Nathan Broad reveals why he didn’t join exodus of Richmond premiership stars from Punt Rd

Nathan Broad could have joined the Richmond exodus and earned more money to finish his AFL career at another club. But, his answer to one question ultimately decided Broad’s future for him.

One of a few growing bright spots from Richmond’s worst ever season, the disastrous two-win 2024 campaign meant stalwart Nathan Broad just couldn’t leave.

The lockers emptied out after last year’s trade period as Liam Baker, Shai Bolton, Jack Graham and Daniel Rioli all jumped off to other clubs and premiership players Dustin Martin, Dylan Grimes and Marlion Pickett retired.

Broad’s head had been turned by the prospect of a pay rise by swapping Punt Rd for Arden St at North Melbourne.

At one point he was almost gone from Richmond but when his wife Tayla, list manager Blair Hartley and his father Neal all asked him some simple questions, the defender realised he just couldn’t change colours.

Nathan Broad will finish his career at Punt Road after turning down rival interest.

Broad has been a key cog of the Tigers backline since being drafted from the WAFL.

“They probably asked the simplest questions that people probably weren’t asking. They were asking, at the end of your career will you be happy with your decision? How do you want to be known?,” Broad told this masthead.

“Once my wife asked me that question and my dad and Blair, it was a simple answer in the end. I am extremely loyal to the ones close to me and if you do good by me, I am going do good by you.

“When I sat there and had a chat with Blair mate to mate and took the list manager part out of it, I was able to see that money isn’t everything.

“Would maybe the answer be different if we were second on the ladder instead of 18th? I am not sure. I couldn’t jump ship when we were 18th. It just didn’t feel right.”

So Broad signed a two-year deal as his premiership mates exited, leading to Tigers president John O’Rourke soliloquising about Broad’s loyalty at the best-and-fairest, in a veiled swipe at some of those who left.

“I know Johnny very well. He didn’t want it to come across as that, but in a way, parts of it he did,” Broad said.

“We are very close, John and I, and he is a great person and a great president and someone I highly respect.”

Richmond president John O'Rourke clearly isn't happy with players wanting to return home. 😳

READ MORE 👉 https://t.co/eKdMNmLb8hpic.twitter.com/OPhSRLffWY

— The Advertiser Sport (@TheTiserSport) October 1, 2024

Like most Tiger fans, Broad has taken the glass-half-full reading on the 2024 year – in which Richmond won just two games, equalling 1960 for their lowest ever, but in 1960 the club played in two draws – which ended with so many favourite sons walking out.

“It was a tough pill to swallow at the time but we respected their decisions,” he said.

“I don’t hold it against them now, I’m still really good friends with them. And if you look on the flip side, it allowed us to get one of the great draft hands of modern times.”

Perhaps the last player to truly embody Kevin Sheedy’s famous “back pocket plumber” archetype, Broad was an apprentice plumber when he was overlooked in four consecutive drafts.

He thought his football dream would end in the backline for WAFL side Swan Districts before Richmond called him up in 2015.

He will play his 150th match on Saturday against Port Adelaide, a milestone his teammates thought was unders when he was labelled a “fossil” this week.

He believes it was the best thing for him to be let down in those years, gaining valuable perspective, and it turned quickly from 2017 onwards, when Broad became the fastest player in the AFL era to win three flags.

Broad soaks up Richmond’s victory in the 2019 Grand Final.

Broad with former teammates Liam Baker and David Astbury after the 2020 Grand Final.

But he still had some hard times to wade through.

“At the end of 2015 when I got there, that was a tough time and 2016 was a really tough year for the whole football club,” he said.

“It was a pretty grim place to be. We were lost as a footy club. We didn’t really know what we stood for, we probably got desperate, we probably tried to force things too hard.”

Of course, the Tigers famously turned it around in 2017.

But those years of silverware may not be Broad’s favourite when he hangs up his boots.

Fresh off a remarkable round 1 win over Carlton, the defender has dived in to teaching a deep batch of draftees how to become the next Richmond greats.

Broad was working as a plumber before being drafted out of the WAFL.

Broad gets a handball away during the 2017 Grand Final.

“I was asked what my greatest achievement was at this footy club this week and I would say probably now is actually my greatest achievement,” he said.

“When things aren’t going well and things are tough, how you hold yourself and how you want to show up every day. It is easy to do it when things are going great, but how do you do it now?

“Now is probably one of my greatest achievements. Getting this club back to where it belongs.”

Originally published as Nathan Broad reveals why he didn’t join exodus of Richmond premiership stars from Punt Rd