What Is Jake Batchelor Actually Responsible for Changing in Richmond’s Defence?
Richmond conceded fewer points across the second half of 2026, but the opposition’s inside-50 volume barely moved and its ability to mark inside 50 did not disappear. That makes the defensive improvement harder to read than the scoreboard alone suggests.
Jake Batchelor enters his second season as Richmond’s AFL defensive assistant with a more specific question hanging over his area. What part of the defensive chain is actually his to change — the contests after the ball arrives, the organisation before it arrives, the space Richmond protects, the support around aerial contests, or the quality of the possession the backline hands to the next coach’s system?
The deeper member feature separates Batchelor’s responsibility from the pressure further up the ground and the ball movement that follows a regain, then asks what Richmond should be able to see in 2027 if the defence is improving before an opponent gets the shot.
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