Half way through the season Richmond sits in 11th position with four and a half wins and just one game outside of the top eight. Here are my top 10 players of the season so far for the club…

10. Nathan Foley - A horror past couple of season for Nathan had many worried that we would never see the same player again. While he haven’t seen a lot of the run and carry we saw back in 2007, Foley’s return to AFL football has been a very successful one. Averaging 21 disposals a game, Nathan has been like a new recruit for the club, and his experience has no doubt helped the likes of Cotchin and Martin in the middle.

9. Jake King - The Push-Up King has really turned the tables on where his career was at from twelve months ago. Battered from pillar to post by the media and Tiger fans alike, King reinvented himself as a defensive forward late in 2010 and stepped up his game yet again in 2011 to become one of the side’s most important players. His defensive pressure and tackling has always been a great highlight of his game, but this year he has kicked 19 goals in just eleven games, proving that he is more than just an antagonist these days.

8. Shaun Grigg - Grigg has been a terrific pick up for the club this year. His competitive nature in one on one contests and his ability to break free from the stoppage to deliver long inside 50 has been a major positive of his game thus far. He has also been ultra-consistent, even in games where we are getting touched up, he is still somewhere near the top for disposals. Richmond has certainly won the Grigg-Collins trade when looking at those two players in season 2011 so far.

7. Chris Newman - The captain has been as solid as a rock for the club this year, playing with a cool head and providing fantastic leadership for the young players at the club. He is the epitome of what it is to be a Tiger and his on-field performance this season has been a major factor in our four wins to date. It is understated just how important he is to the Richmond Football Club, he is just a fantastic leader.

6. Dylan Grimes - Grimes seemingly came from nowhere over the pre-season. After playing in Round 22 last season, Grimes got his chance to play again early on against Buddy Franklin and the Hawks, and from that point onwards he has been a revelation for the Tigers. So much so in fact that before his injury, you could have made a case for him being our best key defender, which is a fantastic achievement at only 19 years of age. He has played on the likes of Franklin, Cloke and a host of other dominant key forwards, and played well against all of them. There are certainly some exciting times ahead for both Grimes and the Richmond Football Club with the play that he has shown.

5. Jack Riewoldt - Has been consistent all season, constantly kicking bags of three or four goals most weeks to lead Richmond’s goal kicking once again. Hasn’t been relied upon as much this season with a number of other forwards stepping up which has shown just how unselfish and team oriented he is. Is yet to kick a big bag of goals this season but if I was to take a guess I’d say that a seven-plus goal haul is just around the corner. An incredible footballer, Jack is a massive part of this club’s future.

4. Robin Nahas - Nahas can be added to the list of players Hardwick has turned around. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the season Rockin’ Robin has had so far. He has gone from being a small, opportunistic forward with little upside to being our best line-breaker while averaging 20 disposals and a goal a game. The improvement is staggering and if the AFL had a most improved player award, Nahas would be a shoe-in. Was probably playing for his career this season, which makes his improvement all the more enjoyable to watch.

3. Brett Deledio - Lids has had another exceptional year to date, going about his business without much fanfare it must be said. He is an integral part of our line-up these days and is starting to become much more consistent with his performance which is great for the club. Averaging 26 disposals per game, he has also spent snippets of time in the midfield and performed well there, which hopefully is where his future lies as part of that rotation. He is also a goal kicker when not being played in defence, which is another reason why we can hopefully see him playing through the midfield down the track.

2. Trent Cotchin - Cotchin has shown Richmond supporters just what he is capable of when he gets a full pre-season under his belt. While he hasn’t received the accolades that Martin has had, Trent continues to play consistent, classy football even while being tagged most weeks by the opposition’s best stopper. Cotchin has leadership material plastered all over him, and I can’t see him missing out on the captaincy once Newman’s playing days are over. He is such a professional with everything he does, and that shows out on the field. He will be our next premiership captain folks.

1. Dustin Martin - Has copped a lot of attention from opposition taggers since he’s incredible purple patch of form a couple of months back. Martin has come on in leaps and bounds and has certainly dispelled the possibility of having second-year blues. He has become the damaging, goal kicking midfielder Richmond has been chasing for so long, and he doesn’t even turn 20 until the 26th of this month. Martin has also shown this year that he is a talented overhead mark while playing forward as well, which makes him just as dangerous up forward as he is in the midfield. He could well be Richmond’s next Brownlow Medallist.