Following delistings at the end of the 2010 season, and the completion of the trade period, the Tigers have a combined total of 36 players on their senior and rookie lists, at an average of just over 41 games per player.
The retirements of Ben Cousins, Troy Simmonds and Graham Polak, along with the trading of Richard Tambling to Adelaide, and Jordan McMahon’s delisting, has ripped more than 830 games experience from the Club’s playing list.
In 2011, Richmond will have just three players with more than 100 games experience running around - captain Chris Newman (175), Shane Tuck (130) and Brett Deledio (128).
Even the Gold Coast Suns will have more players with 100 games-plus experience at their disposal in their inaugural season of AFL football next year - Josh Fraser (200), Gary Ablett (192), Campbell Brown (159), Jared Brennan (119), Nathan Bock (113), and Michael Rischitelli (111).
You have to go all the way back to the Port Adelaide and Fremantle playing lists in the 2000 season, to find less experience than what Richmond will field in 2011.
The Power averaged just 38 games per player in 2000, with only two members of their playing list on the league’s ‘centurion’ list - Gavin Wanganeen (178) and Stephen Paxman (165). Four years later (2004), Port created history, winning its first AFL premiership.
The Dockers, in 2000, averaged 39 games per player, with five centurions - Adrian Fletcher (190), Dale Kickett (147), Tony Modra (138), Ashley Prescott (111), and Jason Norrish (104).
Richmond also will start the 2011 season with only five players on its senior list aged 25 or more - Newman (28), Tuck (28), Kelvin Moore (26), Jake King (26) and Nathan Foley (25).
