The inside story of Collingwood’s decision to effectively trade Jake Riccardi to GWS and why it has been a win-win for both clubs
Collingwood was circling Jake Riccardi before last year’s AFL draft, but the AFL’s latest Rising Star nominee landed at GWS. This is the inside story of how the Pies handed him to the Giants.
Collingwood
Don't miss out on the headlines from Collingwood. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Jake Riccardi is kicking goals for Greater Western Sydney and rival clubs are kicking themselves.
How did they let this developing key forward slip through the 2017 and 2018 drafts and then to pick No. 51 last year?
In total 313 players were drafted before the Giants called Riccardi’s name.
Some seem to think Collingwood would top the frustration chart.
The Magpies completed a mountain of homework on Riccardi, 20, and considered taking him straight out of the TAC Cup.
But the goalkicker had a tendency to float wildly in and out of form, making him harder to read than a Chinese newspaper.
They were also wary that the strike-rate of talls taken in the rookie draft was low.
Then last year their eyes popped at Riccardi’s improvement in the VFL.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Watch every match of every round Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
Suddenly, the good games started to string together.
Riccardi booted four goals for Werribee in Round 17 and then 6.2 in Round 18.
Playing on crammed VFL ovals he would find space where others would find trouble.
Some clubs spoke to Riccardi in the lead-up to last season‘s mid-year draft.
But his hot streak gained steam after that, and so he was left on the shelf as the likes of Will Snelling (Essendon), Marlion Pickett (Richmond) and John Noble (Collingwood) started their AFL careers in May.
Pies coach Nathan Buckley was in need of a focal point and Riccardi was available.
So why isn’t he a Magpie?
The answer is simply because they ranked Trey Ruscoe even higher, and held their nerve on draft night.
Collingwood‘s plan was always to take Ruscoe, 19, with its last pick, and that’s exactly what transpired.
Been a lot of talk about Collingwood being keen on young Werribee forward Jake Riccardi. If he is drafted, the past 14 winners of the VFL’s Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal will have advanced to AFL lists. Fingers crossed for Jake and the other VFL players in contention.
— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) November 28, 2019
Strong grab from @WerribeeFC's Jake Riccardi 🙌#VFL pic.twitter.com/xs7BpXWODJ
— 7VFL (@7VFL) June 30, 2019
It was tight between Ruscoe and Riccardi, but once that call was made the Magpies decided to gift-wrap Riccardi to GWS.
Giants coach Leon Cameron requested a tall or medium forward and his recruiters rated Riccardi at pick 30.
But they did not have a selection in that range.
So once pick 40 rolled around they hit the phones, desperate to trade into the draft.
Finally, at pick 51, the Magpies answered the call. The Pies held 51 and 55 and knew they’d land Ruscoe at 55.
So they sent No. 51 to GWS – aware it would be used on Riccardi – in a deal that also saw the Pies move up the order in this year’s draft.
Importantly, they now hold a selection in every round.
Like the Giants did with Riccardi, the Magpies ranked Ruscoe a long way ahead of where they landed him.
They fell in love with the West Australian’s versatility, believing he was one of only a few players who could play in all three parts of the ground.
Ruscoe had excelled as a forward and a midfielder before he was surprisingly deployed in defence at last year‘s national championships.
It was an inspired move and left Ruscoe on the edge of Under-18 All-Australian selection.
Already he has been a spark for the Magpies, booting 5.4 in four AFL games, even if his mum missed his first goal due to a cigarette break.
Riccardi is rocking at the Giants, already displacing spearhead Jeremy Finlayson who is now considered trade bait.
But make no mistake. The Maggies are rapt with Ruscoe.
🗣 | Werribee senior coach Mark 'Choco' Williams with some wonderful words on the club's 2019 draftee, Jake Riccardi 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/Rstvgo7pCE
— Werribee FC (@WerribeeFC) December 2, 2019
Michael Barlow was pretty keen on his Werribee teammate Jake Riccardi’s prospects for last year’s VFL Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal. He did win it, 10 years after Barlow. And he’s been terrific in two games for the Giants. Don’t undersell the VFL. pic.twitter.com/UtajUyXrol
— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) August 29, 2020
MORE AFL NEWS:
COLLINGWOOD’S GAMEPLAN REVEALED: SECRET NEW ROLE FOR PENDLES
TOM PAPLEY TO VICTORIA? THE PREMIUM PRICE SWAN NOW CARRIES
WHO ARE TOP-25 DRAFT PROSPECTS OUTSIDE VICTORIA?
Originally published as The inside story of Collingwood’s decision to effectively trade Jake Riccardi to GWS and why it has been a win-win for both clubs