In the second last of a richmondfc.com.au post-season special series examining 14 key findings from the Tigers’ 2014 season, we focus on Brandon Ellis’ exciting emergence.
No. 13: Brandon Ellis established himself as one of the best young players in the competition.
Ellis, in just his third season of league football, stepped up to become a key member of Richmond’s line-up.
The talented 21-year-old generated significant drive for the Tigers with his ball-getting ability and relentless running.
He averaged 26.1 disposals per game, racking up a season-high 36 against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in Round 15.
Ellis didn’t dip below 20 touches in any match after Round 3, which highlighted his impressive level of consistency and excellent work-rate.
He was ranked third in the competition for total uncontested possessions, fifth for total kicks, fifth for rebound-50s, and sixth for total disposals.
His non-stop running made him an extremely valuable commodity for the Tigers, as Club great Matthew Richardson pointed out during the season in his weekly richmondfc.com.au column.
“It takes courage to ‘gut-run’, which is something the third-year Tiger is now doing most impressively each week,” Richardson said.
“In today’s game, it’s just so important for a team to have a player like this, who is willing to run himself into the ground, as it opens up space and creates momentum.
“Ellis is having a significant impact in games due to his strong ‘tank’ and ability to break the lines with his hard running.
“His ‘tank’ isn’t yet fully developed. With a couple more pre-seasons under his belt, I reckon he is going to become one of the best running players in the competition.”
Ellis was rewarded for his fine efforts throughout the 2014 season by being named in the initial 40-player All-Australian squad, and he also gained selection in the AFL’s 22Under22 team for the second year in-a-row.
Clearly, Ellis has the necessary attributes to become a top-class Tiger over the next decade.
