It’s going to be a bumper season for Richmond player milestones in 2014 . . .
From a flood of 50-game achievements, to a potential 250-game landmark, there will be plenty of extra reasons for the Tiger Army to roar in celebration next year.
Former captain Chris Newman enters season 2014 on 233 games, so he shapes as the first long-time Tiger player to reach the 250-game milestone since Joel Bowden in 2008.
The highly durable and talented dual Jack Dyer Medallist, Brett Deledio, is scheduled to chalk up game No. 200 in Round 5 against Brisbane at the Gabba.
All being well, a week earlier (v Collingwood at the MCG), this year’s Jack Dyer Medal winner Daniel Jackson will qualify for automatic Life Membership of the Club, when he plays his 150th game.
Nathan Foley (139 games), Jack Riewoldt (134) and Shane Edwards (129) are also in line to reach the 150 RFC Life Membership milestone in 2014.
Two players recruited to Richmond from rival league clubs – Bachar Houli (Essendon) and Aaron Edwards (North Melbourne) – are closing in on 100 games, both having 91 to their credit. Houli has 65 of them with the Tigers, while Edwards has nine in the Yellow and Black.
Also fast approaching the ton is key defender, Alex Rance, on 89 games and gun midfielder Dustin Martin, with 86 games.
Prospective 50-gamers Steven Morris (43), Brandon Ellis (42), Jake Batchelor (39), David Astbury (29) and Dylan Grimes (26) round out the long list of 2014 Tiger player milestones.
It’s interesting to note that Richmond will go into the 2014 season with 12 players who have notched up 100 games or more – Newman, Deledio, Jackson, Foley, Riewoldt, S. Edwards, Trent Cotchin, Jake King, Shaun Grigg, Ivan Maric, Troy Chaplin and Chris Knights, plus three others, as mentioned (Martin, Houli and Rance) on the century cusp.
Compare that to 2010, when Damien Hardwick went into his first season as the Tigers’ coach, with only six 100-gamers at his disposal – Newman, Deledio, Shane Tuck, Troy Simmonds, Graham Polak and Ben Cousins – with Richard Tambling reaching the milestone later in the year.