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Tiger hungry for a slice of Pies
25 March 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS
RICHMOND captain Wayne Campbell started last season nursing a stress fracture in a foot and went on to win his fourth best-and-fairest.
This year, Campbell's pre-season has been hindered by a bout of osteitis pubis.
But he says it won't stop him leading the Tigers into Friday night's opening encounter against Collingwood at the MCG.
In fact, Campbell, 30, was reluctant to even talk about the ailment after a training session at Punt Rd yesterday.
He would not reveal either when he was stricken or the extent of the injury and how it had affected him.
"I didn't have an operation (as had been rumoured)," he explained. "I had it (osteitis pubis) a bit last year, but couldn't have had a better preparation, really.
"I didn't do as much running before Christmas, but I started running straight away when we first got back.
"I've played the last two (practice) games and I'm pretty much ready to go. Although it's been a different pre-season, it's probably the same pre-season I had last year because I had a navicular stress fracture."
Campbell's preparation has been built around swimming, cycling and boxing.
He has also been doing core-strengthening exercises known as Pilates.
As the club's leading possession-winner for the past two seasons, Campbell is crucial to the Tigers' midfield set-up.
But he is looking forward to the addition of Kane Johnson (Adelaide) and Justin Blumfield (Essendon) providing more running power.
"We lost a half-back flanker in Jason Torney; he's a very good player, but then we've got two very good players to come straight in to the midfield," Campbell said. "You add two quality midfielders, it's a pretty big increase without losing anything for it, as such."
Last year, Richmond beat Collingwood in the opening round, but the Magpies went on to play off in the Grand Final while the Tigers finished 14th.
With Brad Ottens missing for the first half of the season after back surgery, and a shocker in the first game of the Wizard Cup against Melbourne, the Tigers will be long odds to repeat last year's win.
But Campbell said the Wizard Cup match should be forgotten.
"It was a pretty ordinary game and we were pretty ordinary in it, there's no doubt about that, and it probably has affected the club from a membership sales point of view," he said.
"But from a purely playing point of view, it really had no effect on us because we then went back to focussing on Round 1.
"We want to win our fans' respect back because we didn't do that last year.
"It was a good opportunity to do that in the Wizard Cup, but having said that, I don't think it means we're not going to play well (in) Round 1 against Collingwood and that's what we ultimately want to do: play well and beat Collingwood on Friday night."
25 March 2003 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL STEVENS
RICHMOND captain Wayne Campbell started last season nursing a stress fracture in a foot and went on to win his fourth best-and-fairest.
This year, Campbell's pre-season has been hindered by a bout of osteitis pubis.
But he says it won't stop him leading the Tigers into Friday night's opening encounter against Collingwood at the MCG.
In fact, Campbell, 30, was reluctant to even talk about the ailment after a training session at Punt Rd yesterday.
He would not reveal either when he was stricken or the extent of the injury and how it had affected him.
"I didn't have an operation (as had been rumoured)," he explained. "I had it (osteitis pubis) a bit last year, but couldn't have had a better preparation, really.
"I didn't do as much running before Christmas, but I started running straight away when we first got back.
"I've played the last two (practice) games and I'm pretty much ready to go. Although it's been a different pre-season, it's probably the same pre-season I had last year because I had a navicular stress fracture."
Campbell's preparation has been built around swimming, cycling and boxing.
He has also been doing core-strengthening exercises known as Pilates.
As the club's leading possession-winner for the past two seasons, Campbell is crucial to the Tigers' midfield set-up.
But he is looking forward to the addition of Kane Johnson (Adelaide) and Justin Blumfield (Essendon) providing more running power.
"We lost a half-back flanker in Jason Torney; he's a very good player, but then we've got two very good players to come straight in to the midfield," Campbell said. "You add two quality midfielders, it's a pretty big increase without losing anything for it, as such."
Last year, Richmond beat Collingwood in the opening round, but the Magpies went on to play off in the Grand Final while the Tigers finished 14th.
With Brad Ottens missing for the first half of the season after back surgery, and a shocker in the first game of the Wizard Cup against Melbourne, the Tigers will be long odds to repeat last year's win.
But Campbell said the Wizard Cup match should be forgotten.
"It was a pretty ordinary game and we were pretty ordinary in it, there's no doubt about that, and it probably has affected the club from a membership sales point of view," he said.
"But from a purely playing point of view, it really had no effect on us because we then went back to focussing on Round 1.
"We want to win our fans' respect back because we didn't do that last year.
"It was a good opportunity to do that in the Wizard Cup, but having said that, I don't think it means we're not going to play well (in) Round 1 against Collingwood and that's what we ultimately want to do: play well and beat Collingwood on Friday night."
