Opinion Did Taranto and Hopper make a mistake leaving the Giants for Richmond?

[kranky al]

Taranto was probably GWS’s best player in the 2019 GF when they got flogged. Stood up when the chips were down that day.

Wellingham was one of the very very few that had a real genuine crack in our 2015 gf. He played out of his skin.

Was delisted 2 years later.

 

[tiger_tough]

Wellingham was one of the very very few that had a real genuine crack in our 2015 gf. He played out of his skin.

Was delisted 2 years later.

....and Taranto is about to win his 2nd bnf. Not a great comparison.

 

[kranky al]

....and Taranto is about to win his 2nd bnf. Not a great comparison.

It can go either way I guess.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Hmmm perhaps. But that’s also the risk your side has with the contracts in your squad I’ve listed above. You should be just as critical on the long term contracts your club has signed as you are about the Richmond ones, which you seem quite passionate about.

In hindsight it was a terrible deal for Richmond. Do you honestly believe if Richmond knew they were going to end up with pick 6 in this years draft and were going to tumble down the ladder even further that they would have done those deals?? No way. Priority would have been rebuilding the list. You have easily the worst 22 and under squad in the AFL. Noah Balta is no longer young as he is turning 24 this year.

Taranto and hopper are going to spend their productive prime years sitting in the bottom four… absolute waste of Richmond’s picks and also their careers.

 

[Rich01]

Do you honestly believe if Richmond knew they were going to end up with pick 6 in this years draft and were going to tumble down the ladder even further that they would have done those deals??

No I don’t.

I’m not really sure what point you are trying to make? That they expected to do better this year and contend, but they didn’t? Pretty obvious really.

Not sure that you had to delve into a post from a month ago to come up with that insightful gem Crazy.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

No I don’t.

I’m not really sure what point you are trying to make? That they expected to do better this year and contend, but they didn’t? Pretty obvious really.

Not sure that you had to delve into a post from a month ago to come up with that insightful gem Crazy.

The point I am trying to make is it was a bad deal in hindsight at 12 months on. It was a gamble that was a bit overly confident and overshooting the lists caliber by some stretch.

Given time will tell.. but it’s looking a very ominous deal at this point in time

 

[GC2015]

Taranto and hopper are going to spend their productive prime years sitting in the bottom four… absolute waste of Richmond’s picks and also their careers.

That's essentially what happened to Jaeger O'Meara and Tom Mitchell at Hawthorn in the six years they shared at the Hawks with the exception of one decent season. O'Meara got there at 23 and left at 28 having only played one losing final in 2018. Mitchell got there at 24 and left at 29 having only played in two losing finals (both in 2018). Probably fair to say their best years were wasted in a struggling Hawthorn side.

Taranto arrived at Richmond at 24 years of age and Hopper arrived at 25. Both signed seven year contracts with the Tigers. Is history repeating itself?

 

[Engimal v3]

Taranto is a beautiful city. I want to go there some day.

 

[iameviljez]

The mistake might have been joining Richmond.

It wasn’t leaving GWS. Plastic footy club, or at least for now it is.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

The mistake might have been joining Richmond.

It wasn’t leaving GWS. Plastic footy club, or at least for now it is.

I feel what is the plastic aspect to them is how substantially the AFL has attempted to give them assistance… it’s been so insanely over the top + the academy selections, that they seem like a manufactured club. Tbh Sydney in my mind has a similar plastic feel.. I know people will heavily disagree with that, but any club that continues to receive massive concessions in the form of elite talent or added cap space or draft picks has an element of “plastic” or manufactured to them.

 

[Colonial]

I feel what is the plastic aspect to them is how substantially the AFL has attempted to give them assistance… it’s been so insanely over the top + the academy selections, that they seem like a manufactured club. Tbh Sydney in my mind has a similar plastic feel.. I know people will heavily disagree with that, but any club that continues to receive massive concessions in the form of elite talent or added cap space or draft picks has an element of “plastic” or manufactured to them.

How to be full of s**t, an easy guide by Geelong crazy.

 

[Mr Meow]

How to be full of s**t, an easy guide by Geelong crazy.

To offer an opposing view, I and many Geelong supporters love the current rendition of the Giants side and it has nothing to do with siding against Collingwood/Carlton (we're not in the silly big Vic club feud).

It's always been hard to care about GC. GWS have earned their stripes and are easy to get behind. Even in 2016 I kind of enjoyed their moxy. But now they've formed a great team after big absentees and set backs.

 

[Daka]

2016 - Richmond trade Deledio to GWS
2017 - Richmond win Premiership

2022 - GWS trade Taranto and Hopper to Richmond
2023 - GWS win Premiership?

Collingwood will beat them this week.

 

[Grrr]

I agree with this. I think this was a big reason Prestia struggled when he could get on the park.

Prestia was awful (for him) in 2022, was slightly better this year, but don't think the combination of the two had much to do with his form. They played only 13 of the 23 games together so you could argue the opposite, they did not really gel because they had not played much together. That is a pretty normal situation when new players come to another club, they take a while to gel together. Add Cotchin to that mix, who was in and out of the side, playing half forward. Our midfield was a bit of a dogs breakfast all year.

I think whole argument re Hopper and Taranto's worth is pointless until some time next season, when they hopefully are fully fit and used to how eachother plays.

 

[Grrr]

It can go either way I guess.

Not generally with class players.

 

[99cents]

I feel what is the plastic aspect to them is how substantially the AFL has attempted to give them assistance… it’s been so insanely over the top + the academy selections, that they seem like a manufactured club. Tbh Sydney in my mind has a similar plastic feel.. I know people will heavily disagree with that, but any club that continues to receive massive concessions in the form of elite talent or added cap space or draft picks has an element of “plastic” or manufactured to them.

Hey man, lots of clubs enjoy advantages. How many phases has the Kardinia Park reno gone through? How much taxpayer funding? what about the advantage of location/ lifestyle that the cattery boasts these days? What about the Geelong falcons? How about the cushy media gigs that collingwood or the eagles can offer? Will Tasmania Devils be plastic, due to a quarter billion handout for a stadium? There is a clear culture at the Giants - the players know it. The Away Team- we always find a way

 

[Grrr]

Hey man, lots of clubs enjoy advantages. How many phases has the Kardinia Park reno gone through? How much taxpayer funding? what about the advantage of location/ lifestyle that the cattery boasts these days? What about the Geelong falcons? How about the cushy media gigs that collingwood or the eagles can offer? Will Tasmania Devils be plastic, due to a quarter billion handout for a stadium? There is a clear culture at the Giants - the players know it. The Away Team- we always find a way

Done alright out of father son as well, not that the AFL have had much to do with that, but it is something the new clubs don't hav access to.

 

[Grrr]

In hindsight it was a terrible deal for Richmond. Do you honestly believe if Richmond knew they were going to end up with pick 6 in this years draft and were going to tumble down the ladder even further that they would have done those deals?? No way. Priority would have been rebuilding the list. You have easily the worst 22 and under squad in the AFL. Noah Balta is no longer young as he is turning 24 this year.

Taranto and hopper are going to spend their productive prime years sitting in the bottom four… absolute waste of Richmond’s picks and also their careers.

As you say it is easy to be smart in hindsight. If Richmond had finished 6th, which was a chance if Lynch and Gibcus had not gone down all year, then what would the pick be 12, or so. Might have been slightly overs, but not really by much. These sort of deal happen all the time, slightly over. And no, probably not, they might not have done the same deal if it was pick 6 but that is just the breaks of footy, every club has done similar things.

 

[Nicho50]

Don't know why people are fixated on this so much, if you actually followed Richmond you would know that once Cotch retired and potentially Dusty retiring or leaving and Prestia nearing the end there was a massive age gap of midfielders. Tarranto and Hopper are the perfect age to build that midfield around. I shutter to think what it would have looked like this year without Tarranto.

I still stand by the move as it allows us to build with them plus Bolton, Baker, Dow, Sonsie and then any drafted midfielders going forward.

The move has given us the ability to remain competitive whilst the transition of losing senior players happens over the next 2 years and not completely bottom out. The depth of key forwards is the biggest issue not the midfield. If Lynch plays majority of the season we play finals simple as that, we were in the hunt for the bottom half of the 8 for most of the back end of year and that was essentially playing without a key forward for entire season.

I am not saying we can rebound quickly as a premiership side but the core is there and the right players like TT and Hopper are hitting the prime age bracket, Lynch and Gibcus fit in key roles and potentially a new coach in Yze and I think we should be extremely confident of competing for a spot in the finals.

 

[Orange crush]

To offer an opposing view, I and many Geelong supporters love the current rendition of the Giants side and it has nothing to do with siding against Collingwood/Carlton (we're not in the silly big Vic club feud).

It's always been hard to care about GC. GWS have earned their stripes and are easy to get behind. Even in 2016 I kind of enjoyed their moxy. But now they've formed a great team after big absentees and set backs.

Mr Meow you've always been un chat superieur

 

[Shadow89]

To offer an opposing view, I and many Geelong supporters love the current rendition of the Giants side and it has nothing to do with siding against Collingwood/Carlton (we're not in the silly big Vic club feud).

It's always been hard to care about GC. GWS have earned their stripes and are easy to get behind. Even in 2016 I kind of enjoyed their moxy. But now they've formed a great team after big absentees and set backs.

 

[Neese]

Too early to tell

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Taranto is a beautiful city. I want to go there some day.

Taranto used to make the best ice cream in Australia

 

[jimmytigs]

if they want good coin=yes
if they want a flag=no,not in their time left at the tigers(you wouldnt think anyway)

 

[kranky al]

Taranto used to make the best ice cream in Australia

Then he discovered tea (ti in Italian)

And that got the creative juices flowing and Nek minut: