Kane Lambert is substitute for tonight's game and is a bit of a symbol of the current Richmond list position. He is suffering from a degenerative condition which means his knees are bone-on-bone, a problem which won't go away and will probably mean his career is curtailed earlier than he would have liked. He is almost literally on his last legs, in other words, as are many of the triple premiership Tigers. It's hard to see much in the way of value in the old stagers for fantasy purposes, and it's younger conveyances like the debutant Judson Clarke who attract interest.
Kane Lambert is substitute for tonight's game and is a bit of a symbol of the current Richmond list position. He is suffering from a degenerative condition which means his knees are bone-on-bone, a problem which won't go away and will probably mean his career is curtailed earlier than he would have liked. He is almost literally on his last legs, in other words, as are many of the triple premiership Tigers. It's hard to see much in the way of value in the old stagers for fantasy purposes, and it's younger conveyances like the debutant Judson Clarke who attract interest.
There can be only Kane
Flag or no flag, Kane Lambert has played the same role at a high level for the past three years, interchanging from central midfield to half forward to join the massed ranks of frontal pressure grunts. His stat lines have slowly drifted outside over that period, adding a mark last year and pushing his goal average to one per game. Lambert fully earns his forward eligibility for fantasy purposes and manages to maintain a very high base due to his frequent centre bounce and other stoppage attendances. The big off-season clean out of premium fantasy forwards makes him all the more valuable in draft leagues, earning him an early round pick.
Kane Lambert has lifted his fantasy average this year towards the forward baseline which puts him somewhere near relevance for draft leagues. As is often the case for half forward flankers, his output can be highly variable as supply from midfield waxes and wanes, with the only fantasy ton coming in a thrashing of Gold Coast. He's the sort of player whom you will most likely find on the free agent pool for a single-week start, because you can't rely on him from week to week and he'd be a list clogger on your bench.
Lambert in Tiger's clothing
While Kane Lambert's disposal average ticked up by one last season, his ratio shifted from 10:11 to 9:13 and he lost two tackles per game, which meant a slight drop in fantasy output. He backed up a third in the club best & fairest in their flag year with second in 2018, though, underlining his respect from the coaching staff. Richmond is near the bottom of the league for clearances, so Lambert's personal KPIs are not centred around extraction by his own hand. He's part of an all-ground pressure gameplan that relies on forcing turnovers, including his work interchanging in attack. Forward eligibility keeps him relevant, making him a middle round pick.
High lands for Lambert
Everything Damien Hardwick touched turned to gold in 2017, and Kane Lambert was one of his shiniest creations. A move from a HFF to central midfield starting in round 10 lifted his fantasy average by 20 points by adding four disposals and two marks per game. He kicked off that run by tagging Zach Merrett, but was not tasked with further such jobs. If you suspect that the Tigers are heading for a Bulldogs-style premiership hangover, perhaps it will hit players like Lambert most of all as his game is based more on hard work than natural skill. The flip side is that he should now have the confidence to assert himself more as a proven player in a flag side. He deserves to be drafted in middle rounds due to his forward eligibility.
