Dual All-Australian Kane Cornes says the Tigers “sold their future” to land star midfield pair Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper as the club’s indifferent start to the season continued in a loss to the Western Bulldogs.
Despite recruiting the star duo from GWS last off-season on lucrative seven-year deals until 2029 to bolster its midfield, it’s an area Richmond has struggled to fire in 2023.
Through four rounds, the 12th-placed Tigers rank ninth in the AFL in clearance differential, 13th in scores from clearance differential and 17th in centre bounce clearance differential in stats shown on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
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It included Damien Hardwick’s side getting smashed in clearances by the Bulldogs -15 (26-15) in Saturday’s five-point loss, and speaking on Footy Classified, Cornes outlaid his concerns.
“It was confronting how they were beaten around stoppage (against the Bulldogs) and this is not what they would have wanted … it was a smashing in there with Taranto and Hopper,” the Port Adelaide great said.
“These are two players I think they’ve sold their future for with four first-round draft picks plus two-seven year contracts, and it’s not getting the result they would’ve desired.
“If they’re not winning stoppage, they’re not offering you much else around the ground.”
Cornes went on to say he thinks the lengthy contracts will hurt the club for some years to come.
“I couldn’t believe the seven-year deal(s) … it’s probably not going to be Damien Hardwick’s problem, it’s unlikely he’s going to be there for these deals to expire,” Cornes added.
“But it was a strange choice and they haven’t gotten the return. Their kicking is 17th in the competition and Taranto and Hopper are both poor kicks.
“(Dustin) Martin and (Shai) Bolton also get pushed to allow those players time in the midfield. The Tigers have got some challenges.”
Compounding Richmond’s indifferent start to the season was brutal injury setbacks to Tom Lynch and Toby Nankervis sustained against the Dogs, described as a “disaster” by club great Matthew Richardson.
Lynch, who’s also facing a trip to the Tribunal, suffered a fracture in his foot, while Nankervis sustained a syndesmosis injury, with both players to undergo surgery and spent weeks on the sidelines.
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall noted how costly the brutal setbacks were for Richmond, who’s also without back-up ruckman Ivan Soldo due to his own foot issue.
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“Find two more important players in their make-up in terms of their ability to progress in 2023,” Dunstall said of Lynch and Nankervis on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“That power forward that directs so much of the traffic inside 50, and Nankervis, let’s not underestimate how good of a leader he’s become. He’s a terrific ruckman, but he’s also become an inspirational leader.
“This sets them back a lot, and they’re not playing the sort of football I thought they might be at this stage of the season.
“I’m now starting to second guess how highly I rated them heading into the season. I’m a little concerned about the way they’re playing.”
Dunstall believes it’ll make it hard to assess exactly where the undermanned Tigers are at after many tipped the club to return to premiership contention heading into the season.
“I’m disappointed they’ve got these injuries. I’d rather see them at full strength so I can judge exactly how they’re going and not have that as a lingering excuse on the side,” he added.
“I’m still unsure about the Tigers.”
It comes ahead of clashes against Sydney and Melbourne in the next fortnight in key tests for Hardwick’s side as it looks to add to its one win in 2023.
“They were grossly undermanned when they fronted up to Collingwood … through not much fault of their own, they mightn’t get a decent crack at the first half of the season, and they’ll be chasing all the way through,” AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley pointed out.
“They don’t look like a team about to reprise the great deeds of those Richmond teams.”
