Monday Feature: Future for Richmond
2011 is going to be a tough year for whichever team finishes in the bottom four places on the ladder.
As part of the inception of the new Gold Coast team, next year’s draft arrangement has been significantly modified to give the new club enough chances to hit the ground running.
The AFL draft system is divided into three rounds. Ordinarily, it works in a reverse order to the previous years premiership ladder, designating the first pick to the team that finished 16th, and so on. However, this year and next, it will work differently to include firstly the Gold Coast team, and eventually the GWS club. The following illustrates how it will be implemented at the end of this year:
Round one
1 Gold Coast
2 Gold Coast
3 Gold Coast
4 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
5 Gold Coast
6 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
7 Gold Coast
8 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
9 Gold Coast
10 Club 13 on 2010 ladder
11 Gold Coast
12 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
13 Gold Coast
14 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
15 Gold Coast
16 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
17 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
18 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
19 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
20 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
21 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
22 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
23 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
24 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
25 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
Round two
26 Gold Coast
27 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
28 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
29 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
30 Club 13 on 2010 ladder
31 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
32 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
33 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
34 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
35 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
36 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
37 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
38 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
39 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
40 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
41 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
42 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
Round three
43 Gold Coast
44 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
45 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
46 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
47 Club 13 on 2010 ladder
48 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
49 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
50 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
51 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
52 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
53 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
54 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
55 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
56 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
57 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
58 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
59 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
This is dangerous for low finishing clubs, namely Richmond. While Adelaide also has the potential to finish at the bottom of the 2010 barrel, they’re not considered to be a “struggling” team in need of rebirth. Richmond, on the other hand, is a different story.
Comparison can be drawn with the Carlton Football Club. A few years ago they were tripping over the bottom rungs of the ladder. However, with three years in a row of number one draft picks, they managed to grab Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, and Matthew Kreuzer. These three men have become young superstars in the Blues’ infrastructure and their instalment has ensured Carlton’s growth and potential for consistent finals football.
In the past two years, Melbourne has scooped the top picks, adding Jack Watts and Tom Scully to their developing line-up. Now, with the 2011 season on the horizon, it should be Richmond’s turn. But it isn’t.
The effects? Prolonged struggle. By focusing all the attention on the new clubs, the long standing ones, the ones that have been with the AFL for over a hundred years, slip out of the limelight. Without a raft to float on, the Tigers will surely continue to sink over the next few years.
As a result, the primary aim of bringing in the two new clubs to boost the competition is completely undermined.
As part of the inception of the new Gold Coast team, next year’s draft arrangement has been significantly modified to give the new club enough chances to hit the ground running.
The AFL draft system is divided into three rounds. Ordinarily, it works in a reverse order to the previous years premiership ladder, designating the first pick to the team that finished 16th, and so on. However, this year and next, it will work differently to include firstly the Gold Coast team, and eventually the GWS club. The following illustrates how it will be implemented at the end of this year:
Round one
1 Gold Coast
2 Gold Coast
3 Gold Coast
4 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
5 Gold Coast
6 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
7 Gold Coast
8 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
9 Gold Coast
10 Club 13 on 2010 ladder
11 Gold Coast
12 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
13 Gold Coast
14 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
15 Gold Coast
16 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
17 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
18 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
19 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
20 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
21 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
22 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
23 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
24 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
25 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
Round two
26 Gold Coast
27 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
28 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
29 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
31 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
32 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
33 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
34 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
35 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
36 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
37 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
38 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
39 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
40 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
41 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
42 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
Round three
43 Gold Coast
44 Club 16 on 2010 ladder
45 Club 15 on 2010 ladder
46 Club 14 on 2010 ladder
47 Club 13 on 2010 ladder
48 Club 12 on 2010 ladder
49 Club 11 on 2010 ladder
50 Club 10 on 2010 ladder
51 Club 9 on 2010 ladder
52 Club 8 on 2010 ladder
53 Club 7 on 2010 ladder
54 Club 6 on 2010 ladder
55 Club 5 on 2010 ladder
56 Club 4 on 2010 ladder
57 Club 3 on 2010 ladder
58 Club 2 on 2010 ladder
59 Club 1 on 2010 ladder
This is dangerous for low finishing clubs, namely Richmond. While Adelaide also has the potential to finish at the bottom of the 2010 barrel, they’re not considered to be a “struggling” team in need of rebirth. Richmond, on the other hand, is a different story.
Comparison can be drawn with the Carlton Football Club. A few years ago they were tripping over the bottom rungs of the ladder. However, with three years in a row of number one draft picks, they managed to grab Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, and Matthew Kreuzer. These three men have become young superstars in the Blues’ infrastructure and their instalment has ensured Carlton’s growth and potential for consistent finals football.
In the past two years, Melbourne has scooped the top picks, adding Jack Watts and Tom Scully to their developing line-up. Now, with the 2011 season on the horizon, it should be Richmond’s turn. But it isn’t.
The effects? Prolonged struggle. By focusing all the attention on the new clubs, the long standing ones, the ones that have been with the AFL for over a hundred years, slip out of the limelight. Without a raft to float on, the Tigers will surely continue to sink over the next few years.
As a result, the primary aim of bringing in the two new clubs to boost the competition is completely undermined.
