Did Richmond provide West Coast the perfect blueprint to dig them out of the rebuild?
The two bottom dwellers of the AFL faced off on Sunday, with a scrappy, tough-fought game ending in a Tigers two-point victory.
Both clubs entered season 2025 in the same phase of their rebuild, but it has become glaringly obvious that the powerhouse Victorian side has leapfrogged the Eagles in their development.
It has been well-documented that Richmond pressed the big red button six months ago, opening the doors to a new era that has moved on, but not forgotten, the golden years of 2017-2020.
Adem Yze had been in the hot seat for 12 months and started to understand the group. Long-time servant Brendon Gale took the opportunity to explore his standings around the competition, and ultimately ended up at the Tasmania Devils as their inaugural CEO. There were even changes at coaching levels, including welcoming high-performance manager Ben Serpell, who was highly regarded at Geelong.
But more importantly, transitioning from a contending team to a developing team, the Tigers had to clean house, and they did, helping facilitate four premiership stars find new homes, as well as waving goodbye to three more flag favourites, namely Dustin Martin.
This bold move helped yield seven draft picks in the first 30 selections, and an early fourth-round pick. Their shrewd trade management also switched out an early second-round pick for North Melbourne's future first, which is currently looking to be top five.
West Coast have a similar opportunity.
The Eagles have been dwindling at the bottom of the competition for the past three years, and after nine games, have failed to register a victory.
Andrew McQualter was welcomed to the club after a much-needed change that saw premiership coach Adam Simpson depart, signalling a new era.
McQualter will spend 12 months in the hot seat - the same as Yze - before tough decisions can be made that will help accelerate the proud club's rebuild.
The narrative around Harley Reid remains a point of interest, especially if a host of Victorian clubs, including Richmond, are interested in luring him back to his home state.
The Eagles want to keep him, given his raw talent and potential in the league, but could they benefit more by turning Reid into three first-round picks?
Essendon could be crazy enough to pay that. Melbourne had offered that to the Eagles before Reid had been drafted. The market is there.
How about co-captain Oscar Allen? Whose past 18 months have been littered with injury and bad form, compounded by his meeting with Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell.
Allen is out of contract and is a restricted free agent, but given the uptick in players' salaries and the willingness for clubs to pay overs for a certain type of player, he could warrant a first-round pick in compensation.
Brisbane and Hawthorn have a clear interest in the 26-year-old, while Melbourne and Collingwood will watch him closely.
Premiership forward Liam Ryan has been deemed "gettable" by rival clubs, despite being contracted until the end of 2026.
Ryan has battled with injury in recent seasons, but still poses as a dangerous target in the front half, and at 28 years of age, could be handy for a flag contender.
The high-flying forward could also yield an early-second-round pick, given his niche skillset and ability to perform in big games.
All in all, the Eagles could add to their litany of selections, which currently sits at 1, 16, 19, 34 and 52.
The Devils' entrance into the league (2028) also adds a time-pressure element to the fore, which would ultimately compromise multiple drafts as they begin to find their feet in the competition.
Richmond's unflinching choice to clean house has offered a glimpse into what they can achieve in the future. In the pre-season, many pundits tipped the Tigers to claim a second consecutive wooden spoon, but after nine weeks and three victories, there's hope and direction that they can return to the top of the mountain.
Should West Coast do the same?
