Player Watch #29: Shai Bolton - Traded for picks 10,11&18

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Best on ground today
Is gonna kick 6+ one of these games, hope it’s next week vs the pears

bloke is crazy when he turns it on

has 5-8 shots on goal, 4-5 centre clearances, nearly every disposal is a score involvement

can't wait for the game where he stops kicking so many behinds
 
Noticed the last few weeks his time on ground has been massive
90% against Brisbane and similar in other games

Pretty crazy numbers considering the positions and the way he plays
 

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I know we’re into Taranto/Hopper/De Goey etc but you’d hope the club at the back of their minds have the next Bolton contract in mind because it’s likely going to need to be 1 million plus
Will get Dustys money when the champ retires.
Nothing surer.
In fact you could say its all in the timing.
 
I know we’re into Taranto/Hopper/De Goey etc but you’d hope the club at the back of their minds have the next Bolton contract in mind because it’s likely going to need to be 1 million plus
Nah Freo are spending all their cash on Jackson $1 mil and have Brayshaw , Young , and a whole bunch of kids looking for more cash

Dont think $hai like the eagles and he wouldnt be wanting to go to a club thats going to finish bottom 4 the next 5 years
 
My ONLY issue with him qnd the comparisons to Dusty is how often Bolton parks himself up forward when the game is on the line.

Dusty in matchwinner mode pushed up the ground and didn't care where the goal comes from, whetehr he kicks it or not. He influenced the play. Bolton in a lot of these close losses has been deep forward and tried miracle shots.

Still a little to selfish at times imo. I'd rather him up the ground influencing and hitting targets then him kicking 2.5.
 
Shai Bolton is emerging as the most dynamic player in the game but what will the Tigers have to pay to keep him at Punt Road? And why is he so happy to sign a new deal? Jon Ralph

Richmond star Shai Bolton is prepared to sign a new contract in coming months that would see him sacrifice his future free agency rights and remain at Punt Road long-term.

But those talks might require the Tigers to hand over nearly a million dollars a season given his extraordinary potential and marketing power.

The brilliant 23-year-old is happy at Richmond and contracted through to the end of 2023 on a deal worth just over $600,000 a season.

Richmond has had early talks with his new manager Anthony Van Der Wielen after he moved across to his stable of former South Fremantle players including Tim Kelly, Marlion Pickett and recently retired Tiger Matt Parker.

Van Der Wielen confirmed to the Herald Sun he was open to a new deal for Bolton but his immediate focus was a strong finish to a season where Tigers can still play finals.

The expected timeline for that new deal will be through summer when both parties can get a more accurate gauge of his worth.

“We are very comfortable where things lie at Richmond at the moment. He’s contracted until the end of 2023, Van Der Wielen said.

“I’m in regular contact with Blair Hartley. When Richmond and Shai feel it’s appropriate we will begin negotiations.

“I’m not sure exactly when that will be but it’s not what we are focused on right at this moment.”

The WA product could write his own cheque if he decided to return home but has been well supported by the Tigers and believes his potential is being maximised under Damien Hardwick.

The Tigers will re-contract Pickett after excellent form this year, but have plenty on their plate in coming months including decisions on Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards.

Any future deal could see Bolton command seven figures given his extraordinary potential and marketing power.

The Tigers are also well into a chase for an experienced midfielder like one of GWS pair Jacob Hopper or Tim Taranto given they have their own first-round pick and the Roos’ second round selection at pick 19.

Richmond is also on track to re-contract talented utility Sydney Stack despite a year in which he has played only two AFL games, one of them as the unused sub.

Stack, who broke his cheekbone last month, has made significant gains in his professionalism and while he would have rival suitors the 22-year-old will be at Punt Road next year.

Richmond is also on track to re-contract talented utility Sydney Stack despite a year in which he has played only two AFL games.

Talks on Bolton’s deal will be picked up after those list and trade discussions but he is keen to be contracted again before next season starts – subject to a fair deal.

He would only be a free agent at the end of 2024 but a long-term deal would take him well past that date and deep into his 20s.

Senior Tigers advisor Neil Balme said Bolton was on the verge of becoming the “best player in the competition”.

Balme said should the 23-year-old find the consistency that is the mark of the truly great players he could be “hard to stop”.

“I say, to myself, if he actually played consistently, he’s nearly the best player in the comp,” Balme said on RSN.

“He does play reasonable consistently, but so much of it is that natural brilliance. Part of the challenge of being a greatplayer is doing it consistently and that’s still his test.

“Can you imagine if he did play at his absolute maximum all the time, he’d be hard to stop.”

Champion Data rates Bolton as the most impactful player in the AFL with 45 per cent of his disposals part of a scoring chain, streets ahead of Marcus Bontempelli.

He is the No. 1 ranked mid-forward for goals and score involvements.

In 2024 in what would be the first year of a new deal the Tigers will have Dustin Martin in the last year of his existing $1.3 million-a-season deal and Tom Lynch earning over $1 million as part of his back-ended deal.

But with Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt retired by then they could afford his salary in a year three players were on nearly seven figures or back-end the deal into later seasons.

The Tigers would be aware the longer they left his negotiations in the final season of his contract the more they might have to pay him.

Dustin Martin was keen to be re-contracted in 2016 but instead as talks dragged out he was eventually paid $1.3 million after signing on the verge of the finals in a year he won the Brownlow Medal, MVP, Norm Smith and Richmond best-and-fairest.

Bolton has kicked 35.34 this year as well as 13 complete misses but is a superb kick who will only improve his accuracy.

Richmond’s classy manner in which they handled Parker’s return home to WA — he and his partner have three children four years and under and he was not in senior selection contention — has only reinforced to Van Der Wielen that Bolton is in good hands.
 
Shai Bolton is emerging as the most dynamic player in the game but what will the Tigers have to pay to keep him at Punt Road? And why is he so happy to sign a new deal? Jon Ralph

Jon Ralph is at the top of my flush list, next time I use the restroom I will wave goodbye to him.

Regarding Shai, I love when he gets the ball and does that, is it here, or is it there routine with the ball that just mesmerises opposition players.
 
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Not top 20 in his draft class according to 16'draft hivemind.

Might be the most salty part of the internet

lol

Been banging on about this since 2018.

Check the thread, its an all time great education peace on salty campaigners.

Now it seems that they are seeing the light, funny how long it has taken them to see the light
 

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Player Watch #29: Shai Bolton - Traded for picks 10,11&18

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