

That’s called being A grade prepared by having the loyalty of the players leaving let Blair know as early as possible

Our club is amazing

 

[Sir_Loin]

Sounds like he was always a target

Ballsy given Louie was still running the chop shop

 

[Darth_Tiger]

That’s called being A grade prepared by having the loyalty of the players leaving let Blair know as early as possible

Our club is amazing

Probably was more a 'we will pick you if the opportunity is there' rather than a commitment to pick him I think

 

[Lsta062]

Like many said, his highlights package is like 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

, weaving and dodging through packs. It’s just so impressive seeing him nail a target with so little time and space.

Best highlights reel from our draftees (after Sam Lalor). Have a feeling he’s one of those players that we’ll love watching. No rush to debut him with the ACL, but I’m really looking forward to watching him play whenever he’s ready.

 

[Steely Brown Eye]

loved that video of him and his best mate L-Train from draft night, so effin wholesome

 

[Tigerbob]

More midfield craft and ball getting ability than Bolton. Just as much X factor around goals.

Remember watching a game for Sandy early in the piece and he was talked about as potential number one pick by people at the club. Nothing that day showed me otherwise.

Questions on his recovery and knee but we’ve surely had that assessed and think we can get him back to his best.

 

[Sir_Loin]

More midfield craft and ball getting ability than Bolton. Just as much X factor around goals.

Remember watching a game for Sandy early in the piece and he was talked about as potential number one pick by people at the club. Nothing that day showed me otherwise.

Questions on his recovery and knee but we’ve surely had that assessed and think we can get him back to his best.

Absolutely no way we’d take him otherwsie

Got talent to burn with Serpell on deck good chance of getting him right