A terrific tale of two Tigers
4:19:10 PM Mon 3 May, 2004
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
From a short-term perspective, the importance of Richmond’s nail-biting win over Hawthorn at Telstra Dome last Friday night was obvious.
After being belted from pillar to post (both figuratively and literally) throughout the previous four weeks, the Tigers responded with a good, old-fashioned, gutsy victory to (temporarily at least) relieve some of the pressure at – and divert much media attention away – from Punt Road.
To quote former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating after the ALP had pulled off a stunning upset at the 1993 Federal election to remain in Government: “This was a victory for the true believers”. Those members of the Yellow and Black faith, who had taken the time to email, write, fax or phone the Club last week in an overwhelming show of support, following the isolated idiotic crowd antics at the Round 5 clash with Adelaide at Telstra Dome, had their faith rewarded. Likewise, those who turned up at the same venue last Friday night determined to do everything in their barracking power to help lift the Tigers over the line (special mention here of the Richmond cheer squad who were unrelenting, and inspirational in their support right throughout the match).
One win, of course, does not make a season and at 2-4 after six rounds, Richmond has plenty of hard work ahead to get its year back on track. But, from a bigger picture point of view, I think there were some real bonuses for the Tigers in that success by the barest possible margin against the Hawks.
I’m not talking about the performances of seasoned campaigners such as skipper Wayne Campbell, Brad Ottens, Kane Johnson, Nathan Brown and Greg Tivendale, who provided much of the spark necessary for Richmond to turn around its recent poor form. They all dug deep, as you would expect from players of their calibre and character, to launch the Yellow and Black fightback under the Telstra Dome roof. As good as they were, though, it was the efforts of a couple of lower-profile Tigers that particularly pleased me.
I refer to Tim Fleming and Chris Hyde – two players who have received their fair (or unfair) share of criticism from Richmond fans in recent times. They have both been labelled as lacking the skills required to make it at the game’s highest level. Yet, as they showed last Friday night, they clearly have something worthwhile to offer the Tigers.
For the second week in-a-row, Fleming was one of the Tigers’ best, winning plenty of ball and setting a fine example by continually putting his body on the line for the side. ‘Flem’ plays every game as if it’s his last, leaving nothing on the field after 120 minutes of battle. He relishes the contest and his ‘warrior-like’ approach to league football is exactly what Richmond needs right now. Sure, he’s no Nathan Brown in terms of silky skills, but not every player on the Brisbane Lions list plays like Michael Voss either.
To be a successful team in AFL football, you need a playing combination of skill, strength, speed, courage, hardness and fierce desire. Fleming certainly possesses enough of those qualities to make a decent contribution to the Richmond line-up. I can assure you that his attitude to the game is first class – and it means something special to him every time he pulls on that famous Tiger strip.
Overall, I thought Flem did well in his debut season with Richmond last year, playing 17 games and performing some important run-with roles for coach Danny Frawley. Admittedly, his start to the 2004 season was slow and he found himself back in the VFL after the Round 3 match against St Kilda. Typically, however, he took his demotion on the chin, and fought back the only way he knows how – by giving it everything he’s got. He trained the house down for the Coburg Tigers in the lead-up to his VFL return, followed up with an excellent game, promptly earned a recall to the Richmond side and, in two appearances since, has been terrific at AFL level.
Chris Hyde played his 14th – and undoubtedly best – game for Richmond last Friday night since making his league debut in 2002. He gathered 22 possessions, took five marks, ran non-stop to set up scoring opportunities for the team, and kicked a valuable goal. Like Fleming, ‘Hydey’ has a tremendous work ethic, an abundance of courage, and he hates losing. Although he also has been criticised in the past for skill errors, his delivery of the ball on Friday evening was most impressive. He consistently hit his targets by hand or foot and wasn’t fazed when forced on to his non-preferred (right) side.
Yes, Hydey still has a long way to go, but for the time being, anyway, he’s forced his knockers to devour a decent slice of humble pie. There’s never been any doubt about his commitment to the cause. Tiger supporters now know that he can play a bit, too . . .
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=opinion&spg=display&articleid=146731
4:19:10 PM Mon 3 May, 2004
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
From a short-term perspective, the importance of Richmond’s nail-biting win over Hawthorn at Telstra Dome last Friday night was obvious.
After being belted from pillar to post (both figuratively and literally) throughout the previous four weeks, the Tigers responded with a good, old-fashioned, gutsy victory to (temporarily at least) relieve some of the pressure at – and divert much media attention away – from Punt Road.
To quote former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating after the ALP had pulled off a stunning upset at the 1993 Federal election to remain in Government: “This was a victory for the true believers”. Those members of the Yellow and Black faith, who had taken the time to email, write, fax or phone the Club last week in an overwhelming show of support, following the isolated idiotic crowd antics at the Round 5 clash with Adelaide at Telstra Dome, had their faith rewarded. Likewise, those who turned up at the same venue last Friday night determined to do everything in their barracking power to help lift the Tigers over the line (special mention here of the Richmond cheer squad who were unrelenting, and inspirational in their support right throughout the match).
One win, of course, does not make a season and at 2-4 after six rounds, Richmond has plenty of hard work ahead to get its year back on track. But, from a bigger picture point of view, I think there were some real bonuses for the Tigers in that success by the barest possible margin against the Hawks.
I’m not talking about the performances of seasoned campaigners such as skipper Wayne Campbell, Brad Ottens, Kane Johnson, Nathan Brown and Greg Tivendale, who provided much of the spark necessary for Richmond to turn around its recent poor form. They all dug deep, as you would expect from players of their calibre and character, to launch the Yellow and Black fightback under the Telstra Dome roof. As good as they were, though, it was the efforts of a couple of lower-profile Tigers that particularly pleased me.
I refer to Tim Fleming and Chris Hyde – two players who have received their fair (or unfair) share of criticism from Richmond fans in recent times. They have both been labelled as lacking the skills required to make it at the game’s highest level. Yet, as they showed last Friday night, they clearly have something worthwhile to offer the Tigers.
For the second week in-a-row, Fleming was one of the Tigers’ best, winning plenty of ball and setting a fine example by continually putting his body on the line for the side. ‘Flem’ plays every game as if it’s his last, leaving nothing on the field after 120 minutes of battle. He relishes the contest and his ‘warrior-like’ approach to league football is exactly what Richmond needs right now. Sure, he’s no Nathan Brown in terms of silky skills, but not every player on the Brisbane Lions list plays like Michael Voss either.
To be a successful team in AFL football, you need a playing combination of skill, strength, speed, courage, hardness and fierce desire. Fleming certainly possesses enough of those qualities to make a decent contribution to the Richmond line-up. I can assure you that his attitude to the game is first class – and it means something special to him every time he pulls on that famous Tiger strip.
Overall, I thought Flem did well in his debut season with Richmond last year, playing 17 games and performing some important run-with roles for coach Danny Frawley. Admittedly, his start to the 2004 season was slow and he found himself back in the VFL after the Round 3 match against St Kilda. Typically, however, he took his demotion on the chin, and fought back the only way he knows how – by giving it everything he’s got. He trained the house down for the Coburg Tigers in the lead-up to his VFL return, followed up with an excellent game, promptly earned a recall to the Richmond side and, in two appearances since, has been terrific at AFL level.
Chris Hyde played his 14th – and undoubtedly best – game for Richmond last Friday night since making his league debut in 2002. He gathered 22 possessions, took five marks, ran non-stop to set up scoring opportunities for the team, and kicked a valuable goal. Like Fleming, ‘Hydey’ has a tremendous work ethic, an abundance of courage, and he hates losing. Although he also has been criticised in the past for skill errors, his delivery of the ball on Friday evening was most impressive. He consistently hit his targets by hand or foot and wasn’t fazed when forced on to his non-preferred (right) side.
Yes, Hydey still has a long way to go, but for the time being, anyway, he’s forced his knockers to devour a decent slice of humble pie. There’s never been any doubt about his commitment to the cause. Tiger supporters now know that he can play a bit, too . . .
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=opinion&spg=display&articleid=146731
