Sydney Stack was arguably best on ground for Richmond in last week's loss, playing a role at half back with his customary courage at the contest and work rate to make crucial contributions. He was as good as Nick Vlastuin normally is in that role, and while like Vlastuin he lacks the pure height to compete with the genuine tall forwards he has the ability to use his leap and athleticism to halve a lot of contests that others might give up on. As a fantasy player he is capable of very solid scores, but his role in the team is not set, and his scoring floor is too low for regular use at this stage.
Sydney Stack was arguably best on ground for Richmond in last week's loss, playing a role at half back with his customary courage at the contest and work rate to make crucial contributions. He was as good as Nick Vlastuin normally is in that role, and while like Vlastuin he lacks the pure height to compete with the genuine tall forwards he has the ability to use his leap and athleticism to halve a lot of contests that others might give up on. As a fantasy player he is capable of very solid scores, but his role in the team is not set, and his scoring floor is too low for regular use at this stage.
Stack falls over late
One of the early success stories of the Richmond premiership campaign, Sydney Stack was picked up in the preseason as a mature-ager and debuted in round 3, slotting into a half back role and looking as if he had been groomed to play at the level for a long time. His starting position moved forward after the bye, starting with a bag of four goals against the Saints but then petering out. He was eventually dropped, then injured an ankle in the VFL to derail his attempts to return to the senior side. The concept of the preseason pick is a new one in Australian football, though it is much more prevalent in American sports like the NFL. In the Stack story we see the pitfalls of such an approach in our sport, as preseason fitness campaigns outside the AFL clubs can tend to lack the intensity and sports science support required to ensure fitness through 25 games. This is a cautionary tale for drafting preseason picks in future - but as far as Stack goes, a full preseason should see him challenging again.
Stack has a heap of talent
Despite some discipline problems stemming from a troubled family background, Sydney Stack made All-Australian in his last junior year and was picked up late by the Tigers, with them showing enough faith to have him living with coach Damien Hardwick through the process. He averaged 23 touches, 94 fantasy points and a massive eight tackles in the WAFL Colts last season. Stack combines the Rolls Royce engine of his cousins the Hill brothers with an appetite for the contest, which is a tantalising prospect for a wingman in the modern game. In the Richmond system he could well be used as a pressure forward in their trademark style, which would limit his fantasy scoring. Best to wait to see how he turns out, as the role the club wants him in will dictate his ceiling.
