Opinion Which former Richmond players would be superstars if they played in the current team?

Remove this Banner Ad

TheUndertaker said:
Dean Polo.

Obviously had talent, played the blinder against Essendon and then was poisoned by our weak culture and s**t system.

Some will say, well he wasn't good enough, and that's true and hence, his irrelevance.

However, to play such an elite game of football in AFL, maybe the current Richmond would harnessed that.
Click to expand...

Bong Polo played one good game.
 
TheUndertaker said:
Dean Polo.

Obviously had talent, played the blinder against Essendon and then was poisoned by our weak culture and s**t system.

Some will say, well he wasn't good enough, and that's true and hence, his irrelevance.

However, to play such an elite game of football in AFL, maybe the current Richmond would harnessed that.
Click to expand...
Like a lot of good to average players, unless you have pace you can't get away with being good to average,
Matt White was the opposite, average player but great pace.
 
brett15 said:
Nathan G Brown would be the icing on the cake in our current forward line, and then throw Leon Cameron on the wing with Coughlan in the middle
Click to expand...
Cogs was like Cripps but faster! fecking bull dozer at the ball ups...One day at the G saw him run from the center straight over the top of an oncoming Blue's player...fecking awesome!
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Jono_Hain97 said:
A player’s success depends very often depends on the club he is drafted to, rather than the other way around. During the lost years, we saw a lot of promising players who didn’t quite make it. Here is a list of Richmond players who if they were drafted today, would likely have long and successul careers:

1. Jay Schultz- He showed what he could do when he kicked 6 goals against Brisbane, in one of his first ever games, but injuries and inconsistency meant that we never saw the best of him. While he went on to have a respectable career at port adelaide, one cannot help but wonder how he would go in the current Richmond lineup. With our fast ball movement and quality medical staff, Schultz would likely be fit and firing in our already star studed forward line

2. Andrew Collins- He had some flashes of brilliance, but like so many others he only played a handful of great games before struggling to have an impact at senior level. At his best he was lethal around the goals, and in our current team, he would get plenty of opportunity to hit the scorebord

3. Jeremy Weberley- A classy outside player with good foot skills, who showed a lot of potential in his first season. He would slot nicely into Brandon Ellis’ old position, and with Cotchin, Martin and Prestia around him, he would likely be a very good outside midfielder for a long time to come

4. Richard Tambling- Was the decision to take Richard Tambling one pick before Buddy Franklin the biggest blunder of the 21st century? Without question. But he was by no means a terrible footballer. He had pace to burn and pretty good foot skills as well. Unfortunately for Tambling, he was drafted during a very weak era, where we had virtually no quality senior players, to fill the void. As a result, him and Brett Deledio were left to shoulder the load in the midfield from day one, and while the latter thrived under these conditions, being an undersized starting midfielder from the getgo was a bit much for Tambling. As a result, we never really saw him string a consistent season together. But with Martin and co doing a majority of thr heavy lifting, Tambling would likely be a very handy player in our starting lineup.

5. Ben Nason- He looks a bit like Gyran Miers and is first year, was very plesurable to watch. He averaged almost a goal a game and played with plenty of spirit and enthusiasm. But just one year later he was delisted. Nason was very small, but with Lynch and Jack bringing the ball to ground as often as they do, Nason would feel right at home with our other small crumbing forwards at their feet

6. Daniel Connors- He was an absolute steal in the 2006 draft, as Champion data rated him a top 10 player. But he slipped all the way to us at pick 50. Unforuantely despite his tremendous talent, he got himself sacked due to disciplinary reasons. Given the fact we were lacking in senior leaders at the time, Connors quickly found himself out the door. But with Cotchin at the helm as skipper, we could likely see this troubled youngster turn his life around- in the same way as Martin and Pickett and have a successful onfield career.

7. Troy Taylor- The sky was the limit for this talented kid when he walked through our doors, but due to mental health reasons, he soon left the club and returned home after just one season. With the AFL doing more to raise awareness for mental health and show compassion and support to players battling depression, we cannot help but wonder what would happen if Troy Taylor was drafted today. He would likely be talked about as the next Dustin Martin and if he could find peace with in himself mentally, his potential would have been limitless

8. Matt White- He was often a whipping boy during the Terry Wallace days, but just as he was starting to find consistency, Port Adelaide made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. However, the opportunity to play in a premiership, may have been enough to sway him if he was still playing today. His pace and ability to kick a long goal, would perfectly compliment our high pressure game plan

9. Matthew Arnot- Despite his massive build, Arnot struggled to break into our starting lineup. He is very much in the Jack Graham mould- as he doesn’t get a lot of the ball, but has a strong body and is a tackling machine. These atteibutes would likely earn him a spot in our midfield, and with quality onballers around him, he likely would have developed into a fine contested player

10. Jake Bachelor- He wasn’t quite tall enough to play as a key position defender, but due to a lack of quality talls during his era, this is exactly where he played. I still remember him getting towelled up by Jarrad Waite in the 2015 elimination final, which likely cost us the match. However, with Grimes, Broad and Asbury around him, Bachelor would now be able to play on forwards more suited to his build and with his good foot skills and ability to take an intercept mark, he would likely have gone on to have a long and successful career, if he were to be drafted today
Click to expand...
Batchelor and White were just okay , Troy Taylor could have been a star but was a troubled player regularly in trouble with cops for assault. The others were absolute plodders. If we had just two or three of that lot on our list we wouldn't be the premier side. We were crap because they were on our list.
 
Jono_Hain97 said:
1. Jay Schultz- He showed what he could do when he kicked 6 goals against Brisbane, in one of his first ever games, but injuries and inconsistency meant that we never saw the best of him. While he went on to have a respectable career at port adelaide, one cannot help but wonder how he would go in the current Richmond lineup. With our fast ball movement and quality medical staff, Schultz would likely be fit and firing in our already star studed forward line

2. Andrew Collins- He had some flashes of brilliance, but like so many others he only played a handful of great games before struggling to have an impact at senior level. At his best he was lethal around the goals, and in our current team, he would get plenty of opportunity to hit the scorebord

3. Jeremy Weberley- A classy outside player with good foot skills, who showed a lot of potential in his first season. He would slot nicely into Brandon Ellis’ old position, and with Cotchin, Martin and Prestia around him, he would likely be a very good outside midfielder for a long time to come

4. Richard Tambling- Was the decision to take Richard Tambling one pick before Buddy Franklin the biggest blunder of the 21st century? Without question. But he was by no means a terrible footballer. He had pace to burn and pretty good foot skills as well. Unfortunately for Tambling, he was drafted during a very weak era, where we had virtually no quality senior players, to fill the void. As a result, him and Brett Deledio were left to shoulder the load in the midfield from day one, and while the latter thrived under these conditions, being an undersized starting midfielder from the getgo was a bit much for Tambling. As a result, we never really saw him string a consistent season together. But with Martin and co doing a majority of thr heavy lifting, Tambling would likely be a very handy player in our starting lineup.

5. Ben Nason- He looks a bit like Gyran Miers and is first year, was very plesurable to watch. He averaged almost a goal a game and played with plenty of spirit and enthusiasm. But just one year later he was delisted. Nason was very small, but with Lynch and Jack bringing the ball to ground as often as they do, Nason would feel right at home with our other small crumbing forwards at their feet

6. Daniel Connors- He was an absolute steal in the 2006 draft, as Champion data rated him a top 10 player. But he slipped all the way to us at pick 50. Unforuantely despite his tremendous talent, he got himself sacked due to disciplinary reasons. Given the fact we were lacking in senior leaders at the time, Connors quickly found himself out the door. But with Cotchin at the helm as skipper, we could likely see this troubled youngster turn his life around- in the same way as Martin and Pickett and have a successful onfield career.

7. Troy Taylor- The sky was the limit for this talented kid when he walked through our doors, but due to mental health reasons, he soon left the club and returned home after just one season. With the AFL doing more to raise awareness for mental health and show compassion and support to players battling depression, we cannot help but wonder what would happen if Troy Taylor was drafted today. He would likely be talked about as the next Dustin Martin and if he could find peace with in himself mentally, his potential would have been limitless

8. Matt White- He was often a whipping boy during the Terry Wallace days, but just as he was starting to find consistency, Port Adelaide made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. However, the opportunity to play in a premiership, may have been enough to sway him if he was still playing today. His pace and ability to kick a long goal, would perfectly compliment our high pressure game plan

9. Matthew Arnot- Despite his massive build, Arnot struggled to break into our starting lineup. He is very much in the Jack Graham mould- as he doesn’t get a lot of the ball, but has a strong body and is a tackling machine. These atteibutes would likely earn him a spot in our midfield, and with quality onballers around him, he likely would have developed into a fine contested player

10. Jake Bachelor- He wasn’t quite tall enough to play as a key position defender, but due to a lack of quality talls during his era, this is exactly where he played. I still remember him getting towelled up by Jarrad Waite in the 2015 elimination final, which likely cost us the match. However, with Grimes, Broad and Asbury around him, Bachelor would now be able to play on forwards more suited to his build and with his good foot skills and ability to take an intercept mark, he would likely have gone on to have a long and successful career, if he were to be drafted today
Click to expand...

Superstar is a huge stretch, but I think you've nailed some players who would be a lot better, or at the very least could work on our list as handy back ups fighting for spots.

Schulz - Still trade bait for me, how's he fitting in to a Lynch/Riewoldt forward line? I don't see us playing 3 talls regularly.

Collins - I would have liked if we kept him as he had flashes of great ability. In the current team, I'm not sure he gets a game.

Weberley - Meh, poor man's Lambert or some random VFL midfielder. I wouldn't have him in my sights.

Tambling - Yes, this one I'll pay. Reckon he could have been a very good dashing HBFer, as was his purple patch. A potential upgrade on Short, or dare I say it maybe a small pressure forward like Rioli.

Nason - Handy first year, but he'd just be another depth small forward, of which we had so many at some point. Probably still depth only.

Connors - He's a moron, I don't think that would change and he would have been toxic to our culture.

Taylor - We aren't going to turn everyone around, in all likelyhood he still would have had significant issues.

White - He's fast, but still limited. Depth at best, or another in the long list of fast pressure forward players we had.

Arnot - Not for me. He's tough and a big body, but didn't offer much else. He's not breaking into our midfield.

Bachelor - Yes, reminds me of a poor man's Vlastuin. Similar attributes, mid sized, asked to play tall, tough and a good intercept mark. He was a good player for a period of time, if he kept that same level he might have been valuable somewhere in the defensive rotation, or at worst a Vlastuin back up.
 
Brick Loosener said:
Bong Polo played one good game.
Click to expand...

DEAN POLO v Essendon, Round 6 2006

Dean Polo was drafted to Richmond with the 20th pick in 2004.

After a difficult first year, Polo earned his debut for the famous ‘Dreamtime at the G’ game in 2006.

The big-bodied midfielder collected 28 disposals (11 contested), had six marks and kicked three goals in his first game.

In fact, one of his goals came in the final minutes of the match to level the scores.

Richmond went on to win by two points and Polo was named best afield, winning the Yiooken Award.

Polo finished his 77-game career with the Saints, with his debut game as the best of the bunch.




1587112527704.png

And for those that may have forgotten:

MARTIN MCGRATH v Western Bulldogs, Round 17 2003

Richmond small forward Martin McGrath (cousin of Brisbane’s Ash) played only four games for the Tigers, but his debut game was as impressive as they come.

McGrath finished his first game with 12 touches, five goals, two behinds, five marks and three inside-50s.
 
Grrr said:
Schultz would fit in nicely at CHB. thought that was where he played his best footy for us. His kicking to release would be like Vlastuin's, both elite kicks.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't think so personally, our defence is elite and I don't think Schulz would have been a good enough player to dislodge one of our recent talls.
 
juss said:
I wouldn't think so personally, our defence is elite and I don't think Schulz would have been a good enough player to dislodge one of our recent talls.
Click to expand...
We have one key defender against tall players in Astbury. Broad and Grimes cannot take 197cm players. Schultz played some great games at CHB, was mobile, a great mark and an elite kick. Played very much like a taller Vlastuin and could take Broads spot easily. Each to their own.
 
Bojangles17 said:
You’d love richo to be playing week in week out in a side of this quality , flea too. They’re two players that played too much of their careers in average sides at best ,,,,
Click to expand...
We've already got George running around like crazy, flying for hangers, and kicking like rubbish. So, no room for Richo
 
This Is Anfield said:
After watching the game against Norf in 1997 I reckon Mark Merenda would be a gun... if our current fitness/medical staff kept him fit.
Click to expand...
Not a doubt in my mind. Injuries meant he predominantly played forward, but he had the tools to be a great midfielder. His 1996 season as a 20-year-old, when he averaged 19 disposals and a goal a game, was unfortunately the only real taste we had of it. He got 15 Brownlow votes that year to finish equal 12th with Platten and Carey (Voss and Hird won it with 21), after he came into the season with only 22 games under his belt.

R2: 26 disposals v Hawthorn
R3: 22, 1 goal v Brisbane
R4: 26, 2 Brownlow votes v Sydney
R5: 23, 1 goal, 2 votes v Geelong at Geelong. I was at this game, we should have won - Chris Naish missed a set shot (hit the post?) just before the siren and we lost by 3 - 12.16 to 13.13. Other than the Naish miss, Merenda's brilliance is my lasting memory of that cold day on the Moorabool St terraces.
R6: 26, 2 goals, 3 votes v Fitzroy
R7: 21, 5 goals, 3 votes v Footscray

He tailed off a bit after that but still had some good performances:
R14: 20, 1 vote v West Coast
R16: 29, 1 goal, 1 vote v Essendon
R17: 25, 1 goal, 1 vote v Hawthorn
R19: 13, 2 goals v Sydney
R20: 35, 2 votes in a rare 65-point flogging of Geelong. Big Juzzy Charles stole the 3 with 22 touches, 6 marks and 16 hitouts. Tape got 1 vote for 18 touches (did he do a job on someone?). Old mate Robbie Powell had a lazy 22 and 5 for 0 votes!
R21: 20, 1 goal v Fitzroy.

It can be a fine line between greatness and obscurity.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Welcome to dudsville people. Lol at the suggestion all of them were good players or would do better today.. They were all cut in the end because even our poorly run footy dept eventually worked out nearly all of them had too many deficiencies.

When will people come to terms with the FACT THAT for 30 odd yrs we mainly recruited duds. Most of whom were never going to make it in a good side or poor side.Cmon people we were so shizen for so long because they were crap.
 
mopsy said:
Welcome to dudsville people. Lol at the suggestion all of them were good players or would do better today.. They were all cut in the end because even our poorly run footy dept eventually worked out nearly all of them had too many deficiencies.

When will people come to terms with the FACT THAT for 30 odd yrs we mainly recruited duds. Most of whom were never going to make it in a good side or poor side.Cmon people we were so shizen for so long because they were crap.
Click to expand...
Bet your a fun guy at a party...jeez it's just speculation re past rfc players...
 
mopsy said:
Welcome to dudsville people. Lol at the suggestion all of them were good players or would do better today.. They were all cut in the end because even our poorly run footy dept eventually worked out nearly all of them had too many deficiencies.

When will people come to terms with the FACT THAT for 30 odd yrs we mainly recruited duds. Most of whom were never going to make it in a good side or poor side.Cmon people we were so shizen for so long because they were crap.
Click to expand...
Correct. Nearly all players mentioned were garbage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Football Tragic
Which player gave you the most hope, when they arrived?
3 4 5 6 7
Replies
152
Views
7K
Lacustrus
Lacustrus
AstuteTiger
Analysis Jon Ralph runs the rule over Richmond’s current group, its future and everything in between
2 3
Replies
60
Views
4K
tiger_tough
tiger_tough
AllHart
AFL Grand Final Flashback to 2017: Richmond's first ever Grand Final parade featuring Richmond & Adelaide players.
Replies
21
Views
817
lllscroatlll
L
SA_Tiger11
Which two players from another club?
2
Replies
38
Views
1K
Truetiger
Truetiger
Lsta062
  • Poll
Strategy Selling the farm vs Retiring Premiership players at Richmond
2
Replies
46
Views
2K
THE THIN MAN
THE THIN MAN
Rioli2Rioli
  • Poll
Which player under 21 will become best 22 player in 2023
Replies
24
Views
1K
Drunken Wookie
Drunken Wookie
Cdog71
  • Poll
Strategy TARYN THOMAS- ..would ya?
2 3
Replies
67
Views
2K
richoplzbreed
richoplzbreed

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top