Which player gave you the most hope, when they arrived?

[Football Tragic]

I was reflecting on the past when we first drafted the likes of Lids, Cotchin, Dusty, Jack. I was trying to think which player excited and gave me the most hope, on their arrival to Punt Road.

Despite Richo being my all time favourite, for me, it was Lids. After so long without success, Deledio's arrival (along with the other Fab5) heralded a new dawn for the club....well at least, that's what we all hoped. He was so silky, with a dead straight, penetrating kick. He could play anywhere. He was a sensational mark for his size. Won all our time trials and seemed like a mature young kid.

Our midfield was so sh.ite though, that he was tagged almost immediately. Like Richo before him, I wonder what sort of player he could have become with the right development and coaching. Oh well, I guess we wouldn't have won the three flags if that had of happened.

So who in their first couple of years of arriving, gave you the most hope!?

 

[Willo_23]

 

[Football Tragic]

Funny you should add him but I remember being pumped when he arrived. He played a blinder during the preseason, stepping through traffic on the 50 and drilling it. Many 'experts' predicted him to be the best performing player for the year....and then, it all went to sh.ite.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Richo by a country mile.
He was like a new born gazelle.
Richo should have a statue before Cotch and Dusty.
He kept our club afloat.

 

[tiger_tough]

 

[barracoutta]

Brad Ottens

Brad Ottens

Age

44

Ht

202cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.3

4star

CL

2.7

4star

HO

16.9

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.6

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.6

3star

HO

7.4

5star

leaving and cogs going down with that knee destroyed any hope i had of a Richmond side being competitive again

 

[Coach_Required]

Brad Ottens leaving and cogs going down with that knee destroyed any hope i had of a Richmond side being competitive again

Then a few years later Nathan Brown breaking his leg was a double blow.

 

[Sir_Loin]

View attachment 1862216

One of the hardest nuts I’ve seen. * he was good before he got injured

 

[Sir_Loin]

Had high hopes for Marc Dragicevic

Marc Dragicevic

Age

43

Ht

180cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.2

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

3.1

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

0.9

3star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.2

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

0.4

3star

he looked like a real player before injuries. He looked bloody good.

I think there’s a distinction. Those that could have made it if it wasn’t for injury and those that didn’t make it for some other reason.

Coughlan is a case in point. He was an animal in his first few years. If we got 10 years out of him who knows

 

[richoplzbreed]

1995 after Richo went down we were playing WCE at princess park and anyone who can remember the weagles used to beat up on us for fun often making us look like boys against men. In his debut game I reckon within 10 minutes directly in front of where we were sitting he'd absolutely polaxed Jackovich fairly. Worsfold charged at him to demonstrate and he basically picked him up and suplexed him.

A mini melee broke out and I just remember seeing number 23 looking like he wanted to take on the entire WCE team who were all sh1tting themselves avoiding him. Meanwhile Jackovich and Worsfold looked like a couple of useless sacks of spuds laying in a heap. We ended up smashing them by 10 goals that day. It didn't take long to learn the name Steven Jurica and within days I had 23 on my Woolen jumper. He ended up averaging 2 goals a game he was as strong as an ox. I remember thinking him and Richo would form a lethal combo in 96 but sadly he was basically used as Richo's decoy as all the players stopped kicking to him. Honourable mention to Justin Plapp

Justin Plapp

Age

46

Ht

189cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.7

2star

K

7.0

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.7

3star

G

0.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

7.6

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.6

5star

with his 14 goals in 8 games in 98.

 

[Grrr]

As a kid I thought Allan Edwards was going to be the next Royce Hart. Went the same as Hart, the dreaded knee.
Sydney Stack

44

Sydney Stack

Age

23

Ht

179cm

Wt

75kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.5

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

8.7

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

3.0

5star

MG

202.0

3star

D

9.8

2star

K

3.4

1star

HB

6.4

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.8

4star

MG

133.0

2star

D

16.2

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.6

5star

T

3.0

5star

MG

227.4

4star

was a beauty, went the same way as Ned Kelly, metaphorically.

 

[smurfin]

From just reading player profiles before they even played a game for us: Troy Taylor

Troy Taylor

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

8.3

2star

K

6.0

2star

HB

2.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.5

5star

G

0.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.3

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

2.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.5

5star

G

0.8

4star

From getting excited over early games and potential: Stephen Jurica & Dan Connors


Plus, Jayden Post

Jayden Post

Age

34

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.4

3star

K

5.3

2star

HB

5.1

4star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.1

3star

No current season stats available

D

12.0

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.8

4star

just needed a decent run of games....

 

[Morro]

I think we all hoped Lids would lead us out of the abyss.

 

[tigerdan]

1995 after Richo went down we were playing WCE at princess park and anyone who can remember the weagles used to beat up on us for fun often making us look like boys against men. In his debut game I reckon within 10 minutes directly in front of where we were sitting he'd absolutely polaxed Jackovich fairly. Worsfold charged at him to demonstrate and he basically picked him up and suplexed him.

A mini melee broke out and I just remember seeing number 23 looking like he wanted to take on the entire WCE team who were all sh1tting themselves avoiding him. Meanwhile Jackovich and Worsfold looked like a couple of useless sacks of spuds laying in a heap. We ended up smashing them by 10 goals that day. It didn't take long to learn the name Steven Jurica and within days I had 23 on my Woolen jumper. He ended up averaging 2 goals a game he was as strong as an ox. I remember thinking him and Richo would form a lethal combo in 96 but sadly he was basically used as Richo's decoy as all the players stopped kicking to him. Honourable mention to Justin Plapp with his 14 goals in 8 games in 98.

View attachment 1862251View attachment 1862252

I was at that game. Malthouse cracked the sads and gave an 8 second press conference and stormed out (what a w***er). In the paper the next day under injuries for West Coast, The Age put "pride: severely dented".

And yes, the man mountain Jurica was all over it that day,

 

[tigerdan]

For me, the biggest hope was Ottens.

He was the next Corey McKernan

Corey Mckernan

Age

50

Ht

197cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

9.0

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

5.1

5star

T

0.7

3star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

9.2

3star

K

5.6

3star

HB

3.6

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

1.0

3star

G

1.2

4star

. Everyone knew he was going to be an absolute star, especially with Richo in the side.

Look the campaigner went on to success at Geelong and good luck to him, but it was damn disrespectful for him to be the "homecoming hero" for Geelong in that famous QF. Course, we got our revenge tenfold that night so he can GGF.

 

[beema limapep]

Everyone at the time knew that Dragicevic would be something special if he could get over his injuries.

A once in a lifetime player in the mould of Bontempelli.

Sadly it wasn't to be

 

[beema limapep]

For me, the biggest hope was Ottens.

He was the next Corey McKernan. Everyone knew he was going to be an absolute star, especially with Richo in the side.

Look the campaigner went on to success at Geelong and good luck to him, but it was damn disrespectful for him to be the "homecoming hero" for Geelong in that famous QF. Course, we got our revenge tenfold that night so he can GGF.

Ring that bell Bradley.

 

[tiggywigs]

Trent Cotchin

9

Trent Cotchin

Age

34

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.4

5star

K

13.8

5star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

5.2

5star

D

19.0

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.5

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

4.3

5star

CL

3.5

4star

D

16.6

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

8.6

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.0

3star

.
He just oozed class and commitment.
It felt like the dawn of a very dark night had broken.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Stack...
And then Cogs...guy was Cripps incarnate!

 

[TigerImposter]

Trent Cotchin

9

Trent Cotchin

Age

34

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.4

5star

K

13.8

5star

HB

9.5

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

3.9

5star

CL

5.2

5star

D

19.0

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

9.5

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

4.3

5star

CL

3.5

4star

D

16.6

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

8.6

5star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.0

3star

for me bc he was a born leader with class and that’s what the club severely lacked for decades. He was the type that strived for excellence in everything he did.

 

[THE_GUN]

I thought this kid would become the player dusty ended up being

 

[tropicaltiger]

Richard Lounder, watched him from the fence at the G 1 day and North Melbourne players were like
8 year olds trying to stop him. kicked four or 5, practically just parked himself in the goal square.

 

[Morro]

Everyone at the time knew that Dragicevic would be something special if he could get over his injuries.

A once in a lifetime player in the mould of Bontempelli.

Sadly it wasn't to be

Was he that good was he? I remember plenty said about him, but never got to see much of him myself.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

I think we all hoped Lids would lead us out of the abyss.

Yep, the day Deledio, Tambling, Meyer arrived we were going to win a flag within the next 5 years.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

I'm gonna tell my kids that this was the Backstreet Boys