THE TWIN towers forward set-up that new recruit Tom Lynch will deliver Richmond next year is what premiership coach Damien Hardwick always wanted.
Remember Ben Griffiths? Ty Vickery?
For all the Tigers' success with Jack Riewoldt and his mosquito fleet, Hardwick's preference is to operate with dual key forwards – and he persevered until it wasn't available to him.
That it will eventuate from next year via triple Coleman medallist Riewoldt and fellow All Australian Lynch, the new free agent and ex-Gold Coast co-captain, is the coach's dream scenario.
Griffiths suffered repeat concussions across multiple seasons before retiring from the AFL in January to accept a four-year scholarship as a punter at the University of South California.
Vickery played across eight seasons after being a top-10 draft pick, but combined with Riewoldt for 98 goals in 2011, 85 in 2013 and 2015, and 84 in 2014.
Richmond turned to various undersized players for differing periods as Riewoldt's sidekick sans that pair, including Josh Caddy, Jacob Townsend and Callum Moore.
Caddy was a borderline All Australian and kicked 46 goals in 22 games this year, while Townsend booted bulk majors at the pointy end of last season playing as a defensive forward.
In Lynch, the Tigers suddenly have similar flexibility with their tall attacking stocks as they have in their electrifying small brigade of Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna, Jack Higgins and Dan Butler.
Riewoldt absorbed more than 34 per cent of Richmond's inside-50 targets this year, and no teammate came within even one-third of that.
Those numbers will change drastically with Lynch's arrival.
It could be a throwback reminiscent to Hawthorn's glory years under Alastair Clarkson, where the four-time premiership coach instructed his forwards to line up differently at each stoppage.
That was sometimes as simple as Jarryd Roughead positioning himself wider, deeper or higher, with the hope of creating mismatches between talls and smalls.
This is where the Tigers look set to wreak havoc.
Caddy and Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin were Richmond's regular go-to options out of the goal square in 2018, with Riewoldt required to play further afield as a roaming tall target.
Lynch's arrival creates all sorts of scenarios, including greater flexibility for Riewoldt's role and a genuine, 199cm ruck back-up for Toby Nankervis.
The timing is ideal, given the likelihood of the AFL introducing restrictions at centre bounces that mean teams must have six players in each third of the ground.
That is relevant, because the Tigers played extra numbers on the defensive side of the centre square to protect Nankervis' current understudy, 190cm Shaun Grigg, when he was in the ruck.
Lynch's athletic prowess also means he will fit in well with Richmond's wish to move the ball manically rather than adopt West Coast's more controlled progression towards its own tall timber.
But there will be a change in the way the Tigers score, according to one rival coach who spoke to AFL.com.au, and there is an element of "risk".
"Their real weapon has been the pressure their smalls put on, so they risk that, but what they'd be thinking is they'll get a better contest in the air with Lynch," the coach said.
"They'll be more potent in their forward line – they were already a good scoring forward line – but they'll get scores through more conventional ways.
"They'll take more marks inside 50 (already ranked second this season) and they won't be outmarked as much by having an extra tall up there."
There will be more shuffling as Richmond adapts to life with Lynch at Punt Rd.
Caddy will likely revert to splitting his time between midfield and forward instead of predominantly playing in attack, but that's why he left Geelong in the first place.
"There is the chance it upsets the dynamic they've built over the last 18 months playing that smaller forward line," the same coach said.
"There will be an adjustment period for Riewoldt to play with a second tall again, as well as an adjustment period for Caddy and Martin and the smalls, with where they run.
"But you've got a whole pre-season to work with, and they might have to find their way through it in the first half of the season, but by the second half, I think it will be pretty successful."
RICHMOND'S POTENTIAL ROUND ONE TEAM IN 2019
B: David Astbury, Alex Rance, Nick Vlastuin
HB: Jayden Short, Dylan Grimes, Bachar Houli
C: Shaun Grigg, Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy
HF: Shane Edwards, Tom Lynch, Dustin Martin
F: Daniel Rioli, Jack Riewoldt, Jason Castagna
Foll: Toby Nankervis, Kane Lambert, Trent Cotchin
Inter (from): Kamdyn McIntosh, Nathan Broad, Jack Higgins, Dan Butler, Jack Graham, Brandon Ellis
