With the 2022 AFL H&A season set to begin on March 16, @aflratingsPete provides a fantasy outlook for Richmond.
Coach/Game Style
Richmond are entering an interesting phase of still competing for a premiership while keeping a very close eye on the future, an early exit from the 2021 season has refreshed this list and with time up his sleeve to tweak a few things senior coach Damien Hardwick should have the Tigers back competing at a high level in 2022.
It was significant for Richmond having 5 picks in the top 30 of the 2021 AFL draft led by pick 9 Josh Gibcus, this could provide a very short turnaround when the current premiership window closes.Â
It’s unlikely there will be significant changes to the game plan for Richmond this year, it appears Noah Balta will become an extra marking option forward which places enormous pressure on opposition teams to defend.
Defensively the Tigers should rank highly if at full health, there will be some new faces inserted into the yellow and black but it should be a very smooth transition into a well structured and well coached team.
Richmond averaged 357.2 disposals in the 2021 H&A season (Rank 11).
No player averaged 25 disposals or more last season.Â
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Premium
Jayden Short ($783K DEF) should be the main distributor out of defence for the Tigers this season, in 2021 he averaged 93.4pts from 22 games.Â
He scored 100pts or more in 40.9% of games.Â
Short should record a decent amount of kick-ins to keep the scoring ticking over, without Bachar Houli this season expect Richmond defenders to identity him as a target inside D50 in relation to ball movement.
Ownership could be moderate at Round 1, he’s slightly under priced based on his starting salary.Â
Value
Dustin Martin ($682K MID/FWD) should see an increase in midfield usage this year, a severe injury ended his campaign late in 2021 which also resulted in significant weight loss.Â
The discussion of increasing his midfield usage brings back memories of his 2017 season which of course he won the Brownlow Medal & Norm Smith Medal double, his scoring rate at that time from a fantasy perspective was elite.Â
Martin will still drift forward at times this season but with a predominantly midfield role his starting salary represents excellent value, it needs to be noted Martin was a slow build throughout the pre-season but he is ready to go at Round 1.Â
Ownership could be moderate.
Ruck
Toby Nankervis ($699K RUCK) heads into the 2022 season as the No.1 ruck for the Tigers, at the age of 25 and returning from an ACL injury Ivan Soldo ($393K RUCK) should provide support throughout the year.
Nankervis was interrupted by injuries throughout the 2021 season finishing with an average of 83.4pts.Â
His scoring rate as solo ruck is quite solid, however the are better options for the long form of fantasy.
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2021 AFL Draft
9. Josh Gibcus (Richmond) Fantasy
17. Tom Brown (Richmond) Fantasy
28. Tyler Sonsie (Richmond) Fantasy
29. Sam Banks (Richmond) Fantasy
30. Judson Clarke (Richmond) Fantasy
Don’t Forget About
Richmond have several options from a fantasy perspective if opportunities are available in 2022 that have been on the list for more than just the one pre-season, one of those is Hugo Ralphsmith ($258K MID/FWD).
Selected at pick 46 in the 2019 AFL Draft, he’s one of a number of players that has had his development slowed down throughout the covid era due to lack of game time.Â
On the fringe of selection early in 2022 he’s a genuine target for season long fantasy, he should provide a generous ROI if he can maintain his spot inside the best 22 for an extended period.Â
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Article by: @aflratingsPete
Player Salaries: AFL Fantasy
2022 FANTASY RESOURCES
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