Former Richmond coach Terry Wallace believes star Tigers defender Dylan Grimes’ was left out of the 2018 All-Australian side because his ‘numbers aren’t sexy’.
Grimes was a controversial omission from the final 22 despite playing a key role in the Tigers’ run to the minor premiership.
Wallace, who was shown the door as Tigers coach in 2009, believes Grimes is a victim of his no-frills approach to the game.
“I watched Dylan Grimes play his entire under-18 season as a full-back,” Wallace told SEN Afternoons.
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“He was playing in the under-18s as an undersized (defender), you think about how skinny he is now, you imagine what he was like playing as an under-18.
“And (he missed the All-Australia team for) exactly the same reason why he didn’t get picked up in the National Draft, because his stats weren’t sexy.
“It’s exactly the same reason why he’s potentially missed out on All-Australian selection and exactly the same reason why he did he miss out on the National Draft.
“He does all the right things, but the numbers aren’t sexy and when you look at them and you compare them to other blokes … Grimesy just gets the job done.”
Grimes, 27, was taken by the Tigers with the second pick of the 2010 AFL pre-season draft, making his debut in Round 22 of his rookie season against Port Adelaide.
