Opinion
Will we see Daniel Rich playing in the AFL again?
Probably, but it’s a legit talking point.
Rich has a quad injury, which he should recover from. The question is whether he will still be in the Lions’ best 22 when he recovers.
Rich’s form before this injury was strong, with 26 disposals in Brisbane’s loss to Port Adelaide and 14 in their win against Melbourne. But sometimes AFL careers go out not with a bang but a whimper. An injury or the slightest form slump can see a champion player replaced in the side by a younger player and those younger players, once in the side, can be hard to drop.
Some people will react that I’m writing him off or retiring him, but I’m not. I genuinely like him as a player and want to see him continue to play. But will we?
From a starting point, no player deserves a spot. Every spot has to be fought for and won. So, the question has to be not about legacy but whether the addition of Daniel Rich makes the Brisbane Lions better?
Previously, that would be a no brainer, but now I’m not so sure.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Not so long ago, the Lions had a weakness off halfback but now the arrival of Darcy Wilmot and Conor McKenna, and the remaking of Keidean Coleman from a small forward into a defender, has meant that Brisbane has a glut of halfbacks.
That’s not to mention Noah Answerth, who was the medical sub against the Western Bulldogs, and is pressing for senior selection, and Jaxon Prior, who came into the side in Round 4. Former skipper, Dayne Zorko has also spent some time at halfback, as has Cameron Rayner. Look deeper, and the Lions also have developing players like James Madden, Harry Sharp and Carter Michael.
So, where once Rich was an integral cog in the Lions’ machine, he may now be surplus to requirements.
Were it not for this injury, Rich might have kept McKenna or Wilmot out of the side and not given them an opportunity to establish themselves, but now both look entrenched.
There are those who will talk about Rich’s body of work over a 15-year-career, but sport is all about the here and now.
Then there are those who will talk about his character, sticking with the club when it was in dire straits and rejecting lucrative offers from other clubs, which is all laudable. But sport is a brutal business.
What matters is which player you would drop to bring Rich back in.
What Coleman, McKenna and Wilmot have that Rich doesn’t is speed. Rich’s weapon is his long-range kicking, but Coleman has that too even if he hasn’t been doing it for as long as Rich.
What Rich has is experience but, at what point does experience need to give way to exciting young talent?
The Lions previously recruited Luke Hodge then Grant Birchall to fill a vacuum in the backline. Both were good additions, but eventually the time came when they had to step aside to make way for new talent. Is it time for Daniel Rich to do the same?
Chris Fagan may drop one of his half-backs even though they are performing well, to bring back Rich.
There is also the possibility of an injury in the back line forcing Rich back into the side, but that would really just be deferring the selection conundrum.
What needs to be asked is whether Daniel Rich is still in the best 22 and whether the Lions are better served with his experience or with a younger player who has greater growth potential.
Every footy career must end and how a club manages the exit of their champions is always pertinent.
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