He’s rated among the biggest top-end draft duds, but Richard Tambling’s AFL career isn’t over despite again being dumped by the Adelaide Crows.
Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says Tambling still has a future despite playing just four games for Adelaide in the past two seasons.
Tambling was selected by Richmond with the fourth pick at the 2004 national draft – ahead of Lance Franklin, now an AFL megastar.
Six years later, Tambling was offloaded by Richmond to Adelaide in return for draft pick number 51 and a compensation draft selection.
The 26-year-old has played 122 games and falls out of contract with the Crows at season’s end but still has an AFL future, according to Sanderson.
“He has had three frustrating seasons at the Adelaide Football Club,” Sanderson told reporters on Friday.
“It feels like he can’t lock himself away into that 22 (side). Some players, you walk into match committee and their magnets are already up there in the slot each week, and we probably move four or five magnets around trying to get the right mix.
“It’s not the end for Richard Tambling by any means.
“He is disappointed because he misses out this week but … he has played 120 games of AFL football, he has got experience, he has got speed – he has got a lot of good AFL football left ahead of him.”