Richmond’s plan to honour former recruiting manager Chris Toce at 2024 AFL Draft

Not even a battle with cancer could dull Chris Toce’s excitement for Richmond’s 2024 draft hand. Even after his tragic passing in October, his fingerprints will be all over the Tigers’ draft haul.

Not even an ongoing battle with cancer could dull Chris Toce’s excitement at the once-in-a-lifetime draft hand Richmond was assembling.

As Wednesday’s national draft grew closer the elite top-end prospects kept performing and Richmond’s own trade hand grew stronger given the trade requests of star players.

The 42-year-old could barely contain his glee at what Richmond could do with those picks.

“He was super excited about that,” Richmond’s list boss Blair Hartley told the Herald Sun on trade eve of the club’s trade period deals.

“He was almost giddy with excitement. He had sent me multiple texts talking about how excited he was, especially when it all came together. He knew the players we had available with those picks.”

Toce was battling an aggressive form of cancer that was diagnosed not long after the mid-season draft but the first-year recruiting boss just refused to stop working for the Tigers.

“We are devastated for Chris’ family and friends... We will miss him dearly.”

The Club is mourning the passing of National Recruiting Manager, Chris Toce.

— Richmond FC 🐯 (@Richmond_FC) October 16, 2024

Tigers insiders have in recent weeks spoken in awe of how Toce would be there watching junior games fresh from hospital for chemotherapy treatment or literally while undertaking portable chemotherapy treatment.

He was not well enough to attend the draft combine but watched every taped interview then provide notes on a player’s answers and character to his recruiting team.

And yet in a heartbreaking slice of irony, Toce would pass away on the final day of the trade period just hours before the Tigers locked down deals – securing a stack of first-round draft picks – for departing stars Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli.

The club’s recruiting staff will wear the letters ‘CT’ on their club polos at the national and rookie drafts in coming days, a small recognition of his outsized impact since crossing from St Kilda to replace West Coast-bound Matt Clarke in late March.

He will have his fingerprints all over this draft as the club ensures it does everything possible to continue its support for wife Mel and their two children Harry and Sophia.

No one at Richmond underestimated Toce’s health battle given his diagnosis.

But he fought the cancers with such zeal and optimism that few would have doubted he could defy the odds.

Blair Hartley, Richmond GM of Football. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Still, when complications saw him rapidly deteriorate then lose his life within days of another health setback it rocked the club and the AFL recruiting community to its core given the sudden nature of his passing.

It was less than seven months since he had arrived at the club and only five months since his diagnosis.

“He started with us in March and unfortunately he became unwell in the mid part of the year after the mid-season draft,” Hartley said.

“He was unbelievable. His work ethic throughout the whole time really inspired us. He was so keen on watching vision.

“I would be at a game and he would be on the live stream texting me about what was going on. He would be coding players during the week and sending clips in the middle of the night. “He was an inspiration to all of us. We had guys step up in our recruiting team along with (Victorian recruiting manager) Rhye Gieschen. Oliver Grant and Sam Cousens in Perth and Francis Jackson spent more time with us. Those guys have really bonded together for this draft.

“His wife Mel has been a real inspiration to us with her strength and courage through this whole process. I can’t emphasise that enough. She has been a phenomenon as she looks after Harry and Sophie, his boy and girl. That’s what breaks your heart.”

Early on after Toce’s cancer diagnosis, Richmond made clear his health battle and family should be his only concern.

Vale Chris Toce ❤️ pic.twitter.com/66pyv13HeH

— St Kilda FC (@stkildafc) October 17, 2024

But those who know the gregarious, popular but incredibly hardworking Toce will understand why he kept working on a draft with eight picks in the first 24 selections.

“It was about finding a line with what was best for Chris and his family and getting well but contributing to what we are doing. That made him feel normal,” Hartley said.

“At the back end of the season and in finals he was sitting next to me at games and we would watch together. We all had a great idea of what Chris liked in the draft and we will be doing our best to honour that on the night.

“The work he did behind the scenes coding vision and watching games has given us the best preparation leading into the trade and tomorrow night. It puts us in a great position to maximise what we can do tomorrow.

“He had a great understanding of the nuances of the game. He saw things other people didn’t. He would often go behind the goals to watch. He talked about how the eye in the sky doesn’t lie. He had so much passion but his ability to dissect the game was as good as anyone I have ever seen.”

Sam Lalor is expected to be the Tigers’ first pick in a historic draft haul. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Toce’s memorial service was a reminder of his popularity across the industry with Hartley describing as “phenomenal” the support of AFL administrators Andrew Dillon, Laura Kane and player movement manager Ned Guy.

The CT embroidered on the club polos is a tiny tribute across a draft process (Wednesday and Thursday’s two-night national draft, Friday’s rookie draft) that will be filled with reminders of Toce’s wisdom and humour.

“It was just something where the guys got together and talked about how best to honour Chris on the night,” Hartley said.

“We don’t want to get too emotional but he will be there in spirit. We have talked about that a lot. As a recruiting team we have been really close through this period and we just want to do what we can to honour Chris on the night.”

Originally published as Richmond’s plan to honour former recruiting manager Chris Toce at 2024 AFL Draft