Tony's Post Draft Tidbits
In the aftermath of the AFL’s Draft period, Tony Greenberg serves up some tasty Tiger tidbits . . . Richmond has continued its recent tradition of recruiting sons of former players from rival league clubs by selecting young, power forward Reece McKenzie in the 2014 National Draft. McKenzie’s father, Warren, was a member of Carlton’s 1987 premiership side, and later had a short stint with the Sydney Swans. Over the past decade or so, the Tigers have secured the services of several sons of former league players from clubs other than Richmond, such as Andrew Krakouer (father Jim Krakouer, North Melbourne), Ty Zantuck (Shane Zantuck, Melbourne, South Melbourne, North Melbourne), Paul Hudson (Peter Hudson, Hawthorn), Matthew Greig (Keith, North Melbourne), Brent Hartigan (Dean Hartigan, Essendon), Shane Morrison (Peter Morrison, Footscray, South Melbourne), Shane Tuck (Michael Tuck, Hawthorn), Brett Deledio (Wayne Deledio, Carlton), Ty Vickery (John Vickery, Collingwood), Alex Rance (Murray Rance, Footscray and West Coast). It’s shaping as a full-scale ‘Mac attack’ at Richmond in 2015, with McKenzie joining Matt McDonough, Liam McBean and Kamdyn McIntosh on the Tigers’ playing list. That’s as many Macs as are currently going around at any league club . . . nearly as many as you’d find at the annual Highland Games in Scotland. TAC Cup team the Northern Knights has become, far and away, Richmond’s most popular football nursery . . . Four of the Tigers’ pick-ups in the recent National and Rookie Drafts – Reece McKenzie, Jayden Short, Jason Castagna and Kane Lambert – all played junior football for the Knights. They join Trent Cotchin, Dylan Grimes, Nick Vlastuin and Ben Lennon as players from the Northern Knights on Richmond’s list for the 2015 season. The next best return by a TAC up team at Tigerland is five, from the North Ballarat Rebels – David Astbury, Matt Dea, Shaun Grigg, Troy Chaplin, and the Club’s fourth pick in the 2014 National Draft, Daniel Butler. Nathan Drummond, taken by the Tigers with their third selection (No. 52 overall) in the National Draft, is related to Sir Doug Nicholls, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential people in Australia’s history. Not only was Nicholls a highly-respected, influential leader in the Aboriginal community, he had a successful career in politics, was a prominent pastor, served as Governor of South Australia, and shone on the football field with league club Fitzroy during the 1930s. The inaugural Sir Doug Nicholls Award was presented this year to the player voted best on ground during the Dreamtime VFL match between Richmond and Essendon (former Tiger ruckman Orren Stephenson won it). Drummond’s great-great grandfather on his maternal side – esteemed Aboriginal elder, William Cooper – was Nicholls’ great-uncle. The changing face of Tigerland over the years is further highlighted with a look at the first names of the Club’s latest crop of recruits . . . Names etched in Yellow and Black history, such as Kevin (Bartlett, Sheedy and Kevin), Bill (Barrot and Brown), Roger (Dean), Fred (Swift), Graham (Burgin and Strang), Michael (Green and Bowden), John (Northey and Ronaldson) and Barry (Richardson), have been superseded by popular modern names in Corey (Ellis), Connor (Menadue), Reece (McKenzie), Jayden (Short) and Kane (Lambert). Connor Menadue is in line to become the first Connor to play senior league football with Richmond, although Dan Connors did make 29 appearances for the Tigers from 2007-12.
The Tigers stuck to their recent recruiting formula with the first selection they made in the National Draft . . . For the sixth time in the past seven years, Richmond picked a player whose surname ended with the letter s or n, when it chose talented Western Jets midfielder, Corey Ellis, at pick 12 overall. The previous year, the Tigers took Ben Lennon with their first pick, in 2012 it was Nick Vlastuin, Brandon Ellis in 2011, Dustin Martin in 2009, and Trent Cotchin in 2007. It hasn’t taken long for Tiger fans to come up with a nickname for the Club’s fourth pick in the National Draft, Daniel Butler. The exciting small forward from St Patrick’s College, Ballarat and TAC Cup team North Ballarat Rebels, has been dubbed ‘Jeeves’, the quintessential name of a butler (man servant).
