AFL delisted free agency period: Richmond to sign former Sydney ruckman Sam Naismith

Naismith’s remarkable story of persistence will see him back on an AFL list after three knee reconstructions and only 30 games in his decade at Sydney.

The 31-year-old put together an excellent season at Port Melbourne but was overlooked in the mid-season draft despite clubs, including Geelong, closely scrutinising him as a back-up ruckman.

He averaged 31 hitouts and 10 hitouts-to-advantage in his season at Port Melbourne and can join the Tigers in the delisted free agency period which opens on Wednesday and runs to November 10.

Richmond traded Ivan Soldo to Port Adelaide late in the trade period, having finally relented after his plea to release him to be the Power’s No.1 ruckman.

The Tigers believed he would have departed as an unrestricted free agent next year and likely only secured them second-round compensation in return.

Instead, they traded him for pick 41 and Fremantle’s future second-round selection, and will immediately bring Naismith back in as cover.

The Tigers are also excited by the prospects of Ben Miller and Samson Ryan getting chances to ruck behind co-captain Toby Nankervis.

Richmond has been given approval by the AFL to delisted project ruckman Mate Colina then put him back on the list as a category B rookie if no other club secures him.

Former University of Honolulu basketballer Colina, the cousin of Noah Balta, has played only a handful of AFL games in his three seasons at the Richmond list because of injury issues.

So the Tigers have permission to retain him for a fourth year as a category B rookie, which covers players from international backgrounds or non-football pathways.

Naismith had 15 knee and shoulder surgeries across his Sydney career despite only 30 AFL games, having played his last AFL game in round 4, 2020 before being delisted at the end of 2022.

The 206cm big man was rookie-listed by Sydney in the 2013 draft and played in the 2016 Grand Final against the Western Bulldogs.

But amid continuing knee issues he also had personal heartbreak, losing sister Kristi to pancreatic cancer in 2020 during Covid.

He told Code Sports this year the move to Port Melbourne had rekindled his love of the game after his injury issues and family tragedy.

“I fell out of love with the game,” Naismith said.

“I haven’t enjoyed the game over the last couple of years. I didn’t go to ‘Buddy’s 1,000’, I watched it on the couch at home.

“There were a lot of Swans games I didn’t want to watch at all. I felt like I didn’t want to be around footy anymore.”

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Richmond is the perfect landing spot for Naismith given he will believe he has the opportunity to play regular senior football given the Tigers played both Nankervis and Soldo late in the season.

Tigers star forward Tom Lynch is on track to be in full training after his second foot surgery, out of a moon boot and about to start a graduated fitness program to have him fully fit by round 1 next year.

Richmond is also bullish about the summer prospects of top-10 pick Josh Gibcus, who has made strong progress during an overseas trip to Qatar to help him prepare his body after hamstring tendon surgery and subsequent infections that ruined his 2023 season.

Originally published as AFL delisted free agency period: Richmond to sign former Sydney ruckman Sam Naismith