Former Geelong champion Jimmy Bartel believes Richmond pulled off a recruiting coup with the acquirement of his ex-teammate Josh Caddy during last year’s AFL trade period.

Bartel, a triple Cats’ premiership player, and the 2007 Brownlow Medallist, thinks the big-bodied midfielder can play an important role in helping the Tigers climb the ladder this season.

“The recruitment of Josh Caddy to Punt Road is huge,” Bartel wrote in his ‘Sunday Age’ column last weekend.

“Built like a bull, with the ability to go forward and mark overhead, he is always strong in the contest . . . which sounds like the Tigers’ current star Dustin Martin . . .

“Having Dusty racking up huge numbers in the midfield with 30-plus every week last year was brilliant; now imagine if he and Josh Caddy are both able to get 24 to 28 touches and two goals each this season. Suddenly Richmond look in the hunt.

“With that set-up, it would also take enormous pressure off Jack Riewoldt having to kick five goals or more in a winning team.”

Caddy, 24, 186cm and 88kg, played 71 games and kicked 59 goals in a four-year career at Geelong, after initially starting his AFL career with Gold Coast.

He booted a league career-high 21 goals in 18 games for the Cats last season.