Castagna is still a very ordinary footballer. He’s just the best of a bad lot.
Our small forwards are well below average. I’m taking the following small forward groups over Castagna, Rioli and Aarts:
Ryan, Langdon (W. Rioli), Cripps
Butters, Fantasia, Rozee
Butler, Gresham, Higgins
Cameron, Bailey, McCarthy
Elliot, Brown, Daicos
Smith, Tipungwuti, Mosquito
Rankine, Sexton, McPherson
Pickett, Fritsch, Spargo
Miers, Dahlhaus, Atkins
Breust, Wingard, Brockman
Papley, Wicks, Ronke
Castagna, Rioli and Aarts are only marginally better than five or six small forward groups in the comp and are well below the elite. Aarts and Rioli are barely AFL standard. Castagna is a 5/10 small forward.
Seriously, how underrated Castagna is makes me sick, He is 24 and won 3 flags - I reckon he would be one of the first names on the teamsheet every week for attitude alone. He is the Richmond way. I question how any Tiger supporter can call him below average/ordinary at this point of our success. Disrespectful to a guy who plays the game EXACTLY as he is asked by his coach to play