Star Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin is definitive proof of the important role timing plays in a player enjoying success during his AFL career.
Vlastuin, who was taken by the Tigers with their first pick (No. 9 overall) in the 2012 AFL national draft, has played in six finals series over the course of his seven seasons at the game’s highest level.
He’s played in 11 finals all-up for seven wins, including the 2017 and 2019 Grand Final triumphs.
The 25-year-old has a 64.5 percent winning strike-rate in his 141 games of league football.
Compare that to former Richmond captain and another top-class Tiger backman in Chris Newman, who retired from AFL football at the end of the 2015 season.
Newman managed to play in just three finals overall throughout his 14-year, 268-game career with the Tigers. And those three September appearances all resulted in losses – the 2013, 2014 and 2015 elimination finals.
Vlastuin has certainly made the most of his good fortune to be at Richmond, at the right time.
He’s averaging 16.3 disposals, 5.4 marks, 5.0 intercepts 3.0 rebound-50s per game throughout his AFL career, and is regarded as one of the best small-medium defenders in the competition.
