One point about Rance, in an interview with the Richmond recruiting manager he stated that they believed that he wouldn't be available with their second pick so they didn't bother putting too much time into analysing the kid. They also didn't interview him for the same reasons.

Now, I don't know about you guys but this smacks major alarm bells, this kid slipped through to basically the second round and was only picked up by a club because they didn't do much groundwork on him. Richmond have basically taken a kid soley on reputation, of course the next question is are they actaully aware of his strengths but most importantly his weaknesses?

One point about Rance, in an interview with the Richmond recruiting manager he stated that they believed that he wouldn't be available with their second pick so they didn't bother putting too much time into analysing the kid. They also didn't interview him for the same reasons.

Now, I don't know about you guys but this smacks major alarm bells, this kid slipped through to basically the second round and was only picked up by a club because they didn't do much groundwork on him. Richmond have basically taken a kid soley on reputation, of course the next question is are they actaully aware of his strengths but most importantly his weaknesses?

Richmond really need to stop making their recruiting decision based on Bigfooty threads.

Like most, I was surprised we didn't pick up one of the big defenders available in the draft, but I'm prepared to accept the call.

On the bright side, there is a great selection of athletics-background tall defenders, relatively new to AFL, still available in the Pre-season and rookie drafts. And there's a couple of rucks who were expected to go mid-draft, too, like Bellchambers.

I expect we'll have a ridiculously tall rookie list!

I've been converted to the opinion that it's not so much a case of 'we need key defenders' as 'we need one, genuine star, defender', and if that wasn't available, fair enough to pick up other types.

Mate that is a stupid comment. We were always going to take inside mids early in that draft as we had a gaping hole left after Woewodin and Powell moved on.

Other than the fact that I was being completely sarcastic, my point was I put more trust in CAC then what I read on big footy. I too was upset we didn't get Rance, but I am basing my view on what I have read and not what I have seen for the past few years like out head recruiter does.

One point about Rance, in an interview with the Richmond recruiting manager he stated that they believed that he wouldn't be available with their second pick so they didn't bother putting too much time into analysing the kid. They also didn't interview him for the same reasons.

Now, I don't know about you guys but this smacks major alarm bells, this kid slipped through to basically the second round and was only picked up by a club because they didn't do much groundwork on him. Richmond have basically taken a kid soley on reputation, of course the next question is are they actaully aware of his strengths but most importantly his weaknesses?

Well said Jarka. Just as a matter of interest to some, a mad keen Richmond supporter I know, who regularly attends TAC cup games, had this to say about Rance on PRE, based on the under 18 carnival:

"Ok. At the risk of starting a 20 page thread out of nothing, here goes. (Geez, here comes the serious Redford. How boring.)

These blokes have been studied for 3+ years. They don’t slide in the draft for no reason. And Rance slid a long way. And I mean a long way. Here’s why.

Firstly, without wishing to sound like a killjoy or endure the roth of the ‘on the fringes’ Brightsiders who hardly get to a game or to any clubs outside of Richmond and whose love of Richmond doesn’t allow them to at least even contemplate reality of most things football visa Richmond, or what the outside universe may think, the fact is that rightly or wrongly, a lot of clubs viewed Rance as lacking composure and execution.

Anyone watching game 2 of the National Carnival would have seen this. Rance turned the ball over time and time again coming out of the backline. He has an awkward guiding of the ball in his kicking action just like his old man Murray. (Anyone who hasn’t seen Murray, go and watch some footage of his ball drop.)

Rance likes to rebound and run hard off the backline. And I mean hard. That’s good and things go well when there’s no pressure, but when there’s traffic and/or decision making involved, he can sometimes drop away.

The upside for Richmond is that he is a strong and big defensive player – which we desperately need. He is also very hard at the ball which we also need.

I liken him a lot to Adam Hunter - albeit Rance being 2cm taller than Hunter and Hunter starting initially as a forward.

Hunter, despite showing promise in his early years made mistake after mistake. He would run that big body of his in straight lines and always attempt to do the right thing, but he made a lot of mistakes. Eventually, he worked the WCE system out and became one of their most valuable players. I’m hoping Rance can become the same player for us.

Question is, does Richmond have the same structure and discipline in place to allow him to grow into a similar player. Dunno. He could be great. He could struggle. Who knows. I'll wait and see. Regardless, I think it is crazy the expections some people have on what is, after all, a pick 18 player."

Sounds like the next Darren Gaspar

Richmond can have him

Why did we get another in and under midfielder when we could have got the best key defender in the draft? Allow me to just name a few of the in and under midfielders we seem to have an abundance of: McLean, Jones, Moloney, McDonald, Sylvia. Now allow me to name our questionable KPP backmen: Rivers (injury prone), Frawley (could be ok), Carroll (Ughh), Holland (The only bloke big enough to handle to opposition 'gorilla's'). Now which area do you think needed to be addressed more urgently at Pick 14 yesterday? ESPECIALLY after taking a tall midfielder/wingman in Morton. If Grimes was an outside midfielder with genuine pace and sublime skills I wouldn't be questioning this selection; however after watching some footage of him his footskills are rubbish and he's not overly quick. I love Morton and Maric but i'm furious with CAC for letting Rance pass us by. Only time will tell whether or not this was the right decision.

I agree with the others who think the use of the word "furious" is silly in the context of this discussion. So many players get hyped up during the pre draft period but if you watched Rance at any time, he's a bit on the slow side and at times, uncoordinated. CAC made the call based on ability and I respect that.

CAC had Morton in the top 3 and Grimes as no.4.

Then it's amazing Grimes ended up at 14! I haven't read anyone else rate him that highly How did you come across this info? The Club must have been absolutely ecstatic.

I agree with the others who think the use of the word "furious" is silly in the context of this discussion.

The OP, to some extent, backpedalled pretty much straight away. Cut some slack

Then it's amazing Grimes ended up at 14! I haven't read anyone else rate him that highly How did you come across this info? The Club must have been absolutely ecstatic.

Yeah... can we get confirmation on this?

It's like last year when they were going to take Petterd in the first round, and somehow he was still there by the second round...

Yeah... can we get confirmation on this?

It's like last year when they were going to take Petterd in the first round, and somehow he was still there by the second round...

Yeah, and taking Petterd at 12 would have been a disaster. Come on, the kid is gold!

Mate that is a stupid comment. We were always going to take inside mids early in that draft as we had a gaping hole left after Woewodin and Powell moved on.

A lot of people in the media thought we were going to go for Tenace with pick 5 they were surprised that McLean was taken so high, but thank god we did Tenace would have been another disaster if we went that way.

just interesting to remember:

after Jordan Lewis was drafted at pick 7, afl supporters were shocked and appalled that he was picked so early when he was predicted a 4th rounder.

Initially after the draft a couple of years ago, supporters were up in arms that Hawthorn picked up Roughead before the highly rated Tambling.

People could not comprehend how last year, Travis Boak got drafted at pick 5 after such a [censored] championships...surely he was only worth a 2-3rd round pick.

recruiters know the most information and thus can make the best educated decision. sure, they make mistakes some times, and its not an exact science.

but in all this discussion we should know that CAC rated Grimes higher than Rance. lets wait a couple of years to judge, but for now i think it was the right decision.