In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- Richmond’s president has taken a swipe at a quartet of premiership stars who want out of the club as megastar Dustin Martin shut down speculation that he would come out of retirement to play for Gold Coast.
- Veteran Swan Luke Parker has officially requested a trade to North Melbourne.
Baker farewells Tigers with awkward speech as premiership quartet cop swipe from president
AAP
Richmond’s president has taken a swipe at a quartet of premiership stars who want out of the club as megastar Dustin Martin shut down speculation that he would come out of retirement to play for Gold Coast.
Liam Baker wants a move to West Coast.Credit: Getty Images
Three of four players who want to leave Richmond finished in the top five of the best and fairest, held on Tuesday night and won by Daniel Rioli.
Rioli, who wants to reunite with former coach Damien Hardwick at the Suns next season, polled 40 votes, while Liam Baker and Shai Bolton, who both want trades to Western Australia, tied for fifth with 30 votes each.
Dual premiership-winning midfielder Jack Graham is likely to leave the Tigers, who finished last this season with just two wins.
Richmond president John O’Rourke took a thinly veiled swipe at the quartet by highlighting triple-premiership player and Perth-born Nathan Broad, who won his second straight Francis Bourke Award for the person who best upholds the club’s trademark values.
O’Rourke lauded the loyalty of those staying at Richmond to guide “our young players through this next phase of growth”.
“Just by way of example … how fortunate are we to have players of the character of a Nathan Broad,” O’Rourke told the function.
“I know through this year, I’m sure he could have explored options to see out his career in his home state or perhaps look for more lucrative options with other clubs.
“But he chose to extend for a further two years … what a Richmond man.”
Baker wants to join West Coast and their new coach Andrew McQualter, a former Richmond assistant who was interim coach for 13 games last season when Hardwick suddenly quit.
Bolton has also told the Tigers he wants a trade to WA – though he is yet to publicly nominate a preferred destination, the 25-year-old has been linked with Fremantle.
After the Eagles announced McQualter’s appointment on a three-year deal on Monday, Baker was quick to state his intention of joining West Coast.
The Richmond function was attended by Rioli, Bolton, Baker and Graham despite their desire to leave the club, in contrast to St Kilda’s reported stance on free agent Josh Battle.
Battle did not attend the Saints’ club champion function after signalling his intent to join Hawthorn.
While Graham can depart Richmond as a free agent, the Tigers will strike deals for Bolton, Baker and Rioli when the 10-day trade period opens on Monday.
The Tigers are understood to be eyeing Gold Coast’s pick six at the national draft in a deal for Rioli, who expressed his love for the club when collecting his club champion award.
“I love every single one of you in the room,” Rioli said.
The Perth-born Baker, who featured in Richmond’s 2019 and 2020 premierships, received what seemed to be a lukewarm reception to his speech.
“It’s been a great year and I appreciate everything that the club’s done for myself and my family over the years and this year and I’m looking forward to what the club does in the future,” he said. “And yeah I can’t wait to support it and… yeah it’s going to be great looking from afar. So thank you for everything. Take it easy.”
Last month Martin met with Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick, his former mentor at Richmond, fuelling rumours the Tiger great was considering a move to Gold Coast.
Martin, who ended his decorated 302-game career in August, attended the best and fairest on Tuesday night.
“Happily retired,” he told Nine News in response to suggestions he was contemplating a comeback.
Parker puts in official trade request
Premiership Swan Luke Parker has officially requested a trade to North Melbourne.
Parker, who has played 293 games since bieng drafted in 2010, said the choice to depart had been a difficult one.
The 31-year-old is a former co-captain, has won the club’s the best and fairest three times and was a member of Sydney’s 2012 premiership team.
“Coming to Sydney as a 19-year-old completely changed my life. Sydney became my home, I met my wife Kate here and the Swans became our family,” Parker said.
Luke Parker wants a move to North Melbourne.Credit: AFL Photos
“The decision to part ways with the club after 14 years has been an extremely difficult choice, one I thought I’d never have to make.”
Coach John Longmire said Parker would go down as a Swans champion.
“He has been one of the hardest and most competitive players we’ve had and his resilience and ability to keep backing up, time after time, is something I always admired.”
The Swans said Parker was contracted until the end of 2025 and they would discuss the request with North Melbourne.
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