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Richmond's recruitment strategy is keeping things simple

Roar Guru
11th December, 2014
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What’s the best gig in AFL scouting you ask? The answer is Richmond.

Why, well if for no other reason then you are going to save on petrol while still being able to see some of the best young talent in the game.

Richmond’s 2014 draft was all about a same club strategy. Highlighting this was taking a duo of Western Jet players with their top two picks, a somewhat unorthodox draft day strategy.

Certainly taking two players from the same club is not unheard of, but the surprise for Richmond is in that both players selected were midfielders and both were taken at the top of the draft together.

Typically in under age teams players talent can be masked by others on the team and there is a tendency to overanalyze players on the same team which can lead to teams making a choice between players.

Richmond have done it differently and have backed their scouting in that Corey Ellis and Connor Menadue were the best two available midfielders in the draft to them.

Ellis has been linked to Richmond for over 12 months so his selection was not surprising. Perhaps this is where Menadue has been the biggest benefactor of the attention that Richmond has been paying to Ellis – by putting so much emphasis on Ellis their own scouting was in turn focusing on the game of Menadue.

In terms of players and midfielders, Ellis and Menadue have complimented each other well at both club and state level. Ellis is a classy midfielder whose biggest weapon is above the shoulders. He sees the game exceptionally well for an underage talent and makes the right decision on almost all occasions.

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Menadue’s asset meanwhile is as an athlete with his speed and endurance being a standout at combine testing. Menadue’s numbers were not as impressive of those of Ellis but Menadue did show a willingness to be a team player and amend his role depending on team structure.

Not unlike a lot of picks in this year’s draft, they seem wise investments for where they were taken. Again the curiousity of it is that they were both taken from the same club by the same club.

Further emphasising this one club drafting decision by Richmond was the selection of Reece McKenzie (pick 77) and subsequent rookie draft selections which saw the club add three more players with links to the Northern Knights. This has meant of nine new players that have joined the Tigers over the draft period, six are going to come from two clubs.

Richmond has close links to the Northern Knights and that perhaps is a factor in McKenzie being their last player picked. Richmond have been having a close look at the club and therefore McKenzie is another who has been constantly in front of Tigers’ eyes.

Like Menadue and Ellis though, Richmond may just be ahead of the curve in advanced scouting with McKenzie. He is somewhat of a project player but his clean hands, marking prowess and accurate kick are traits they are calling out for at Richmond. It could be that seeing Northern Knights a lot has just allowed them to get the player they see long term.

Maybe that is the big thing of this draft for Richmond. They have not over thought it. They knew the players they needed, they knew the skills they needed and picked the players they had seen that displayed it.

Seems simple. But then maybe simple was just what a Richmond draft strategy needed to be.

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