Ahead of the free agency period beginning tomorrow, Nick Austin, who re-joined the Tigers last month in a key role in AFL List Strategy and Player Acquisition, provided a preview on the Club’s priorities heading into the player movement season.

Austin on what fans can expect in free agency…

“Kieren Briggs is one that will join the footy club via free agency. He'll certainly help our ruck stocks and is a very experienced player. [We've] got a few other irons in the fire, so we'll just keep it close to our chest for now, but Blair's [Hartley] been working really, really hard in the background. We'll just keep working through it, position ourselves as best we can for draft night also, which is a really exciting draft for us to attack, particularly at the pointy end.”

Austin on the balance between going to the draft or targeting established players…

“We've been clear that going to the draft again this year is going to be really important. As we said with what's coming up in the next couple of drafts, to stockpile that high-end young talent is going to be crucial to our list build. We are in a position cap wise where we can get right amongst it in the next 12-18-24 months, and that's exciting.”

Austin on this year’s draft pool…

“Really strong at the top as always. There's very different types of players at the top this year. Obviously some compromised players with [Cody] Walker and [Dougie] Cochrane, and then we'll have to sit and wait and see what Essendon do. We're really comfortable that we're going to get an outstanding player for a long time at that selection, and then keep working through what happens after that. We'll have two [picks] pretty close together towards the end of the first round, early second round, and that's the exciting part of the draft as well.”

Austin on the state of Richmond’s AFL list…

“The future's really exciting. The guys have done a terrific job in getting to the draft and the more these young kids can stack pre-seasons and stack games together, which they haven't really been able to do through continuity. That's the exciting part for Richmond fans, is to see this talent actually play together and get familiar with one another's games and actually see it come to life on a Saturday. The guys have done a great job in getting back to the draft, and I think with what's coming up with Tassie in the next couple of drafts, I think it'll really pay us back in the future, and we're in a pretty strong position to launch into free agency and trade in the next 12-18-24 months. Can be really strong there and add some guys around them and hopefully some high-end talent that can complement them.”

Austin on his new role and working with Executive General Manager, Football Talent, Blair Hartley, and National Recruiting Manager, Rhy Gieschen…

“It's a bit of a conduit between Blair and Rhy with the list and recruiting. There'll be obviously a slant towards the list, a bit of strategy behind where we're at and what's coming up, but also keeping an eye on the draft as well and supporting Rhy and his team as best as I possibly can and working between the two and where we're positioning ourselves at the time and how we can keep getting better.”