At 200cm, Vickery is a natural ruckman, but with his lack of physical strength, and with the Tigers struggling to find a partner for Jack Riewoldt, he has been thrown forward this season with success.
The difference between a player like Tyrone Vickery and a traditional ruckman in Geelong's Mark Blake is that Vickery can run, and is agile enough to play as a key forward. This is essential in modern football; the game is becoming quicker each year and with the implementation of the substitute rule, AFL teams are opting to go with quicker, running sides.
This means that teams are no longer playing with two traditional big men, but rather with a strong ruckman assisted by a mobile, versatile backup.
Gone are the days when coaches threw the resting ruckman into the forward pocket just so he could take up space.
These players are now becoming crucial pieces of their clubs' forward puzzles, and are thrown into the ruck every now and then to help out the main follower.
Players like Melbourne's Stefan Martin, West Coast's Nic Naitanui, Brisbane Lion Mitch Clark and Vickery are among those contributing to this phenomenon, with Vickery and Clark the main examples of taller key forwards and Naitanui the prototype of the midfield/tall rover type.
All of them are tall, athletic and versatile - key qualities of modern football's big man.
At the end of 2010, many football analysts and Richmond fans were critical of Vickery's performance, questioning his attitude, work ethic and ability, and casting doubt on his place in the senior side.
On the other hand, questions were also being raised about Richmond's forward line structure for this season.
Jack Riewoldt needed help. Was Vickery just another high draft pick who would never reach his potential? Was anyone other than Riewoldt able to kick goals?
Damien Hardwick raised these issues in an interview with the Herald Sun in the pre-season: "Jack is a terrific player, but we know we can't afford for him to be kicking 78 goals a year. If we keep that somewhere between 50 and 60 goals, and a Ty Vickery stands up, or another player kicks 20 or 30, we'll be happy with that."
The article said Hardwick "hoped that Riewoldt and Vickery could develop a two-pronged forward line relationship akin to Hawthorn's Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead".
Well, Hardwick must be a happy man, as hope has turned into reality. Vickery has kicked 22 goals this year and has been a valuable contributor every week.
Last weekend, he kicked a career-best four goals against the Lions, had 14 disposals including nine marks and was the Tigers' main target up forward.
He has kicked a goal in every match except one in 2011, which isn't a bad effort for a player who was drafted at pick No.8 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft as a ruckman.
Vickery has become the nucleus for a much more diverse and efficient Richmond forward line alongside the likes of Jake King (19 goals), Dustin Martin (21 goals) and Robin Nahas (12 goals).
He is no longer just the borderline backup ruckman to Angus Graham or more recently Andrew Browne.
Instead, Vickery is the key forward who is causing headaches for opposition coaches with his height, ability to move quickly and take strong marks, as well his accurate kicking. He is now mentioned in the same sentence as Riewoldt, Martin, Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio and Chris Newman when it comes to discussing Richmond's better players.
At only 21 years of age, Vickery has a lot of upside. He is a smart footballer and also a smart man who is studying a law degree off the field.
His challenge now is to continue to put on weight to allow him to compete with the bigger backmen of the competition, and also to develop a motor that will allow him to perform at a high level for a full game.
This will advance him even further and will complement the form this year that has seen him become one of the most improved players in the competition.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
