Revealed: How Tigers shacked up with Caddy

IT was the sliding doors moment that helped Richmond secure Josh Caddy, and it came in the most unlikely of circumstances and locations.

Just hours after the Western Bulldogs pulled off a fairytale 2016 grand final triumph, Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale was networking in the AFL’s exclusive September Club, perhaps even dreaming his Tigers could achieve the same result one day.

Amid the raucous revelry coming from the corporate who’s who surrounding him, Gale was approached by a face he recognised as a onetime teammate who had been on Richmond’s supplementary list in the late 1990s.

His name was Saul Caddy; he wanted to introduce his brother Josh to Gale.

“It was just a chance meeting,” Gale revealed this week, eager to play down the importance of this never-before revealed conversation.

But what happened that night undoubtedly played a part in the Tigers securing Josh Caddy from Geelong only weeks later – a player who would become a part of Richmond’s own fairytale success on the same day a year later, and a footballer rated as the AFL’s most improved this year in terms of Official AFL Player Ratings.

“Saul just came up to and said ‘G’day’,” Gale said.

“I hadn’t seen him in years, I think he was still a bit dirty on not getting an opportunity all those years ago.”

Meanwhile, Richmond champion Dustin Martin will miss just his second game in eight seasons as he flies to New Zealand nursing a sore calf.

Martin’s injury has ruled him out of tonight’s fixture and the Brownlow medallist yesterday flew to New Zealand to visit his father.