Analysis The Rebuilds of West Coast and Richmond and their Future Prospects

[Rich01]

3 of your best players all walked out last year though?

The only good players worth keeping of your list were McGovern, Yeo and Barrass and one was medically retired, whilst Yeo's still on the list.

Richmond's BnF results this year were strikingly familiar to WCE's last year, whilst not having anywhere near the list turnover WCE has gone through.

Not really. you're not even close enough to having turned your list over. As I said, you're in a similar position this year as we were in last year. Even your number of wins were the same. I'd say the only real major plus is that Taranto's still relatively young. It'll be a lot slower climb than you think it will, by virtue of taking so many young talls last draft.

I'm not knocking that decision by the way, it was very much the correct one but it won't produce short term results as many Tigers supporters seem to believe around here, which will make things tougher considering Richmond don't exactly have any gun talls left, aside from Miller. The rest are cooked.

As for begging, aren't you lot selling games to Tassie?

When I look at the older players that saw you through this year ours are significantly superior.

Taranto, Hopper, Miller, Balta, Nankervis, Broad, Vlastuin, Lynch etc will mean we won’t have a west coast one game win next year.

Compare those names to Flynn, Ryan, Cripps, Duggan who played the majority of games as the senior leaders.

Chalk and Cheese.

 

[THE_GUN]

Players ages by May 2026
10 players starting best 23 in 2026

29 - Liam Duggan

14

Liam Duggan

Age

28

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

283.7

4star

D

16.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

283.7

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.2

3star

32 - Elliot Yeo

6

Elliot Yeo

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.5

5star

K

11.7

4star

HB

7.8

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.5

5star

CL

3.0

4star

D

18.9

4star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

5.8

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.6

3star

CL

1.4

4star

31 - Tim Kelly

11

Tim Kelly

Age

31

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.6

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

10.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

19.9

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

7.6

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

3.6

4star

D

21.6

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

11.2

5star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.8

5star

28 - Jack Graham

17

Jack Graham

Age

27

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

6.3

5star

CL

1.8

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

6.5

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

CL

1.2

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

7.0

5star

CL

3.2

5star

28 - jake Waterman

2

Jake Waterman

Age

27

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.8

2star

K

7.8

3star

HB

2.0

1star

M

5.8

5star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

12.2

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

28 - Liam Baker

3

Liam Baker

Age

27

Ht

173cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.7

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

7.9

5star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

7.9

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

3star

CL

0.5

3star

D

14.4

4star

K

6.2

3star

HB

8.2

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

1.2

4star

29 - Matt Owies
28 - Matt Flynn
27 - Tyler Young
29 - Tom Cole

28

Tom Cole

Age

28

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.9

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

5.0

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

110.3

2star

D

10.5

3star

K

6.3

3star

HB

4.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.5

3star

MG

110.3

2star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

Yep West Coast are a young team

 

[Rich01]

Players ages by May 2026
10 players starting best 23 in 2026

29 - Liam Duggan
32 - Elliot Yeo
31 - Tim Kelly
28 - Jack Graham
28 - jake Waterman
28 - Liam Baker
29 - Matt Owies
28 - Matt Flynn
27 - Tyler Young
29 - Tom Cole

Yep West Coast are a young team

Missing Cripps.

 

[bzparkes]

When I look at the older players that saw you through this year ours are significantly superior.

Taranto, Hopper, Miller, Balta, Nankervis, Broad, Vlastuin, Lynch etc will mean we won’t have a west coast one game win next year.

Compare those names to Flynn, Ryan, Cripps, Duggan who played the majority of games as the senior leaders.

Chalk and Cheese.

Yeah, we thought the same until they all got injured/medically retired/fell off the cliff in 12 months.

 

[bzparkes]

Players ages by May 2026
10 players starting best 23 in 2026

29 - Liam Duggan
32 - Elliot Yeo
31 - Tim Kelly
28 - Jack Graham
28 - jake Waterman
28 - Liam Baker
29 - Matt Owies
28 - Matt Flynn
27 - Tyler Young
29 - Tom Cole

Yep West Coast are a young team

Still younger than Richmond.

 

[tiger_tough]

Still younger than Richmond.

And shitter

 

[Rich01]

Yeah, we thought the same until they all got injured/medically retired/fell off the cliff in 12 months.

Which players from your 2024 B&F specifically fit that bill?

 

[EagleMan87]

Players ages by May 2026
10 players starting best 23 in 2026

29 - Liam Duggan
32 - Elliot Yeo
31 - Tim Kelly
28 - Jack Graham
28 - jake Waterman
28 - Liam Baker
29 - Matt Owies
28 - Matt Flynn
27 - Tyler Young
29 - Tom Cole

Yep West Coast are a young team

33 - Prestia
33 - Lynch
33 - Broad
32 - Vlaustin
31 - Nankervis
30 - Short
29 - Hopper
28 - Taranto
27 - Lefau

This is fun!

 

[tiger_tough]

33 - Prestia
33 - Lynch
33 - Broad
32 - Vlaustin
31 - Nankervis
30 - Short
29 - Hopper
28 - Taranto
27 - Lefau

This is fun!

LOL @ Lefau

 

[THE_GUN]

33 - Prestia
33 - Lynch
33 - Broad
32 - Vlaustin
31 - Nankervis
30 - Short
29 - Hopper
28 - Taranto
27 - Lefau

This is fun!

Yes exactly my point
Both teams with similar older players but Richmonds seniors are higher quality as well as the Kids at Richmond higher draft picks.

So the delusion of Richmond yet to bottom out compared to the eagles is just that Delusional

 

[bzparkes]

Which players from your 2024 B&F specifically fit that bill?

Oh only Jeremy McGovern(Winner), Yeo(2nd, didn't play a game after preseason injury) and Waterman(3rd, shoulder reconstructed after injured in rnd 8).

Then of the rest of the top 10:
Barrass - traded
Cole - Fell off a cliff/sent to WAFL.
Kelly - Fell off a cliff/played WAFL.

Of our top 10, only 4 played consistent footy(Cripps, Hough, Duggan, Reid).

 

[bzparkes]

but Richmonds seniors are higher quality

 

[THE_GUN]

LOL @ Lefau

I named 10 eagles players and he could only manage 9 even with Lefau

Happy for you to make the comparisons
Yeo v Prestia - Both lucky to get on the park and should be retired but happy to give that to the eagles
Taranto v Kelly - LOL no competition
Flynn v Nankervis - LOL no competition
Vlastuin v Duggan - LOL no competition
Cole v Broad - LOL no competition
Hopper v Graham - Easily Hopper
Waterman v Lynch - I will give Eagles that due to age
Short v Owies - No even Carlton supporters would take him back
Baker v Broad - I love Bakes and Broad is in his last year so give that

But i could have done Baker v Vlastuin and Duggan v Broad which would have been an extra for Richmond but need to make it atleast reasonable

3/8


Time for another picture

 

[EagleMan87]

LOL @ Lefau

He's not best 22 when fit?

Yes exactly my point
Both teams with similar older players but Richmonds seniors are higher quality as well as the Kids at Richmond higher draft picks.

So the delusion of Richmond yet to bottom out compared to the eagles is just that Delusional

Eh, it's so hard to tell. It all depends on how many of the younger players come on, which is almost impossible to predict.

Agreed that you likely won't end up as WC 2025 (though that's not saying much...)

 

[THE_GUN]

He's not best 22 when fit?

Eh, it's so hard to tell. It all depends on how many of the younger players come on, which is almost impossible to predict.

Agreed that you likely won't end up as WC 2025 (though that's not saying much...)

Lefau only played when we had no other foward over 190cm

With Lynch , Armstrong , Faull , Fawcett , Sims
Lefaus is break glass in emergency

 

[tiger_tough]

He's not best 22 when fit?

Eh, it's so hard to tell. It all depends on how many of the younger players come on, which is almost impossible to predict.

Agreed that you likely won't end up as WC 2025 (though that's not saying much...)

Absolutely not.

 

[bzparkes]

I named 10 eagles players and he could only manage 9 even with Lefau


Happy for you to make the comparisons
Yeo v Prestia - Both lucky to get on the park and should be retired but happy to give that to the eagles
Taranto v Kelly - LOL no competition
Flynn v Nankervis - LOL no competition
Vlastuin v Duggan - LOL no competition
Cole v Broad - LOL no competition
Hopper v Graham - Easily Hopper
Waterman v Lynch - I will give Eagles that due to age
Short v Owies - No even Carlton supporters would take him back
Baker v Broad - I love Bakes and Broad is in his last year so give that

But i could have done Baker v Vlastuin and Duggan v Broad which would have been an extra for Richmond but need to make it atleast reasonable

3/8


Time for another picture

Yepa and that's the point. Last year our senior players were miles better. We even had 2 in the AA team.

Richmond supporters seem to be living in the moment and have seemingly convinced themselves the rebuild's over from all the Vic media glazing.

There's still a long way to go.

 

[EagleMan87]

Lefau only played when we had no other foward over 190cm

With Lynch , Armstrong , Faull , Fawcett , Sims
Lefaus is break glass in emergency

Cole, Flynn and Kelly were all dropped throughout 2025, and I can see that continuing into next year as their replacements come through. Hopefully Owies gets the same treatment.

Yeo and Cripps are in their last year.

 

[Obeanie1]

Players ages by May 2026
10 players starting best 23 in 2026

29 - Liam Duggan
32 - Elliot Yeo
31 - Tim Kelly
28 - Jack Graham
28 - jake Waterman
28 - Liam Baker
29 - Matt Owies
28 - Matt Flynn
27 - Tyler Young
29 - Tom Cole

Yep West Coast are a young team

Almost.............made a decent point.

Almost.

But........not quite. Lol.

 

[Rich01]

Yepa and that's the point. Last year our senior players were miles better. We even had 2 in the AA team.

Richmond supporters seem to be living in the moment and have seemingly convinced themselves the rebuild's over from all the Vic media glazing.

There's still a long way to go.

Nah we know there’s a long way to go.
We just don’t believe we will get to west coast cap in hand levels of awful before we move back up the ladder.

 

[tiger_tough]

Cole, Flynn and Kelly were all dropped throughout 2025, and I can see that continuing into next year as their replacements come through. Hopefully Owies gets the same treatment.

Yeo and Cripps are in their last year.

Yeo has 2 years left on his contract. Unbelievably.

 

[bzparkes]

Nah we know there’s a long way to go.
We just don’t believe we will get to west coast cap in hand levels of awful before we move back up the ladder.

I don't think any team will have a 1 win season again.

Having said that, despite less wins I felt much better about the direction of the club this year than I did at the end of 2024.

 

[Footy Smarts]

the Kids at Richmond higher draft picks.

Really? Players currently under 22:

Top 5 picks: WCE 3, Rich 1
Top 10 picks: WCE 4, Rich 4
Top 20 picks: WCE 7, Rich 6
Top 30 picks: WCE 11, Rich 9

 

[Obeanie1]

Yes exactly my point
Both teams with similar older players but Richmonds seniors are higher quality as well as the Kids at Richmond higher draft picks.

So the delusion of Richmond yet to bottom out compared to the eagles is just that Delusional

The lists proved the majority of Tigers vets are older than the Eagles vets.

Several key Tigers vets are 33 turning 34. 4 to 5 years older than the younger vets at the Eagles.

So not similar. Richmond are still relying on multiple vets now reaching their mid 30s to do the heavy lifting. That is undeniable. The B&F showed that clearly.

Pretty clear that those multiple 33 year olds won't be around for too much longer.

The majority of Richmond's centre square next generation haven't played 5 games together. Three of them haven't even debuted.