Richmond hopeful of more premierships with talent-laden list
Richmond star Dion Prestia believes the Tigers have more premiership success ahead, saying the premiership window is wide open as the club stockpiles young talent and quality draft picks.
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Richmond star Dion Prestia is hopeful the Tigers can cash in on their wide-open premiership window and replicate the dynasties of Brisbane and Hawthorn in the past two decades.
The club is perfectly placed to secure another premiership with the current crop given their powerful draft position and the vast stockpile of talented youngsters.
After Brandon Ellis joins Gold Coast as a free agent the Tigers will add a compensation pick to current draft selections 18, 36 and 37 and will secure indigenous talent Maurice Rioli Jr in November 2020.
Alex Rance, Jack Graham, Jack Higgins and Sydney Stack should resume in Round 1 next year, with Jack Ross, Riley Collier-Dawkins, Mabior Chol and Callum Coleman-Jones all pushing for opportunities.
Prestia told the Herald Sun that at only 26 he was hopeful the Tigers could keep adding silverware after two premierships and a preliminary final in three seasons.
“I have definitely thought of that. Having two in three years is incredible but you look at Brisbane of the early 2000s and what Hawthorn did. We are just going to get stronger next year having Alex back,” Prestia said.
“He will be ready to go day one and Sydney’s going to have a full pre-season and Marlion as well, so really if you look at it we are going to get better next year.
“It’s exciting but you have to take this in as much as possible because you never know when it’s going to happen.”
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Richmond has only three players over the age of 30 and have been able to make risky recruiting decisions on Stack and Pickett that in hindsight are masterstrokes.
Maurice Rioli’s father won the 1982 Norm Smith Medal for the Tigers, with Daniel Rioli the cousin of Maurice Jr.
“Some of the indigenous boys in our team are just incredible. They have stood up all year and in the finals series, the likes of Shai Bolton and for him to get a premiership medal as well is amazing. It would be nice to have another Daniel running around,” Prestia said.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said on Sunday that the club was confident of its list position.
“I don’t think we’re probably going to be as active as what we have been,” he said.
“We’ll go to the draft, of course, but I’m very confident with where our list is at. The youth, young Jack Ross as well, Jack Graham, the VFL ... Craig McRae has done an incredible job. There’s a lot of youth trying to get through.”
Richmond will secure pick 19 in the national draft when Gold Coast is handed a priority pick on Monday, as well as picks 36 and 37.
The Tigers won’t secure a first-round compensation selection for Ellis when leaves for the Suns on a five-year, $600,000 deal.
His salary would need to be over $700,000 per season to hand the Tigers that selection, but Richmond will find out soon whether it has secured an end-of-first-round or second-round compensation pick.
The Tigers are also likely to get another selection for Dan Butler, who has been linked to Carlton and seems set for a new start.
Originally published as Richmond hopeful of more premierships with talent-laden list
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