Triple Richmond premiership defender Nathan Broad, who is set to achieve the AFL 150-game milestone in Saturday’s Round 2 clash with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, is one of the best bargain-basement buys in Tigerland history.
Broad was recruited by Richmond from WAFL club Swan Districts at pick 67 overall in the 2015 national draft.
He made his AFL debut for the Tigers against Brisbane at the MCG in Round 14, 2016 as a 23-year-old and played one more senior game that season (the following week v Port Adelaide).
A severe shoulder injury sidelined him for a couple of months in the 2017 season and he didn’t return to senior action until Round 17.
Two-and-a-half months later, Broad was a valuable member of the Richmond team that broke a 37-year premiership drought, crushing Adelaide by 48 points in the Grand Final.
Broad had 13 disposals and kept his dangerous Crows opponent Tom Lynch goalless.
Three years on, when the Tigers triumphed over Geelong in the 2020 Grand Final at the Gabba, Broad had become a triple premiership player in just his 70th game of AFL football.
At 192cm, Broad has been able to successfully counter the competition’s tall forwards, but he’s also possessed the mobility to combat slick small forwards.
Now aged 31 (he turns 32 on April 15), Broad remains a pivotal part of Richmond’s line-up.
He had his best result in the Jack Dyer Medal last year, finishing fourth, and despite the playing list at the Club looking vastly different to the premiership years, Broad’s enthusiasm has not wavered.
In fact, Broad has admitted he’s thriving, as he helps mentor the many young players at Tigerland, both on and off the field.
‘Broady’ is totally committed to the Yellow and Black cause and genuinely excited about the team’s prospects for the future.
And he’s still worth his weight in gold for Richmond through his reliability across the backline.
