johnno77
Premiership Player
Been thinking a lot the last week or so how lucky we are to be blessed with so many deadset gun players at the moment and how many will end up in the AFL Hall of Fame or at the very least, in the RFC Hall of Fame. Regardless of what happens in the coming years, I think we have a number of certainties for both. Here's how I see it:
Dustin Martin - A lock to be nominated as soon as the 3 year date expires after his retirement. Unless him and Swanny get up to a bit too much mischief in Vegas in one of the off seasons! Already racked up 224 games and will most likely smash the 300 game mark. 2 Norm Smiths and 1 Brownlow already a massive career with plenty left in the tank. Probably a lock to be a Legend one day as well.
Trent Cotchin - Another Hall of Fame certainty. A Brownlow and 2 x premiership captain. Did it very tough as a captain early days but worked his way through it and came out the other side loved by Tigers supporters and admired by all bar the saltiest of opposition supporters. His humility and integrity is genuine and the impact he has had on the Richmond Football Club will go into Tiger folklore. That and the fact that he's one of the best ball and man hunting midfielders I have ever seen play the game. My love for him is immense!
Alex Rance - Another certainty and possibly a chance at Legend status one day. Probably the best defender of his generation and recognised as such by 5 straight AA selections. I have to admit in the early years, his regular losing his footing had me pulling my hair out and wondering weather he would make the top grade. I can't remember the last time he lost his feet other than the heartbreaking moment he did his knee in Round 1. Will be one of the reasons we will start 2020 as premiership favourites.
Jack Riewoldt - Another certainty. Current sitting on 262 games with 631 goals. Add to that 2 Flags, 3 Colemans, 2 B&F's and 9 time club leading goalkicker. Such a heart and soul player of the Richmond FC. I love this guy. I love his passion. He seems to love the RFC more than anyone and I love him because of that. I also love it when the ball is anywhere near him. You just know something good is likely to happen when it's in his area. His footy smarts for me are almost second to none at our club and probably the league.
Shane Edwards - If anyone is to rival Jack for footy smarts, it's this guy. Another Hall of Fame certainty as far as I'm concerned. A guy that just get's better and better and better........I didn't see a lot of Maurice Rioli play but when Tony Greenburg (whose opinion I rate highly) is considering Edwards to be better than Rioli, then that's enough for me. I also trust my own eyes and he has the best hands in the business. Bar none! Sam Mitchell and Greg Williams might have rivaled him but of current day players, I can't think of anyone who is better at releasing a ball to advantage in traffic. He was another one who had me pulling my hair out at times early days but now I can see what he was trying to do! Pure magic needs practice too!
Tom Lynch - Already an AA before coming to us. I think he was really stiff to miss the AA squad this year but if finals performances were factored in, he would have strolled into the team. No Hall of Fame certainty but a few more seasons like this one and he'll be right in the conversation (and hopefully we have a couple more flags!). Love what this bloke has brought to the team. Love his mongrel. Such a different player to Jack but has slotted in beautifully.
Dylan Grimes - A certainty to be a RFC Hall of Famer and a red hot chance to be an AFL Hall of Famer. Finally, the rest of the world noticed what Tiger fans have known for years, that this guy is a GUN! So reliable and so versatile! His versatility is something that he has even Rance covered in. I love this guy also!
Bachar Houli - Yet another RFC HoF certainty and most likely AFL Hall of Fame. Another guy who improved year on year at Richmond and a guy who stood up on the biggest stages getting Norm Smith votes in both Grand Finals (and could have won it both years) while also performing in our losing finals when so many others had days to forget. His off field work is also immense and he is such a beautiful, humble human being.
Nick Vlastuin - Probably our next captain and already built a solid body of work. Another who was very stiff to miss AA squad this year. Not many more reliable players than this guy! I would say he's close to already being a lock for the Tigers HoF but not quite there yet for the AFL one.
Dion Prestia - I wanted this guy dropped early in 2017. Yep, I shat the bed on that one. My bad. Probably not quite a lock for Tigers HoF yet but he has been excellent in all our finals series. Will probably get there.
What do you all reckon? There's probably a few others worth mentioning that could well end up in the conversation like Lambert and Astbury in particular but I could make a case for many others such is my love for this team right now!
How good is it to be supporting a truly great team finally?!? The hard years were worth it for this.
Dustin Martin - A lock to be nominated as soon as the 3 year date expires after his retirement. Unless him and Swanny get up to a bit too much mischief in Vegas in one of the off seasons! Already racked up 224 games and will most likely smash the 300 game mark. 2 Norm Smiths and 1 Brownlow already a massive career with plenty left in the tank. Probably a lock to be a Legend one day as well.
Trent Cotchin - Another Hall of Fame certainty. A Brownlow and 2 x premiership captain. Did it very tough as a captain early days but worked his way through it and came out the other side loved by Tigers supporters and admired by all bar the saltiest of opposition supporters. His humility and integrity is genuine and the impact he has had on the Richmond Football Club will go into Tiger folklore. That and the fact that he's one of the best ball and man hunting midfielders I have ever seen play the game. My love for him is immense!
Alex Rance - Another certainty and possibly a chance at Legend status one day. Probably the best defender of his generation and recognised as such by 5 straight AA selections. I have to admit in the early years, his regular losing his footing had me pulling my hair out and wondering weather he would make the top grade. I can't remember the last time he lost his feet other than the heartbreaking moment he did his knee in Round 1. Will be one of the reasons we will start 2020 as premiership favourites.
Jack Riewoldt - Another certainty. Current sitting on 262 games with 631 goals. Add to that 2 Flags, 3 Colemans, 2 B&F's and 9 time club leading goalkicker. Such a heart and soul player of the Richmond FC. I love this guy. I love his passion. He seems to love the RFC more than anyone and I love him because of that. I also love it when the ball is anywhere near him. You just know something good is likely to happen when it's in his area. His footy smarts for me are almost second to none at our club and probably the league.
Shane Edwards - If anyone is to rival Jack for footy smarts, it's this guy. Another Hall of Fame certainty as far as I'm concerned. A guy that just get's better and better and better........I didn't see a lot of Maurice Rioli play but when Tony Greenburg (whose opinion I rate highly) is considering Edwards to be better than Rioli, then that's enough for me. I also trust my own eyes and he has the best hands in the business. Bar none! Sam Mitchell and Greg Williams might have rivaled him but of current day players, I can't think of anyone who is better at releasing a ball to advantage in traffic. He was another one who had me pulling my hair out at times early days but now I can see what he was trying to do! Pure magic needs practice too!
Tom Lynch - Already an AA before coming to us. I think he was really stiff to miss the AA squad this year but if finals performances were factored in, he would have strolled into the team. No Hall of Fame certainty but a few more seasons like this one and he'll be right in the conversation (and hopefully we have a couple more flags!). Love what this bloke has brought to the team. Love his mongrel. Such a different player to Jack but has slotted in beautifully.
Dylan Grimes - A certainty to be a RFC Hall of Famer and a red hot chance to be an AFL Hall of Famer. Finally, the rest of the world noticed what Tiger fans have known for years, that this guy is a GUN! So reliable and so versatile! His versatility is something that he has even Rance covered in. I love this guy also!
Bachar Houli - Yet another RFC HoF certainty and most likely AFL Hall of Fame. Another guy who improved year on year at Richmond and a guy who stood up on the biggest stages getting Norm Smith votes in both Grand Finals (and could have won it both years) while also performing in our losing finals when so many others had days to forget. His off field work is also immense and he is such a beautiful, humble human being.
Nick Vlastuin - Probably our next captain and already built a solid body of work. Another who was very stiff to miss AA squad this year. Not many more reliable players than this guy! I would say he's close to already being a lock for the Tigers HoF but not quite there yet for the AFL one.
Dion Prestia - I wanted this guy dropped early in 2017. Yep, I shat the bed on that one. My bad. Probably not quite a lock for Tigers HoF yet but he has been excellent in all our finals series. Will probably get there.
What do you all reckon? There's probably a few others worth mentioning that could well end up in the conversation like Lambert and Astbury in particular but I could make a case for many others such is my love for this team right now!
How good is it to be supporting a truly great team finally?!? The hard years were worth it for this.
