AFL trade news: Follow the latest Richmond contract and trade moves
From trades to Tom Lynch, deciding whether to make Dustin Martin captain is the tip of the iceberg for a Richmond team suddenly staring at some major challenges.
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Richmond supporters have always bought into the bargain that as long as Dustin Martin brought the heroics each weekend they were happy for him to be seen and not heard.
Martin has come a long way from the awkward figure who walked out of an MCG 2017 press conference when his contract was the subject of such intense scrutiny.
But as he enters the conversation as the potential captain of the Richmond football club, it is difficult to see the upside for the Tigers or the player himself.
A significant part of any role as a captain is the front-facing obligations — to the media, to the sponsors, as a wet blanket to douse controversy, as Cotchin did so many times.
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When the Tigers needed to cauterise the wound early this year after Damien Hardwick’s marriage break-up, there was Cotchin fronting up to the media in February and striking exactly the right balance.
He cracked gags in a club-sponsored Jeep, made clear he and wife Brooke would support both Mr and Mrs Hardwick, and put a perfect full stop on the issue from a public point of view.
Can you imagine Martin in that situation given that almost every one of his public appearances is highly stage-managed?
From brief post-match interviews to his promotions for his Bonds commercials to his interactions to football broadcasters, access is very limited and absolutely on his terms.
It is why Martin should get on with the business of playing brilliant football — perhaps after being elevated into the leadership group — as the likes of Dylan Grimes, Jack Riewoldt, Jack Graham or Nick Vlastuin contend for the Tigers captaincy.
There is no perfect fit to replace Cotchin — Grimes is 30, Riewoldt might be in his last year, Graham finished second in the best-and-fairest, but is only 23.
And as Richmond faces a turbulent summer with decisions that will shape its next five years, the captaincy issue is just one of a number of questions without easy answers.
On Wednesday the Tigers lost a key forward-ruck in Callum Coleman-Jones, who was expected to be a centrepiece of their attacking plans in the coming seasons.
Richmond has lost fringe players like Jack Higgins, Oleg Markov and Dan Butler in recent years for greater opportunities, but losing a potential star like Coleman-Jones to the wooden spoon team?
Unprecedented.
It came in the same week Mabior Chol walked to the Gold Coast, and while Chol’s best is eye-catching there were differing opinions within Punt Rd about whether he was ever going to make it.
But at 22 Coleman-Jones is exactly the kind of player Hardwick would have believed would set the Tigers up for their next premiership tilt.
The Roos won’t give up pick 20 and have the threat of the pre-season draft to secure Coleman-Jones, so potentially accepting a later pick will be galling for a club that put four years into a player taken at pick 20 in the 2017 national draft.
If 2022 is to be Jack Riewoldt’s last year, the pressure on Hardwick to reinvigorate Tom Lynch after successive seasons with moderate output (32.37 and 35.33) only heightens.
Richmond was a clear victim of Steve Hocking’s stand rule — put in place after witnessing the Tigers zealously guarding the mark and shutting off inboard kicks — so how does Hardwick tweak his game plan?
The Tigers’ turnover game was still high in 2021 —they scored the second-most points from turnovers — but a midfield decimated by injuries was ranked 16th in contested possession, 16th in points from stoppage differential, 18th in clearance differential.
Ivan Soldo and Toby Nankervis will share ruck duties next year but neither can play the Coleman-Jones forward-ruck role; Nankervis has 29 goals in 98 games and Soldo nine goals in 36 games.
The small forwards who were Richmond’s strength were off the boil this year apart from Shai Bolton. Jake Aarts kicked three goals in his last 11 games, Jason Castagna finished 16th in the Jack Dyer Medal, Dan Rioli was pushed into defence, Matt Parker added some flair as a high half-forward but kicked three goals in six games.
The defence loses David Astbury and Bachar Houli, but could bring in Daniel Talia in the Astbury lockdown role.
Chol ‘s departure will likely result in a third-round compensation pick, while Coleman-Jones might secure the Tigers a pick around 30.
It could result in a draft hand of 7, 15, 26, 38, 30-ish (Coleman Jones), 40 and 44.
So the challenge for Hardwick is to evolve the game plan, reboot Lynch, rediscover the forward pressure and find replacements for Astbury and Houli.
All the while knowing he might lose Trent Cotchin and Riewoldt by the end of next year.
Richmond owes its fans nothing after three flags in four seasons, which is why the 2021 stinker was so free of blame or controversy.
But suddenly the Tigers need to fill roles with the upcoming draft rather than add to an elite talent base if Richmond is to compete against the likes of Melbourne in coming seasons.
Tigers’ loss a boost for Roos rebuild
— Michael Warner, Jon Ralph
Richmond ruckman Mabior Chol is headed to the Gold Coast Suns.
Chol — an unrestricted free agent — formally agreed to a four-year deal with the Queensland expansion club on Wednesday.
The Tigers were keen for him to stay but could not match the security offered by the Suns.
Teammate and fellow big man Callum Coleman-Jones is also expected to seek a trade to North Melbourne.
Chol, 24, has played 31 games across six seasons at Tigerland.
His family lives in Acacia Ridge about 70km from Metricon Stadium, which was a key factor in his decision.
The Suns beat two Melbourne-based clubs to Chol’s signature.
The Herald Sun understands 22-year-old Coleman-Jones made up his mind to leave Punt Rd in recent days and will nominate the Kangaroos as his new home to chase greater opportunities.
He will add to a group of young Roos talls that includes Nick Larkey, Cam Zurhaar, No.1 mid-season pick Jacob Edwards and Charlie Comben, who made his debut in Round 22 as a 199cm marking forward.
The Roos are happy to play Callum Coleman-Jones in tandem with club great Todd Goldstein next year.
Goldstein, 33, has thrived on the workload of playing sole ruck but is equally adept at pushing forward as a marking option.
Richmond could not promise Coleman-Jones ruck time given Ivan Soldo is expected to return from an ACL tear next season to play alongside triple premiership big man Toby Nankervis.
The Tigers were also unwilling to extend an offer beyond two years and match a canny North Melbourne proposal of a four to five-year deal.
The Suns were initially in the mix but had given up hope of luring the key position forward north.
It means the Tigers will lose both Coleman-Jones and Chol.
The Tigers will have to work hard to strike a suitable deal with North Melbourne, who will be unwilling to give up their second-round pick — No.20 — given Coleman-Jones only played eight games this year.
The 22-year-old was a pick 20 in the 2017 national draft.
The Roos on Wednesday extended the contract of No.42 draft pick Phoenix Spicer to 2023 and re-signed rookies Pat Walker and Matt McGuinness.
North Melbourne is expected to bid for a rival father-son prospect in Sam Darcy or Nick Daicos at the coming national draft but will ultimately secure explosive SANFL midfielder Jason Horne with their first pick.
Horne will add to their impressive band of young midfielders.
The Roos will fiercely guard their No.20 pick to take another elite young talent, and would have the threat of the pre-season draft to secure Coleman-Jones if the Tigers wanted to play hard ball.
The Roos next pick is 38, but with Richmond having picks seven, 15, 26, 28 and 40 there are ample ways for the Tigers to secure adequate compensation by improving their draft hand.
Losing Coleman-Jones will be a significant setback to the Tigers, who were much keener to retain the South Australian than Chol, who has struggled for consistency in his time at the Tigers.
Originally published as AFL trade news: Follow the latest Richmond contract and trade moves
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