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Noidnadroj
Norm Smith Medallist
- Dec 8, 2020
- 6,694
- 24,565
- AFL Club
- Richmond
I never said they will make AFL or be a top 5 pick so don't put words in my mouth thanks.
It's not that hard a concept to grasp.
If Marlion doesn't play 100 games we don't get access to his kids if they are any good.
Reports over the last couple of years from those around the club that have seen them play juniors are that the oldest lad in particular looks very good. So it would be a wasted opportunity that would have cost us fa and we would have egg all over our faces. Yours would be the size of a 6 egg omelette.
If Marlion plays another 10 games, probably half of them as a super sub or 5th interchange, which may well suit the club if we lose 1000+ games of quality experience and bring in half a dozen skinny 18yo kids, we get first dibs on Marlion's kids if they are draftable. That's the smart play. A big professional club covers these bases and doesn't live to rue the day.
If Marlion's kids turn out to be no good, what have we lost ? 10 games to a dual Premiership player that probably deserves to get to 100 anyway after being played out of position and asked to plug gaps as a third tall forward for the last couple of years.
But hey, you walk away from potentially 3 Pickett boys (his daughter has already qualified to AFLW) who are mad about Richmond and have footy blood in their veins because...I don't know why...
What people fail to grasp is it’s not like we don’t draft somebody else instead of Pickett’s kids (if they make the grade). And with discounts being reduced to 10% and not being able to use picks beyond 54, matching bids won’t be anywhere near as cheap and easy as it used to be.
So if ‘young’ Pickett gets taken at pick-15 for example, we would’ve had to use let’s say pick-20 to match the bid. Or picks 35 and 39.
So it’s an absolute lottery as to whether whomever we take at pick 20 ends up better-worse than Pickett. Or whether the 2 x players taken at 35 and 39 are better than Pickett.
So it would be absolutely stupid to re-contract Pickett just for father/son benefits. He’s been pretty average for a couple of years, he’s getting old and he’s facing criminal charges. Given where we are at it’s an absolute no-brainer for him to retire. If it was a 50/50 call then sure, maybe the father/son argument makes it 51-49. But it’s a 95/5 call so he needs to retire.
This means our 4 x oldest players are off the list (Martin, Grimes, Naismith, Pickett), and with all the kids we draft will have us as one of the youngest lists in 2025 - this is what we need to do. (I’d strongly encourage McIntosh into retirement also).
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