Player Watch #36 James Trezise

[RJK Tiger]

My thoughts on him have never really changed to be honest. With time he could be a average AFL player for a below average team, or, be the 18th -25th best player in a pretty good team.

From all reports he has always put in the work & has deserved all his chances, but i'm unsure at 23 & after 3 seasons & 25 senior games under his belt how many more chances he is worth us providing.

To me he is the Thomson Dow of the backline. Nearing 24 years of age & doesn't appear to have elite potential in his primary position with no clear secondary position to convince yourself he can cover too. Could be a back-up, rotational player on a AFL list but ultimately - Richmond is not in the business of needing back-up players to develop. We need to be developing starters & superstars.

I've said this several times before, but he is exactly the type I would have cut and signed someone like Jack Steele

9

Jack Steele

Age

30

Ht

187cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

8.7

3star

HB

12.2

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

6.8

5star

CL

3.6

5star

D

21.3

5star

K

10.0

4star

HB

11.3

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

5.8

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

16.8

4star

K

5.0

2star

HB

11.8

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

6.4

5star

CL

3.6

5star

& Tom Mitchell instead. The club only has so many development coaches & with so many 1st round picks joining us, do we really want those development coaches splitting their time between Trainor & Lalor - while still having to work heavily with Trezise & Dow to get them up to AFL standard? We are better off having 5-7 mature age "plug n play" blokes who don't demand coaches time to ensure our elite young crop get all the time they need.

 

[THE_GUN]

My thoughts on him have never really changed to be honest. With time he could be a average AFL player for a below average team, or, be the 18th -25th best player in a pretty good team.

From all reports he has always put in the work & has deserved all his chances, but i'm unsure at 23 & after 3 seasons & 25 senior games under his belt how many more chances he is worth us providing.

To me he is the Thomson Dow of the backline. Nearing 24 years of age & doesn't appear to have elite potential in his primary position with no clear secondary position to convince yourself he can cover too. Could be a back-up, rotational player on a AFL list but ultimately - Richmond is not in the business of needing back-up players to develop. We need to be developing starters & superstars.

I've said this several times before, but he is exactly the type I would have cut and signed someone like Jack Steele & Tom Mitchell instead. The club only has so many development coaches & with so many 1st round picks joining us, do we really want those development coaches splitting their time between Trainor & Lalor - while still having to work heavily with Trezise & Dow to get them up to AFL standard? We are better off having 5-7 mature age "plug n play" blokes who don't demand coaches time to ensure our elite young crop get all the time they need.

FMD i was just thinking finally this F&&L has put a decent post up then he goes with the mitchell/steel sh!t
why do i bother reading this rubbish

 

[RJK Tiger]

FMD i was just thinking finally this F&&L has put a decent post up then he goes with the mitchell/steel sh!t
why do i bother reading this rubbish

I dunno why you read what i write either, ask yourself internally that question

But, this is pretty bloody obvious.

Going into 2026 we are going to have roughly 44 players on our list.

9 of these players have played 100 games or more.

4 have played between 50-99 games

This leaves 31 players playing 50 games or less, which then makes them "developing players", roughly 25 of which have played 30 or less.


We have 4 development coaches. Rutten + Ziebell ( 2 years Experience) + Breust & Duryea who have zero years experience.



How the **** do you expect a development team of 4 blokes, 3 of which have minimal to no experience in being a development coach to teach 31 players, with only so many hours in a day/week/month?

Adding Mitchell & Steele means you are taking 2 spots that require "high touch" from your development coaches & making them spots on your list that require not only ZERO touch - but actually have the same credentials and experience to actually HELP your development coaches. To put it into context, Tom Mitchell & Jack Steele are arguable better equiped to help develop the kids than 50% of your development coaches as they quite literally have the same amount of experience in that role.

The entire arguement around Prestia being extended was "he would act as a development coach". Great. A bloke whose best mate is perhaps the biggest known ******** in the AFL, Steven May, a guy who has elite talent in a role that (several) contending teams desperately need & STILL had zero interest in taking for free as he is such a massive flog.

I would have taken Tom Mitchell & Jack Steele over Dion every day of the week based on the circumstances that were well and truely known BEFORE the off-season started. Onfield & off-field, the decision was a complete no brainer for me - especially in regards to Jack Steele.


Its all a number game. The idea that you just load up on kids & the number will eventually mean you end up with X amount of stars, starters etc is hogwash. Teams like Geelong, Brisbane etc have been able to maintain success without high amounts of top 10 draft picks because they are BETTER at developing players than the teams that are just loading up on 1st rounders. The Suns have sat in purgatory despite having access to FAR FAR MORE young talent then we can ever dream of having. When did their story start to flip? Once they added Dimma, Rance, Grigg etc. The "potential" actually fruited. Why ? Because they are actually developing that talent VS just acquiring it.

What we are doing is exactly the thing that schools & teachers have been screaming at the govt about for years to being the main reason kids are not developing. We are making class rooms far too big. Too many students for a single teacher to cover. Is Sonsie, Oliver Hayes & Ryan really worth as having on our list if their presence takes 10% of the access to our development coaches away from Hotton & Lalor?

I'd rather our development coaches pumping the hours into Smille, Lalor, Hotton, Faull, Armstrong - & not wasting time on developing mature age rotational blokes.

If i had the choice to Tom Mitchell developing our midfield VS Duryea - i'd take the Brownlow medalist thanks. The entire argument around retaining Prestia was " he becomes an on-field coach!". Ok, well done. You now have a development coach teaching your kids who is also facing court for "recklessly causing serious injury", something we entirely knew not only before this off-season, but also before last season even began.

How many times since 2020 have we gone into a new season with a player facing a court case for crimes now?

Sydney Stack
Marlion Pickett
Noah Balta

& now, Dion Prestia

Is this really how you build success? Is this the environment you make to develop kids?

 

[THE_GUN]

I dunno why you read what i write either, ask yourself internally that question

But, this is pretty bloody obvious.

Going into 2026 we are going to have roughly 44 players on our list.

9 of these players have played 100 games or more.

4 have played between 50-99 games

This leaves 31 players playing 50 games or less, which then makes them "developing players", roughly 25 of which have played 30 or less.


We have 4 development coaches. Rutten + Ziebell ( 2 years Experience) + Breust & Duryea who have zero years experience.



How the **** do you expect a development team of 4 blokes, 3 of which have minimal to no experience in being a development coach to teach 31 players, with only so many hours in a day/week/month?

Adding Mitchell & Steele means you are taking 2 spots that require "high touch" from your development coaches & making them spots on your list that require not only ZERO touch - but actually have the same credentials and experience to actually HELP your development coaches. To put it into context, Tom Mitchell & Jack Steele are arguable better equiped to help develop the kids than 50% of your development coaches as they quite literally have the same amount of experience in that role.

The entire arguement around Prestia being extended was "he would act as a development coach". Great. A bloke whose best mate is perhaps the biggest known ******** in the AFL, Steven May, a guy who has elite talent in a role that (several) contending teams desperately need & STILL had zero interest in taking for free as he is such a massive flog.

I would have taken Tom Mitchell & Jack Steele over Dion every day of the week based on the circumstances that were well and truely known BEFORE the off-season started. Onfield & off-field, the decision was a complete no brainer for me - especially in regards to Jack Steele.


Its all a number game. The idea that you just load up on kids & the number will eventually mean you end up with X amount of stars, starters etc is hogwash. Teams like Geelong, Brisbane etc have been able to maintain success without high amounts of top 10 draft picks because they are BETTER at developing players than the teams that are just loading up on 1st rounders. The Suns have sat in purgatory despite having access to FAR FAR MORE young talent then we can ever dream of having. When did their story start to flip? Once they added Dimma, Rance, Grigg etc. The "potential" actually fruited. Why ? Because they are actually developing that talent VS just acquiring it.

What we are doing is exactly the thing that schools & teachers have been screaming at the govt about for years to being the main reason kids are not developing. We are making class rooms far too big. Too many students for a single teacher to cover. Is Sonsie, Oliver Hayes & Ryan really worth as having on our list if their presence takes 10% of the access to our development coaches away from Hotton & Lalor?

I'd rather our development coaches pumping the hours into Smille, Lalor, Hotton, Faull, Armstrong - & not wasting time on developing mature age rotational blokes.

If i had the choice to Tom Mitchell developing our midfield VS Duryea - i'd take the Brownlow medalist thanks. The entire argument around retaining Prestia was " he becomes an on-field coach!". Ok, well done. You now have a development coach teaching your kids who is also facing court for "recklessly causing serious injury", something we entirely knew not only before this off-season, but also before last season even began.

How many times since 2020 have we gone into a new season with a player facing a court case for crimes now?

Sydney Stack
Marlion Pickett
Noah Balta

& now, Dion Prestia

Is this really how you build success? Is this the environment you make to develop kids?

 

[lizard man]

Always handy having a left footer in the side like trezise as it helps change the angles and be more unpredictable ….. we currently don’t have too many lefties in the side so trezise would be a welcome inclusion into the team

 

[RichmondEshays]

Wing seems to be a weakness for us. Ralphsh1t doesn’t get a game in all 17 others teams. Need trezise to come good

 

[tiger_tough]

Wing seems to be a weakness for us. Ralphsh1t doesn’t get a game in all 17 others teams. Need trezise to come good

Bullshit

 

[Wrenny]

Wing seems to be a weakness for us. Ralphsh1t doesn’t get a game in all 17 others teams. Need trezise to come good

LOTW alt acc confirmed

 

[sabso]

Always had high hopes for trezza, see him as a defensive utility who could plug a hole or do whatever short is meant to be able to do in the backline

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Jeez you did have Broad in the ejector seat though.

Barnaby Joyce likes this post!

 

[sante]

Wing seems to be a weakness for us. Ralphsh1t doesn’t get a game in all 17 others teams. Need trezise to come good

Hugo is far better than Trezise.

 

[THE THIN MAN]

Hugo is far better than Trezise.

Starting with a very low baseline for comparison

 

[Oldmanuncle]

Wouldn't be in my starting lineup but good depth player for insurance if injuries strike.

 

[lizard man]

I think he’s ready to take the next step next year

 

[Aido97]

Seems like the second easiest delisting come years end behind Sonsie

 

[THE_GUN]

Definitely a player i see in 2026 playing for his career
He is not terrible but very little upside and a player i see struggling to get a game in 2027
So 1 player that needs upgrading if we need the list spot

 

[Turka]

All going well, I can see a left footed Michael Gale coming on...

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Trezise is a natural tackler and team player who could easily complement some of our young guns in future years. It might be a question of whether he gets outclassed by players willing to do the same thing who are more damaging.

Our last dynasty team had room for Townsend, Soldo, Castagna, McIntosh for example who played in flag teams and may not have been any better than Trezise.

Trezise is 23 and coming off his 3rd pre-season. Basically the exact position Mansell was in going into the 2024 season where he fully established himself in our team - against the expectations of many. So that shows what is possible. Mansell wasn't competing against so many highly talented youngsters to establish his spot is probably the main difference as I see it.

Broad going into the 2018 season off his 3rd pre-season aged 24 was also a similar type of scenario in some ways.

 

[The Vaucluse]

Trezise is a natural tackler and team player who could easily complement some of our young guns in future years. It might be a question of whether he gets outclassed by players willing to do the same thing who are more damaging.

Our last dynasty team had room for Townsend, Soldo, Castagna, McIntosh for example who played in flag teams and may not have been any better than Trezise.

Trezise is 23 and coming off his 3rd pre-season. Basically the exact position Mansell was in going into the 2024 season where he fully established himself in our team - against the expectations of many. So that shows what is possible. Mansell wasn't competing against so many highly talented youngsters to establish his spot is probably the main difference as I see it.

Broad going into the 2018 season off his 3rd pre-season aged 24 was also a similar type of scenario in some ways.

I watched him at training and noted how he was able to shimmy out of heavy traffic. He has all the attributes, good speed, neat skills, not shy of the contest and he has solid evasive skills. My only knock, is whether he has the presence, self confidence and that bit of mongrel needed at the top level to be successful.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

I watched him at training and noted how he was able to shimmy out of heavy traffic. He has all the attributes, good speed, neat skills, not shy of the contest and he has solid evasive skills. My only knock, is whether he has the presence, self confidence and that bit of mongrel needed at the top level to be successful.

Not the greatest ball user either. But you could say similar about Broad, McIntosh, Castagna. We will end up with low cost players in our best 23, that is true of even the strongest teams.

 

[RoaringTiger]

I reckon he could be a very solid role player for us in our next window. Cant have 22 Dusty’s!

 

[THE_GUN]

Good / Very good VFL player wont get to 100 games maybe even 50 games

 

[Coach_Required]

Not a fan, but each to their own, i guess.

 

[Yze does it]

Not the greatest ball user either. But you could say similar about Broad, McIntosh, Castagna. We will end up with low cost players in our best 23, that is true of even the strongest teams.

TBH I reckon Tresize waits, checks out options and often kicks sideways. Doesn't just bomb it in. I like him. Need 2 wingers and someone to rotate there.
Banks & Tresize started the year. playing wing. Sonsie rotated through vs Saints and hit up a fwd. Trainor a bit. Tresize & Kmac played there last round. Hugo injured. Got to replace him. My tip is Retscko.

Hugo runs well ~ never a Francis Bourke award winner. he played wing for mid 24 ~ 25. He plays if fit. The other wing a rotation of players including Tresize
Got a feeling Balta might be forward back up ruck. Allows Gibcus, Miller & Trainor back.

 

[tigs2010]

Our last dynasty team had room for Townsend, Soldo, Castagna, McIntosh for example who played in flag teams and may not have been any better than Trezise.

Outside of Soldo reckon the other 3 were better. Townsend won a Liston, Castagna was a dangerous player even if he torched chances and McIntosh was an absolute elite runner. McIntosh probably the one he could try match but he was an absolute elite runner, not sure Trezise is the same level of runner.