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Who'll roll the Richard Tambling dice?
Mark Stevens
NO so long ago, Richard Tambling was such a valuable asset at Richmond he was sent to Parliament House in Canberra to rub shoulders with the nation's powerbrokers.
Joined by key Tigers officials, Tambling whacked on a pair of slacks and a T-shirt and spoke from the heart about his tough upbringing in a community outside Darwin.
Tambling's story was so moving, by the time the club's delegation had left Canberra they had received $8.75 million in federal funding for an indigenous learning centre at Punt Rd. It played a huge part in underwriting a total development worth $20 milllion.
Now it seems Tambling won't be around to enjoy the fruits of the shiny new facility.
Tambling has two years of a contract to run at Tigerland, but he is now expendable - if the right trade deal comes along.
Two years ago, he was being lauded for his influence in Canberra by the president, Gary March. These days it seems both parties are happy to move on.
There is nothing nasty in it, for Richmond has been super-supportive of Tambling through a much-maligned career, but the scenario sums up modern football.
Andrew Walker, another high draft pick, is in a similar position at Carlton. Sometimes both parties might be just better to cut their losses and move on.
The Crows are hot for Walker and the suitors will come for Tambling, too.
The knockers out there may laugh, but Tambling should have enormous currency the moment trade time begins.
At a team playing in the premiership window, he has the skills to be a star.
Former teammate Nathan Brown has no doubt Tambling will be in hot demand.
"I reckon he'd be a very good player at a top-four side where he got the game on his terms and his team had the ball a lot," Brown said yesterday.
"At this stage, he is maybe a bit of a frontrunner. He will be better at a better side.
"He found it harder than most at Richmond to make his way, win his own ball and play consistent footy.
"He just needs to work harder on the mental side of the game."
Brown even went as far as saying the pacy Tambling could be an on-ball option in a powerful team.
"He was never on-ball enough. You could see at training, he was a very good stoppage player. Very clean. He could be a ruck rover," Brown said.
Brown says he would be ideal at St Kilda, who went for Andrew Lovett for some run-and-carry last year and lost out. A year later, Tambling could be that man.
Tambling is also an ideal trade option for the Western Bulldogs, who have become a good "inside" team in need of some more "outside" run.
With Jarrod Harbrow all but gone, the Dogs should look to Tambling as an immediate replacement.
Harbrow will surely be deemed worth an end-of-first-round pick if he goes to the Gold Coast. Is it worth using that to try and get Tambling? Other names such as Andrejs Everitt or Josh Hill might come up.
A straight swap of Bachar Houli for Tambling has already been mooted, but that is a win for Essendon. Tambling has shown his best is better than Houli's.
Tambling has played 108 games in six seasons. The foundations are there.
He will forever be remembered at Tigerland for his role in the new facility, but he has the ability to remembered for much more ... maybe even a premiership player elsewhere.
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