CRYSTAL BALL - Whats your measure of success in the upcoming years ahead? Heres mine

[Tzatziki_Man]

2025

• Smillie, Hotton, Lalor, Faull, Alger, Armstrong, Sims & Trainer all make debuts.
• Do you expect 8 rising star nominations next year?
• Lefau, Gibcus, Young, Lynch all returning from long term injuries, the first three won't start the season ready.
• Sonsie, Dow, Ralphsmith, Ross, MRJ, Ryan, Kozi, Mansall, Banks, Brown all under the pump to show something consistently, how many of these players are gone end of year?
• Prestia, Hopper both very injury prone.
• Taranto, Vlastuin, Nankveris, Broad, Prestia, Hopper, Short, McIntosh, Balta- all senior figures, with premierships, what contributions do you want from them?

2026

• Weve just drafted two of Picks 1,2,3,4 or 5. Once again an influx of supreme young talent. Assuming midfielders, were hoping our midfield is beginning to take shape for the next 15 years.
• Our young 2024 draftees have all played over 10 games each, now after a full pre season under their belts, they've assumed higher jumper numbers and are expected to play full seasons barring injuries.
• Some Retirements sadly, Prestia, McIntosh and Lynch most likely, leaving a very green forward line without a senior body to support them. Do we chase an unrestricted free agent to help support them? Someone of the ilk of what North did with Jack Darling
  28

  Jack Darling

  Age

  32

  Ht

  191cm

  Wt

  95kg

  Pos.

  Fwd

  Career

  Season

  Last 5

  D

  12.1

  3star

  K

  7.9

  3star

  HB

  4.2

  3star

  M

  5.0

  5star

  T

  3.0

  5star

  G

  1.9

  5star

  D

  8.0

  2star

  K

  4.3

  2star

  HB

  3.7

  3star

  M

  2.7

  3star

  T

  2.4

  3star

  G

  1.3

  5star

  D

  14.6

  4star

  K

  7.6

  3star

  HB

  7.0

  5star

  M

  6.0

  5star

  T

  4.0

  5star

  G

  1.4

  5star

  ? Or can Lynch go another year?
• List changes will probably include trimming of players like Dow, Sonsie and Kozi if they can't elevate their game.

2027

• the third consecutive year down the bottom of the ladder, the fans are getting impatient for some success now. Bottom placed finished in 2024, 2025 and 2026 has given us a full list of youthful talent.
• Broad 34, Vlastuin is 33, Nank 33, Taranto 30, Short 31, Hopper 30 and whilst a few will move on, there will be one or two survivors as we hopefully ascend up the ladder in this season.
• By this point we will know if Smith, Sonsie, Banks, Dow, Ralphsmith, Rioli, Gray, Ryan, Campbell, Gibcus, Ross, Young, Miller, Clarke, McAllife, Trezise are either bank or bust
• We lift ourselves off the bottom 4.
• Club gets shrewd with mature aged recruits from other clubs, with a heavy salary cap, the club lines up a Nank replacement.
• Our 2024 crop have played over 60 games together

2028

• Time for the top 8. We had shown some promise on the back end of 2027 with some stirring wins, some of our young guns are elevating to superstar status.
• Like every team, we're met with some devastating injury.
• Our mature aged recruits fit in nicely to our structure, but get completely scathed by our supporters for taking the spot of a youthful talent that has potential.
• we miss out on the top 8, the club on the hunt for an A Lister to help us for the future.

2029- 2030 - 2031

• By this point, majority of our 2024, 2025, 2026 Picks have had 5 or so pre seasons, they've played 100+ games and we start making finals again.
• we're set for a decade of on field success, whether premiership or not, luck and timing needs to go our way, but we're supported by a compromised league due to Tasmania's entry into the league.

2032-2038 should win a flag, our core by this point, would have played together for 8 -15 years. At this point, coaching changes will be happening, will Yze be like Brendon Bolton or like Dimma?

 

[tigs2010]

Would be disappointed if we were still last in 2026 with 4 x top 10 mids plus Taranto, Hopper and Hotton to go with Balta, Gibcus, Trainor down back. Likely still bottom 4 but dead last means we are on the long road to being Norf in a yellow sash.

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

Would be disappointed if we were still last in 2026 with 4 x top 10 mids plus Taranto, Hopper and Hotton to go with Balta, Gibcus, Trainor down back. Likely still bottom 4 but dead last means we are on the long road to being Norf in a yellow sash.

Felt like 2024 wasn't rock bottom until post trade period.

Now the healing can begin, so although we were at the bottom of the ladder, we were feeling the effects of poor decisions made by Dimma the prior few years.

IMO, 2025 is the first year, with 2023 and 2024 real wasted ones.

 

[tigs2010]

Felt like 2024 wasn't rock bottom until post trade period.

Now the healing can begin, so although we were at the bottom of the ladder, we were feeling the effects of poor decisions made by Dimma the prior few years.

IMO, 2025 is the first year, with 2023 and 2024 real wasted ones.

Agreed and 2025 we will almost certainly win the spoon. But we've drafted a pretty good spine and will complete midfield next year. We've already got some decent flankers/role players from 2020-23 imo, we just needed the top quality players to feed them.

A spoon in 2026 means a lot of 2020-23 are busts. A % of guys like Rioli, Brown, Banks, Clarke, Hugo, Sonsie, Smith, Green, Campbell, Blight, Lefau & McAuliffe should be showing enough by 2026 to be competent role players playing solid footy for us.

 

[Boxo004]

It will turn pretty quick. Not saying we’ll win a flag in the short term but the wheel turns quickly. We’ll be mid table 26 then knocking on the door of the 8 in 27. Then who knows

 

[voorhees]

27'/28' start to have a crack at the finals again..
so important going forward is how things play out with Gibcus/Hopper/Lynch/Ross if these 4 can shake off the injuries blues, we can structure our team in a stronger position then 2024.
No short cuts, fans being patient and a slow and steady build is our recipe to ruling the world once again.

 

[SplintWhisky]

2025 minimums
All available draftees play at minimum 15 games each
Players look engaged and like they are trying until about around 14/16
Players like Brown, Ross, Hugo, MJR and others step up and stamp their identity on the club

2025 pie in the sky hope
Sonsie and Clarke both make the firsts and contribute to mid/high B players.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Can you tell me what will happen to me in 2-6 years too please?

 

[tiger_tough]

I just want to see improvement every year and challenging for finals in 3.

 

[SunshineBoy]

Would be disappointed if we were still last in 2026 with 4 x top 10 mids plus Taranto, Hopper and Hotton to go with Balta, Gibcus, Trainor down back. Likely still bottom 4 but dead last means we are on the long road to being Norf in a yellow sash.

No I would prefer Norf winning the spoon and us second last, but the AFL would **** us and give Norf a priority pick

 

[Livonski]

I'm always glass 3qtr full.
Lynch fit, midfield fit...plus draftees in cameos, backline settled.
I'm thinking we win 8+
These boys are competitors and you can already tell the vibe in the place is just so positive.
It'll be just like Dimmas first year.
Someone inside (very) told me at the time they were the happiest 0-9 football team in the country.
I'm lovin the energy these kids have brought in already.
Then there are no names like Blight (forgot he existed until yest), Bauer, Fawcett, McAuliffe (ready to go!) Brown, Tresize, Campbell, Hugo, Ross, Ryan, Mansell, Dow. THey won't all fire but they've got a very good taste for it in 2024.

SO my measure will be 8 wins, but my real interest in going to the footy next year will be to watch these kids play, and to see the energy on the field.
p.s. Oooze can coach. Will be chuckling at the "happy to be proven wrong" crowd thay sledged him so hard this year.

 

[Woodstock]

I’d like us to be a serious contender by 2030. 6 x 1st round picks in reality is the equivalent to 4 drafts.

Here’s hoping we’ve picked the right guys.

 

[docko911]

6-8 wins in 2025

Big off-season

Finals 2026

Another big off-season

Contending for flags from 2027

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Nank won’t play finals again at RFC .
If he’s still in the side we are still

 

[Madtiger2006]

With all the players back from injury and Lalor a good chance to play most games we should be aiming for at least 6 wins and hopefully out of bottom 4

 

[DickieKnee]

I think it's gonna be at least 5 years until we are a finals team. I'm not too worried by how many wins we will get next year, we are likely to win another spoon. What I do want to see is improvement in our young players and hopefully by the end of the he season 3 or 4 of our new recruits cement themselves in our senior team. I'd also like to see some sort of game plan the players adhere to.

 

[docko911]

u

Nank won’t play finals again at RFC .
If he’s still in the side we are still

You obviously missed round 0 and 1 this year. Nank is a club legend and the best ruckman we have had since Ottens/Stafford.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

finally lose my virginity

 

[Mr Magic]

Making finals to me is not a measure of success.

I have been consistent with this over the years.

I am only interested in premierships and opportunities to win premierships

 

[Phar Ace]

I think it's gonna be at least 5 years until we are a finals team. I'm not too worried by how many wins we will get next year, we are likely to win another spoon. What I do want to see is improvement in our young players and hopefully by the end of the he season 3 or 4 of our new recruits cement themselves in our senior team. I'd also like to see some sort of game plan the players adhere to.

Like you, neither worried nor have a clue about how many games we win next season. It's all about the C word - competitive! Not making up numbers, but counting the number of times we win contests throughout every game. It will be a contest to contest season and as that ratio improves, start thinking finals again for the experience.

Richmond had to play 3 seasons making the 8, then we didn't, before being premiership material. For history to repeat, that places us at least 6-7 years away. We've drafted better, perhaps, but we lost talent and experience to do it. Not sure that guarantees a better bounce.

 

[Phar Ace]

Making finals to me is not a measure of success.

I have been consistent with this over the years.

I am only interested in premierships and opportunities to win premierships

Psstt - if you don't play finals you don't get those opportunities of which you speak - so they rate well on the scale of importance. As you were!

 

[sante]

Who are we better then? I’d argue no one. Can’t see us out of the bottom 4 for a couple years at least.

The injuries gave us a good excuse for 2024, but if we didn’t have the injuries, we were still a bottom 4 team.

 

[tigs2010]

finally lose my virginity

I don't have high hopes for you but good luck anyway

 

[Drunken Wookie]

I don't have high hopes for you but good luck anyway

 

[tigs2010]

tiger_tough would definitely be one to take whatever he can get