“For Richmond, this is perfect”: Why Tigers should happily grant Bolton’s reported trade request

Richmond star Shai Bolton has reportedly requested a trade away from the club according to the Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph.

While Bolton is contracted until the end of 2028 on a deal worth north of $1 million a season, the report says that he’s eyeing a move back home to Western Australia, with Fremantle – who hold three first-round picks – looking like a potential destination.

Even though Richmond would be losing perhaps their best player who is in the prime of their career if Bolton does exit, SEN’s Sam Edmund thinks the Tigers are in the perfect position following the request.

Edmund’s co-host Kane Cornes was one who asked why it is: “Perfect that their most talented player in a good age bracket wants out.”

But Edmund thinks that it presents the club a great opportunity to fast-track their rebuild along with the pick No. 1 they look set to receive for finishing 18th this season and other top selections they could get for offloading quality players.

“For Richmond, this is perfect and for Fremantle this is perfect – this is perfect match, AFL style,” Edmund told SEN Sportsday.

“They’ve been presented – not all by design, of course - the best chance they will ever get to fast-track a rebuild in a deep, consistent and talent-laden draft.

“Tasmania on the horizon cannot be overestimated. This is your chance to strike, strike now and get overs for these guys before the draft gets a heck of a lot more compromised (in future years) when other sides bottom out and you miss your window (to rebuild).

“Shai Bolton has got four years to run on a contract worth more than a million dollars a season, he was their ‘lifer’ and fair enough. He’s 25 years of age and you’d like to think he would still be there when they turn the corner.

“But that’s fine if he does stay and they dig in, they can’t lose.”

As things stand, Fremantle holds picks nine (tied to Collingwood), 10 and 17 (tied to Port Adelaide), which could all be sent to Richmond for Bolton and Liam Baker.

With Daniel Rioli also wanting a move to Gold Coast and the Tigers having later picks that could be traded to Carlton and Brisbane who need to collect draft points for father-son prospects, there’s a real chance that the Tigers could have at least four first-rounders in this year’s draft on top of pick No. 1.

Edmund thinks that this presents Richmond with a golden opportunity to strike in what’s considered a strong draft year.

“Liam Baker is set to leave, Dan Rioli wants to play for Gold Coast and to a lesser extent Jack Graham's considering leaving too,” Edmund said.

“There will be short-term pain if they all leave, but there already is pain, they've got the first pick, they’re going to finish 18th and with Tasmania looming, you want to get this done now.

“Fremantle have got three first-rounders so they could end up getting both Baker and Bolton, but those three firsts could give Richmond four first-round picks this year and that’s without Dan Rioli as well.

“They've sandbagged a bunch of late picks in this year's draft too – that’s where Brisbane and Carlton come in potentially needing to call upon those picks to get their father-sons in.

“You will never get a better chance to get a glut of high-end picks in and it just so happens that the draft is good.”

West Coast could also be in the running for Bolton, but they only hold one first-round pick (currently No. 3)  in this year’s draft.

As things stand, Richmond holds picks 1, 21, 30, 39, 41, 48, 57, 65 and 73 in the 2024 AFL Draft.