Richmond Senior Club Advisor Neil Balme is extremely well qualified to assess the capabilities of talented, tall forward/ruckmen prospects at the game’s highest level.
After all, Balme was a bloody good one himself across a 159-game, 229-goal, decade-long career at Tigerland from 1970-79, which included the Club’s back-to-back premierships in 1973-74.
He won Richmond’s leading goalkicker award twice (1972 and 1973), playing predominantly as a big forward, and was runner-up in the Jack Dyer Medal (1977) when he had the team’s No. 1 ruck role.
So, when “Balmey” sang the praises of emerging, current-day Tiger tall forward/ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones, on this week’s edition of the Club’s podcast ‘Talking Tigers’, it took on special significance.
Coleman-Jones has been particularly impressive filling in for injured dual premiership star key forward Tom Lynch throughout the past three games.
He has kicked eight goals and is averaging 11.3 disposals, 8.3 contested possessions, 4.7 marks, 2.7 contested marks, 2.3 marks inside 50 and 6.0 score involvements per match.
The 22-year-old is ranked fourth in the competition for contested marks per game, seventh for goals per game and 16th for marks inside 50 per game.
“I think we’ve all been sitting back thinking how the hell can we fit this bloke in,” Balme said.
“He’s a damn good player . . . beautiful mark, competes really well.
“We probably haven’t played him in the ruck as much as we will ultimately, but that’s a bit because I think the coaches like him up forward because he is really quite dangerous, particularly with no “Lynchy” (Tom Lynch).
“He’s very exciting, I think.
“Our challenge is going to be how we fit them all in . . . the ‘bigs’ with the ‘smalls’, and make it all work, particularly if Lynchy and “Nank” (Toby Nankervis) are available soon.
“We’ve got some really good challenging decision to make, but it’s good to have them.”
Balme believes the Tigers can successfully fit Coleman-Jones, Lynch and Riewoldt all together in the line-up.
“I’m old-fashioned, I like ruckmen, I like big blokes to be out there. So, I think it can work,” he said.
“I think we understand what our system needs, and our blokes will make the right decisions around that . . .”
