Tigers a draft dealer

Biggest hand in years

RICHMOND assistant Adam Kingsley wants to chase another premiership with the Tigers next year as they look to take their strongest hand in a decade to this year’s draft.

Kingsley came second to Michael Voss in the race for Carlton’s senior coaching job and declined joining the Blues’ assistant coaching ranks.

Instead, he is locked in for another year at Richmond, which is set to have as many as six top-40 picks and will try to bundle some of those selections together to surge higher up the draft order.

Damien Hardwick’s men have picks 7, 15 (from Geelong), 26, 28 (from St Kilda), 38 (Mabior Chol compensation) and could land 40 from North Melbourne in the deal for ruck-forward Callum Coleman-Jones. They also have 42 and 47 and will welcome North’s veteran defender Robbie Tarrant.

It puts the Tigers in their strongest draft position since 2009 when they picked up superstar Dustin Martin at pick 3 as well as Ben Griffiths (19) and premiership defender David Astbury (35).

The draft choice riches give the Tigers the capacity to seek a third first-round pick or rise in the order from 7 and 15 in a key list management period for the club, which won premierships in 2017, ’19 and ’20.

Clubs are aware the Bulldogs’ No. 17 and Greater Western Sydney’s pick two are both up for grabs after preliminary talks on the opening day of the trade period on Monday.

The Giants are open to shuffling down the order from pick two as they eye a key position prospect in this year’s draft, such as ruckman Mac Andrew.

At pick two Richmond would have guaranteed access to one of the two best young midfielders in the country in slick playmaker Finn Callaghan and hard nut Ben Hobbs.

The Tigers have been linked to a play on hard-working Hobbs.

The Horsham product, who averaged 30 possessions a game in the NAB league this year, would be a long-term replacement for ex-skipper Trent Cotchin.

But the Tigers would have to move up the order and grab a top-five pick to land him, according to recruiting sources.

The Bulldogs are also open to shuffling some of their picks and dropping down the order from 17 in a bid to bolster their total draft points to snaffle father-son gem Sam Darcy.

Darcy is expected to be topthree, meaning the Dogs will land the most outstanding tall talent in back-to-back drafts after landing Jamarra UgleHagan at No. 1 last year.

Richmond will also be boosted by the return of Martin next year from a serious kidney injury, which stripped 10kg from his frame.

Sydney Stack is also set to remain at Tigerland on an incentivised contract.

Stack’s agent Paul Peos confirmed the 21-year-old had allbut agreed to terms on a oneyear deal.

Richmond’s former hard nut defender Steve Morris is to take over the Tigers VFL team.