Richmond have been well below where they expected to be in season 2021, not measuring up to the extremely lofty standards set by their success in recent years.

The truth is that Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and other ageing stars aren't going to be around forever and sooner or later Damien Hardwick will have to start looking for new blood.

5 Trade Targets: Adelaide
5 Trade Targets: Brisbane
5 Trade Targets: Carlton
5 Trade Targets: Collingwood
5 Trade Targets: Essendon
5 Trade Targets: Fremantle
5 Trade Targets: Geelong
5 Trade Targets: Gold Coast
5 Trade Targets: GWS
5 Trade Targets: Hawthorn 
5 Trade Targets: Melbourne
5 Trade Targets: North Melbourne
5 Trade Targets: Port Adelaide

We continue our ‘Five trade targets for every club’ series with Richmond. 

The idea of these stories is to identify potentially gettable targets who could fill roles, not just link every club to superstars, the likes of Marcus Bontempelli or Patrick Cripps.

In no particular order, here are five players which the Richmond recruitment team would do well to target and potentially poach.

 

2. Ed Richards

This pacey defender/midfielder hybrid is on a number of team's hitlists this trade period, with the 21-year-old impressing in the 59 games he's had at AFL level.

Richards had his first game back from a fractured fibula in Round 15 against the Eagles, spending most of his time on the half-back line and chipping in with his 16 disposals.

ED RICHARDS
Defender
Bulldogs
ROUND 15 STATS
5
Marks
16
Disposals
3
Rebound50s

Despite this, he is able to drift across the half-forward and hurt teams that way with his blistering speed. With this, he could potentially slot into multiple spaces within Richmond's best-22.

His inclusion on the weekend has shown the value that he brings to Luke Beveridge's side and it will take a huge offer to pry him away from Whitten Oval.

Despite the Tigers not having a huge salary cap available, it would be worth putting the feelers out and seeing what the Doggies have to say.