The Richmond Football Club is in somewhat of a precarious position.
The Tigers are languishing at the bottom of the ladder with just two wins under first-year coach Adem Yze and are facing an uncertain future with a number of key players out of contract.
Among those are Liam Baker and Dustin Martin while the likes of Shai Bolton and Daniel Rioli continue to be linked with rival clubs.
SEN Breakfast’s David King and Kane Cornes want to know how the Tigers will go about regenerating and rebuilding for future success now that they have fallen following their recent three-premiership era.
There are a number of players who have question marks on their Richmond futures and King was keen to pick Cornes’ brain about who should stay and who should go.
“I’m going to throw some names at you to stay, go, sell or continue their contract,” King said on SEN Breakfast.
“Shai Bolton – sell him or keep him?”
Cornes put forward his response, but was quick to preface it by insisting that he hasn’t yet delved into the 2024 draft class and potential compensation the club would receive if they were to trade Bolton who is contracted until 2028.
“I just want to preface this – we’re doing this flippantly,” said Cornes.
“I haven’t seen the draftees coming through, I don’t know how strong the draft hand is, so I just want to put that on the agenda. I also don’t know what the compensation for someone like Shai Bolton would be.
“But if you can get inside the top 10 for Shai Bolton, plus something else, you’d have to think about it really seriously.”
King continued, wondering what the Tigers could receive from Fremantle if they were prepared to package Baker and Bolton together.
He added: “Baker and Bolton together to Fremantle – and this is this has been floated because Freo have got three first-round picks in this upcoming draft – would get you Picks 10, 13 and 16.
“You’d also get a future first-round pick in next year’s draft, which will be late because you’d think Freo would be successful if they got those two.
“That would effectively be four picks. If you’re Richmond, would you do that today?”
Cornes: “Yes, I would do that today because Baker’s leaving anyway, he’s out of contract, so you’re a bit hamstrung with what you’re going to get.
“There’s the risk that he could go to West Coast for nothing. There is always that threat for him. So, yes, I would do that.”
King: “Why would Baker go to West Coast right now?
“It would be a staggering move to choose them over Fremantle. I don’t understand that.”
The pair then discussed three-time Norm Smith Medallist Martin, who is also out of contract this year, and Rioli who has also reportedly been on the radar of the Gold Coast Suns.
King: “Daniel Rioli, would you sell him to the Gold Coast?”
Cornes: “Absolutely.”
King: “Would you pay some of his wage in your cap pre-trade?
“So send him up there and pay half of his wage to try and get those two first-rounders from the Gold Coast.”
Cornes: “Yes, I would, because the salary cap at Richmond is not really going to matter.
“Dustin Martin’s money is going to come off that. I would also retire Dustin Martin. I would move on from that.
“You can’t have this distraction of someone who appears not to be motivated and not desperate to play and lead this group.
“He may go, but I would be having that hard conversation. There’s no way you would sign Dustin Martin if you’re Richmond for a couple of years.”
In conclusion, King feels Richmond must move on these big-name players in order to “turbocharge” their rebuild by stockpiling young players via the draft.
King said further: “So I want to find out – are they the tame Tigers, or are they ruthless Richmond?
“I’m selling Bolton and Baker to Freo now and getting those four picks coming in.
“I’m selling Rioli, and if the Suns want Martin, we’ll pay some of his wage, but we want that pick 20 that you got as a North Melbourne concession.
“So if they did all of that, Richmond at the moment have got Pick 1 and 21. They would end up with something like 1, 7,8, 10, 13, 16, 20 and their own 21 and a future first coming in.
“That is how you regenerate. That is how you start this rebuild. It’s akin to a new franchise. It’s like starting the GWS Giants again.
“I think Yze needs to do this, and the club needs to do this. Don’t worry about the rebuild coach, he ain’t going to survive anyway.
“So make the decision as a football club that this is an insta-rebuild, it’s on turbocharge.
“I think it’s a no-brainer for Richmond to get busy moving these players on.”
Decision will also need to be made on players over the age of 30 such as Dion Prestia, Dylan Grimes, Kamdyn McIntosh and Marlion Pickett.
The Tigers, with a record of 2-14, next face the Giants at the MCG on Sunday.