The Richmond Off-Season Megathread

[Toga]

Yeah it sounds like Ellis is one of the best kicks in the draft and is quality on the outside but has a stronger inside game than most of the other options we were looking at. Just feel like a really pacey winger is what was really needed, but I'm not gonna complain with Corey 8)

[Chelskiman]

I'm pretty happy over all with our picks.  Yeah, we all wanted Weller, but Ellis should be good.  Drummond was a great pick for us too, and Menadue also looks good.  I don't think we have too much to complain about really!

[Bully]

Corey Ellis is elite. His outside game is ridiculously good and he's just so composed and classy. He just doesn't have the pace I'd like which the others we could have taken do.

I think I'm most excited about Nathan Drummond though, I reckon he'll be the pick of our draftees. A year older than most of them too.

At least we got pace with most of other draftees.
Yeah I like Drummond, recon he can play games next year.

My humble apologies for giving you folks the bum steer, cannot believe we overlooked Weller & Blakely, I just feel really hollow about now.

Haha all good mate, would've been happy with them two. I was hoping we'd go with Blakely in the second round, but guess we didn't need him when we already got Ellis.

And that was my point heading into the draft, grab the best pacey option and then get a sliding inside mid, Blakely has domintaed at WAFL level, he stands to be a Luke Dunstan. Weller is all class, his inside game is just as accomplished as Ellis but his agility and pace is elite. Francis Jackson has officially lost my confidence, no way we compete with the top 4 whilst we keep recruiting clones.

[quinny88]

Just looking at the highlights of all our pickups and it looks like we have gone for pace aside from Ellis.
That big forward looks like a brute too

[Bully]

Missed out on Gore & Jaden McGrath too, Drummond is a butcher of the ball, just awful disposal at times. I have no idea what Frank is thinking.

[Toga]

I was pretty surprised we passed up on Gore tbh, I think he would've been a very good pickup for us.

I haven't seen much of Menadue and Drummond so can't say much, but as quinny said McKenzie looks like a brute, could be a player down the track.

[Vinny]

Screw you guys, McKenzie is a steal at that pick. :(

I would have been happy if Blues took him with 28. :(

[Nige]

Just looking at the highlights of all our pickups and it looks like we have gone for pace aside from Ellis.
That big forward looks like a brute too

There was talk of McKenzie going to the Saints at like 21 or 41, so we've done okay. ;) Interesting decision given we have Jack, Tyrone, Griff, Beanie, Hammer and Elton.

Hammer and Elton to be delisted?  :o

Drummond played for our VFL team this year btw for those that didn't know, so the club has had a chance to watch him all year.

[quinny88]

Missed out on Gore & Jaden McGrath too, Drummond is a butcher of the ball, just awful disposal at times. I have no idea what Frank is thinking.

Give them a chance to play bro. Every player that was drafted goes to their club with a clean slate. What they did at under 18 level counts for nothing now. If in 3 years we look back and the players we could have had are dominating while ours aren't even getting a game, then we can complain then. In recent times though we've made good calls more often than not

[Bully]

Happy with the McKenzie pick, that's about it when I look at the others on offer. For me the ideal draft would have been Weller, Blakely, Gore, McGrath, McKenzie.

[tbagrocks]

I like how the Richmond team consulted on every pick, still haunted by the ghost of draft pasts :P

[quinny88]

I like how the Richmond team consulted on every pick, still haunted by the ghost of draft pasts :P

Can you blame them? Haha

[Ricochet]

Happy with the McKenzie pick, that's about it when I look at the others on offer. For me the ideal draft would have been Weller, Blakely, Gore, McGrath, McKenzie.

sorry :-X

[quinny88]

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2014-11-27/recruitment-zone-draft-review

Reasoning behind our picks. Makes me even more confident hearing it straight from the horses mouth

[Nige]

Selection No.12 - Corey Ellis (Western Jets/PEGS)
Francis Jackson says: "Corey's an elite ball user, an inside midfielder and is a very good decision-maker with great composure. He's a really good competitor. He will enable Trent and Dustin and Brett [Deledio] to perhaps play a little bit of a different role because he's just got fantastic ball use and his kicking efficiency is outstanding. He's a late-year birthday so we think he has a lot of development in him as well and needs to put on a bit of weight at 77kg but athletically and physically, he already competes really well."

Selection No.33 - Connor Menadue (Western Jets/Spotswood)
Francis Jackson says: "Connor is a bit more outside than Corey with terrific speed but also has elite endurance - he's a 10-minute three-kilometre runner. We felt that speed was really important for us. He's also got a bit of work to do physically, his body is very light at 188cm, and he will need to put on a lot of bulk to play at AFL level."

Selection No.52 - Nathan Drummond (Murray Bushrangers/Shepparton Bears)
Francis Jackson says: "Nathan is another with elite speed and can play inside and outside, with endurance. He's a 19-year-old so he came back to the TAC competition and he's physically ready to go. He played for our VFL team for three games this year and trained in our environment so we were able to observe how he adapted and how he took on the challenges presented to him each week - and he was terrific."

Selection No.67 - Daniel Butler (North Ballarat Rebels/Lake Wendouree)
Francis Jackson says: "He's also got elite speed, he played for Vic Country in the carnival as a small forward/defensive forward but also had stints on ball, and we think again he's a little bit different and can provide that defensive pressure. He also brings really good speed as well."

Selection No.77 - Reece McKenzie (Northern Knights/Marcellin)
Francis Jackson says: "He's a tall 197cm key forward who already weighs over 100kg with fantastic hands. He kicked 10 goals in a TAC game, is an outstanding mark and has kicked significant goals at TAC standard. He's [Carlton premiership player] Warren McKenzie's son. He's got a bit of work to do with his conditioning but he has strong ability to mark the ball and provides a point of difference for us - he played for Vic Metro in one carnival game and certainly had an impact."