1-44: Jon Ralph ranks every Richmond and GWS player ahead of the 2019 AFL Grand Final
It’s the red-hot Tigers up against the aggressive, in-your-face Giants. But where does the biggest star power lie and who has greater depth? Jon Ralph ranks the 44 Grand Final participants.
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The 2019 AFL Grand Final looms as an intriguing battle between the surging, get-the-ball-forward at all costs Tigers and the aggressive, in-your-face Giants.
But where does the real star power lie?
Ahead of Saturday’s clash for footy’s ultimate prize, Herald Sun expert Jon Ralph ranks every player and their potential impact.
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1 DUSTIN MARTIN (Rich)
Dusty turns into Luke Hodge as a dual Norm Smith Medallist and he guarantees Swan St erupts and Richmond is on the way to a dynasty.
2 TOM LYNCH (Rich)
Line them up in the schoolyard and only Dusty eclipses him. Fresh from five goals out of 12, four contested marks and the scalp of Harry Taylor. Born for September.
3 TOBY GREENE (GWS)
All that pent-up emotion gets to erupt on the MCG. The midfield firestarter or attacking freak gets involved early. Played perfect game against Richmond in Round 7 — 34 touches, two goals, 10 score involvements.
4 JEREMY CAMERON (GWS)
The wunderkind from Dartmoor is finally influencing finals, getting Garthwaite and Broad in Round 3 and Vlastuin and Grimes in Round 17. Astbury put Himmelberg to sleep in Round 17 — time to hand him one of footy’s biggest jobs?
5 MATT DE BOER (GWS)
Has taken five consecutive scalps — Marcus Bontempelli, David Swallow, The Bont again, Lachie Neale and Scott Pendlebury. This game’s only pure tagger can change the day by taking down Dusty.
6 LACHIE WHITFIELD (GWS)
If Dimma lets him run free, then shut the gate because it might be over. Who runs with this metres-gained monster?
7 DION PRESTIA (Rich)
Don’t look now but the human meatball has put together six excellent finals for the Tigers, last year’s prelim the only blemish. No one has tagged him yet despite the spectre of de Boer.
8 BACHAR HOULI (Rich)
Leon Cameron must stop this rampant score source, the brilliant Houli often running ahead of the play but the key to all of Richmond’s half-back movement.
9 PHIL DAVIS (GWS)
Giants heart-and-soul, the best interceptor this year, the bloke who always gets Tom Lynch ... and with a bung calf, no matter how he spins it.
10 DYLAN GRIMES (Rich)
Opponents get chills when he sidles up to them. No player has enhanced his rep more this
year. Sneaky Norm Smith chance if he gets it done on Greene/Cameron.
11 NICK HAYNES (GWS)
The comp’s third-best intercept marker was supreme against Collingwood with 10. With Richmond playing only two talls, he will again get good looks on mid-sizers including Jason Castagna.
12 JACK RIEWOLDT (Rich)
Jack might be grumpy we put him this far down, but every chance to steal the limelight again after two six-possession finals.
13 JOSH KELLY (GWS)
Reckon Josh is ticking off that clause on a 10-year deal as we speak after 14 games this year for 11 100-ranking point games, two in the 90s and one in the 80s.
14 SHANE EDWARDS (Rich)
A pair of quiet games against GWS this year but whenever Richmond mount their surge it will be Edwards with those clean hands flicking out handballs to surging teammates.
15 ZAC WILLIAMS (GWS)
Another sneaky Norm Smith contender to surge like Jason Johannisen off half back or let loose in the midfield like last week (10 clearances, five centre square clearances, a goal).
16 TRENT COTCHIN (Rich)
Hasn’t had 30 touches since Round 1, hasn’t hit 20 possessions since Round 18. But Cotchin is bringing the heat (and hurt) as an aggressive, tackling midfield general.
17 TIM TARANTO (GWS)
Here’s the stat line from his cracking preliminary final: 26 touches, 23 kicks, eight clearances, six tackles, five marks, six groundball gets. What doesn’t this flint-hard third-year St Kevins boys do well?
18 SHANE MUMFORD (GWS)
Must at least break-even with Soldo/Nankervis. Brodie Grundy will rue his 73 hit-outs (and 13 to advantage) being squandered before Mummy came up big late.
19 KANE LAMBERT (Rich)
His unrewarded running covers Dustin Martin’s butt, with Lambert still sneaking forward for 17 goals this year. Form not as flashy as the past two seasons, but almost identical stats.
20 IVAN SOLDO (Rich)
The category B rookie from Canberra couldn’t kick a footy five years ago. Will lead Richmond’s ruck, fresh from a breakout finals (11 hit-outs to advantage v Brisbane, great defensive marking v the Cats).
21 DAVID ASTBURY (Rich)
With Dylan Grimes likely to have his hands full with Toby Greene, it is up to this man to command the air in the backline. Hugely underrated.
22 HEATH SHAW (GWS)
Can play pure lockdown on a Jason Castagna/Daniel Rioli type or put on the afterburners for a 500 metres-gained day. Will need every bit of the calm and poise he has developed.
23 SAM TAYLOR (GWS)
The 20-year-old should be a multiple All Australian defender by the time his career is up. Kept Jack Riewoldt goalless in 65 minutes in Round 17. Five intercept marks last week.
24 NICK VLASTUIN (Rich)
A footballer’s footballer, unflinching and yet going at 80 per cent by foot this year. Got Matt Buntine twice this year so will need to find another match-up.
25 JEREMY FINLAYSON (GWS)
Another GWS revelation, the defender turned matchwinner has multiple goals in three finals (3, 2, and 2) as well as 44 goals, 33 score assists and 137 score involvements for the season.
26 JACOB HOPPER (GWS)
This kid is built for a September rough-and-tough contest. An inside bull, he is the king of footy’s new sexy stat: the groundball get — 13, 10 and 13 in three finals.
27 BRENT DANIEL (GWS)
How about this kid’s finals series — 21 touches against the Dogs, the matchwinner against the Lions, 14 quality touches (83 ranking points) last week. A 170cm game-breaker.
28 LIAM BAKER (Rich)
The kid from Lake Grace (OK, the other one) threw himself into aerial contests with abandon last week. As a small defender his one-touch hands and smart decision making.
29 BRANDON ELLIS (Rich)
In his last game for the Tigers, as usual he will flip between wing and half back, run hard and hit targets. If this is it for him, they have been 175 high-quality games.
30 HARRY PERRYMAN (GWS)
Might rank higher by Saturday night if he can reprise his brilliant tag on Steele Sidebottom. In Round 17 as a pure wingman on Ellis/Kamdyn McIntosh, he got 27 touches and 11 intercepts rolling back.
31 HARRY HIMMELBERG (GWS)
Goalless in the past two finals and only two for September. Can set a final alight, as we saw with his four goals against the Tigers in the 2017 prelim.
32 TOBY NANKERVIS (Rich)
We all know what Nank can do, as a hands-dirty follow-up ruck who is a solid down-the-line target. But is he capable off his groin issues?
33 NATHAN BROAD (Rich)
His only plaudits are internal. Kept Tom Lynch goalless in the 2017 decider and can play on a small like Gary Ablett (last week) or Coleman Medallist like Jeremy Cameron.
34 JOSH CADDY (Rich)
It’s not the role the ex-Sun and Cat would have drawn up after a remarkable 46.15 last year but he has found a niche as a wingman who can clog up holes in defence if needed.
35 JASON CASTAGNA (Rich)
The rookie came up big with two goals last week, nailing his chances after 27.23 for the year. Kicked the sealer in 2017 and needs to hunt GWS defenders to set the tone.
36 JAYDEN SHORT (Rich)
If Houli is locked down, this former rookie needs to find dare and dash as he pumps the ball forward after a trio of games with 597, 640 and 613 metres gained.
37 SAM REID (GWS)
Hasn’t missed a game this year as a mid-sized defender. Tends to get the resting mid like Kane Lambert or Shane Edwards.
38 SHAI BOLTON (Rich)
Thought he had won a heartbreaker on debut against the Giants before his goal was disallowed. Adds dash and overlap as a half forward coming up to stoppages.
39 ADAM KENNEDY (GWS)
Pacy defender has overcome a heart issue and a knee injury to play 22 games this year, keeping Sidebottom to four touches in a quarter as he and Perryman tag-teamed the Pies star.
40 AIDAN CORR (GWS)
Another pure role player for GWS who has played the last five as a dour defender, shutting out Ben Reid last up. Rarely noticed 85.5 per cent kicking accuracy this year.
41 DANIEL RIOLI (Rich)
Averaging just 12 touches and 0.8 goals a game yet defines the Tigers’ pressure game. Riolis are so built for magnificent Grand Final moments and he plays an important, selfless role.
42 ADAM TOMLINSON (GWS)
No Giant plays a more selfless role, the 194cm wingman turning into a chop-out ruckman (20 possessions against Brodie Grundy last week) and does much of the unrewarded running on a wing.
43 DANIEL LLOYD (GWS)
Another adaptable role player who could get the defensive role on attacking half back Houli or play back on Martin.
44 MARLION PICKETT (Rich)
Footy’s greatest story this year and its most unknown quantity. He comes up big every time in state-league finals but this is another level.