In a series focusing on Richmond’s trade/draft history, we look at Richmond's raid on a trio of South Australians in the 1992 National Draft.
Richmond’s rich history of recruiting star Tasmanian players is well known . . . the likes of Hart, Stewart (via St Kilda), Sproule (via Essendon), Roach, Gale, Richardson and Riewoldt spring immediately to mind.
The Tigers have fared very well over the years with Western Australia recruits, too . . . players such as Balme, Beard, Monteath, Taylor, Gaspar (via Sydney Swans) and Coughlan.
Historically, South Australia hasn’t been as fertile a recruiting ground for Richmond, although the Club did hit the jackpot in the 1992 National Draft, securing the services of three Croweaters, who would go on to provide it with fine value – Jamie Tape, Matthew Rogers and Paul Bulluss.
Tape, a 188cm, 89kg courageous defender, was taken by the Tigers at pick 28, Rogers, a 185cm, 90kg talented utility player, went at pick 37, while Bulluss, a 194cm, 95kg, rugged key defender, was selected with pick 52.
Both Tape and Rogers opted to stay in SA for the 1993 season, where they played good football for Woodville-West Torrens and South Adelaide respectively. Tape went on to play in Woodville-West Torrens’ premiership side in ‘93.
Bulluss made the move straight over to Richmond, and managed to play 19 games in his 1993 debut season of AFL football.
He would play 97 games all-up for the Tigers in his league career from 1993-98, earning a reputation as a solid defender, with the capacity to nullify the competition’s best key forwards.
The decision by both Tape and Rogers, to delay the start to their league careers with Richmond, certainly paid dividends.
Such was the impression they made throughout their 1994 debut seasons at Tigerland, they shared the Club’s Best First Year Player award.
Tape played 67 of a possible 69 games in his first three years with Richmond, before injuries started taking their toll.
He would add just eight more games to his tally with the Tigers in 1997, before being traded to Collingwood at the end of that season.
Tragically, Tape passed away in January 2003, aged just 28.
Rogers became one of Richmond’s most reliable and versatile performers over the course of the next decade.
He was used in a variety of roles, including half-forward, half-back, on-ball, wing, and even full-forward.
When the Tigers’ superstar spearhead Matthew Richardson suffered a season-ending foot injury in Round 4, 2000, it was Rogers who stepped up as his replacement.
In his typically unobtrusive, but effective style, Rogers responded, finishing the season with 37 goals, and winning the Michael Roach Medal, as the Club’s leading goalkicker.
Rogers played 197 games all-up for Richmond from 1994-04, kicked 163 goals, and was an integral part of the line-up during his time with the Tigers.
