Richard Tambling is an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who plays in the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

. He was drafted to the Richmond Football Club

Richmond Football Club

The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...

 with the fourth selection in the 2004 AFL Draft

2004 AFL Draft

The 2004 AFL Draft, concerning player acquisitions in the 2004/05 Australian Football League off-season, consisted of a trade period, a national draft, a pre-season draft, and the elevation of rookies...

 and played 108 games for them before being traded to Adelaide during the 2010 AFL Trade Week

2010 AFL Draft

The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...

.

Early life

Richard is an Indigenous Australian and his ancestry can be traced to the Woolna, a Northern Territory tribe.

Richmond Tigers

In the 2004 AFL Draft

2004 AFL Draft

The 2004 AFL Draft, concerning player acquisitions in the 2004/05 Australian Football League off-season, consisted of a trade period, a national draft, a pre-season draft, and the elevation of rookies...

 Tambling was a first round selection, the number four pick overall, and drafted to the Richmond Football Club

Richmond Football Club

The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...

. Richmond had the opportunity to recruit Lance Franklin

Lance Franklin

Lance "Buddy" Franklin, Jr is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . Nicknamed 'Buddy', Franklin primarily plays as a centre half-forward, but also spends some time in the midfield, where he plays along the wing...

, some say this was bad judgement made by the Richmond recruitment personnel. In comparison to Franklin, Tambling's tenure at Richmond has been enigmatic. He had long been considered a dominant player up in the Northern Territory

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

 with his explosive speed and ability to read the play; he only confirmed that status throughout the 2004 pre-season. Terry Wallace was particularly impressed, saying he and Deledio were the "best young kids in the country".

2005 and 2006

He played in 12 games in the 2005 AFL season

2005 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2005.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:...

 and a further 21 in the 2006 AFL season

2006 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final...

.
In the latter stages of 2005, Tambling struggled with injury

Australian rules football injuries

Australian rules football is a sport known for its high level of physical body contact compared to other sports such as soccer and basketball. High impact collisions can occur from any direction, although deliberate collisions from front-on...

, including a broken toe and a consistent hamstring problem.

2007

The speedy youngster came under scrutiny in previous seasons, but showed what he can do when he booted four first-quarter goals against West Coast in round five.

2008

Tambling has further developed his game in season 2008 and has spent more time in the midfield. While his time on ground may not be big, Tambling has proved a handy midfielder who has the ability to win the contested football and kick goals.

2009–10

The constant criticism of the underperforming midfielder reached new heights in the round 3 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Richmond Tigers. Tambling's game was viewed by many experts as one of the worst performances of faltering career due to the amount of costly turnovers from his small total of 12 possessions. He received a bronx cheer from the Richmond fans after getting his first kick which also happened to be a turnover. Coach Terry Wallace later explained that Tambling had become a father in the two days earlier, which had affected his sleep before the match. Tambling was dropped from the Richmond team for the following match against the Demons. After a week at Coburg, he returned to the AFL in arguably the best form of his career. Very influential against Sydney, Fremantle, and the West Coast Eagles, he was finally showing the ability that was expected of him with his high draft pick.

Adelaide Crows

On 6 October 2010 he was traded to the Adelaide Crows

Adelaide Crows

The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....

 for two draft selections a first round and third round pick.

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