Now that the likes of Shane Edwards, Dylan Grimes, David Astbury, Kane Lambert and Jayden Short are now getting the plaudits they thoroughly deserve throughout the football world, and no longer flying under the radar, there’s another player who I reckon now has taken the tag as the most under-rated Tiger.
That player is Nathan Broad, Richmond’s mature-age recruit from Western Australia, selected by the Tigers with their third pick (No. 67 overall) in the 2015 AFL national draft.
Since breaking into the senior line-up late last season, Broad has gone from strength to strength in his versatile defensive role.
He was a valuable contributor in Richmond’s 2017 premiership triumph, with his capacity to shut down either small or tall forwards.
Broad possesses a good blend of pace, strength, football ‘smarts’ and toughness.
That toughness really came to the fore against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium last Friday night, when Broad reported for on-field duty with the Tigers after missing just one match because of a fractured cheekbone that he suffered in the Round 16 victory over Adelaide.
In typical style, there wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation with the way Broad went about his backline business on the night.
He finished the match with 14 disposals, an equal game-high seven intercepts and a game-high three intercept marks.
While it was players such as Lambert, Short, Dustin Martin, Dion Prestia and Jack Riewoldt that rightfully received recognition from the football critics for their impressive performances against the Saints, you can rest assured the Richmond coaches would have acknowledged Nathan Broad’s efforts throughout the encounter.
