Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt has endorsed the club’s move for North Melbourne’s Robbie Tarrant.
The 32-year-old defender is expected to join the Tigers as an unrestricted free agent this trade period having informed the Kangaroos of his plans to move on from Arden Street.
The impending capture of Tarrant has been welcomed by Riewoldt who feels the 174-game backman will be the perfect replacement for the retired David Astbury.
“He’s going to be a good addition to our football club, if it all goes through which I think will happen pretty seamlessly,” he said on SEN Hobart’s Jack & Painey.
“Robbie Tarrant is going to be a great addition to the Richmond Football Club. A big, strong key back. He’s had a few health issues over the last 12 months, which are behind him now.
“I found him difficult to play on. He belted me one day, an absolute ripper, clocked me over the head when I took a mark. I wasn’t too rapt about that, I might have had a few words back about that one so I’ll have to smooth the waters early on with him.
“Hopefully with him coming in to fill the Astbury void, they’ll be big shoes to fill, and obviously strengthen up our backline as well.”
Tarrant has spent 14 years with the Roos having joined the club via the 2007 draft.
An intriguing piece of news that was confirmed this week was that of Alex Rance to Essendon.
Riewoldt’s premiership teammate will take up a role as a development coach, reuniting with Ben Rutten after the pair worked together in Richmond’s defensive setup.
Could five-time All-Australian Rance possibly come out of retirement to take up a spot on the Bombers’ rookie list?
Riewoldt insists he wouldn’t be too worried if he had to line up open the 31-year-old.
“I kicked seven on him in an intra-club in three quarters, I’ll be absolutely licking my lips if he comes out to me,” he joked.
“That cropped up out of nowhere really, the big ‘Trossman’ deciding to go to Essendon. He’s obviously very good friends with Ben Rutten. He and ‘Rancey’ have a very good relationship.
“He’s joined Essendon as a development coach which I honestly did not see coming. Best of luck to him.”
Australian Test captain Tim Paine, a massive Bombers supporter, believes there could be something extra in Rance’s move to Tullamarine.
“He played in our VFL team last year, ‘Come down Alex, see if you like the place, see if you like the boys’,” he said.
“He’s good friends with the coach, as you said, he’s gone back and said, ‘You know what, ‘Truck’? Great bunch of lads, enjoyed my time, if anything pops up next year, if you can just sneak me into the club I’ll take that’.
“‘Then try and rookie me during the year and when we play against Richmond, I’ll stand on Jack and run off him with dash, he won’t be able to chase me, and I’ll set the Bombers up for a huge victory on Dreamtime’.”