Newman settling in new role
1:21:36 PM Wed 25 June, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
At the midway point of the season, Richmond’s Chris Newman is on target to achieve his goal of playing every senior match for his club in 2003.
But the developing on-baller is not feeling complacent, by any means.
Having played 19 matches for the Tigers’ VFL affiliate Coburg in 2001, Newman finally broke into the senior side in round nine last year.
It was the fifth occasion Newman had been named as an emergency, and when Leon Cameron was a late withdrawal, he found himself lining up at half-back against St Kilda.
The Tigers’ fifth choice (55th overall) in the 2000 national draft, and a best and fairest winner with the Dandenong Stingrays, Newman held his position until round 22, but the 21 year-old hasn’t missed a senior match since.
“Last year was a bit of a crunch year for me. I really wanted to get a game, and because I didn’t get a game in my first year I thought this year I really wanted to put my best foot forward and see what I could do,” he told afl.com.au ahead of the game against Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night.
“This year I set my target to play every game, and so far I’m doing that, so hopefully I can go with it.”
The indicators are that Newman has impressed the Richmond selection committee sufficiently to maintain his position, but he still feels he is earning his spot as a regular member of the senior side.
“I definitely don’t feel comfortable, I’m not really happy with the way I’m going, I just want to keep whatever it is I’m doing though, to keep playing for the rest of the year,” he said.
“Your name’s not really cemented in the side, you play a few bad games and you’re under the pump. I don’t feel comfortable where I am at the moment and I know I have to keep playing well and put my best foot forward.”
The left-footer was assigned midfield roles during his junior days and for Coburg, but since his promotion, Newman has assumed more defensive roles.
“They sort of see me as a defender, and they’re trying to develop me into a defender so I think that’s really helped me with another side of the game. I’d never really played in defence growing up.”
Newman is vying for a midfield role against the likes of numerous talented teammates, particularly since premiership on-ballers Kane Johnson and Justin Blumfield were recruited by Richmond over the summer.
But despite the emergence of Mark Coughlan, the longevity of the club’s skipper Wayne Campbell and consistency of Joel Bowden, Newman feels he still has something to contribute.
“Obviously I want to get into that position, like Mark Coughlan, where I get to play there every week and along side those good players like Kane Johnson and ‘Cogs’ (Coughlan) and ‘Campbo’ (Campbell).”
“I enjoy it back in defence, but obviously I want to try and get into the midfield as well and I’ve had a couple of chances now, which has been good,” Newman said.
Newman rates the Tigers’ historic round five come-from-behind win against Hawthorn as his most memorable match, but says his personal best effort came a week later when he accrued a career best 20 possessions against Port Adelaide.
That match was especially fulfilling, Newman said, because he matched up on one of the opponent’s best players.
“I had a role to do on Nick Stevens. He sort of got away from me a little bit, and he got a fair bit of the ball so it was a case of mixed emotions there with that game.”
1:21:36 PM Wed 25 June, 2003
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
At the midway point of the season, Richmond’s Chris Newman is on target to achieve his goal of playing every senior match for his club in 2003.
But the developing on-baller is not feeling complacent, by any means.
Having played 19 matches for the Tigers’ VFL affiliate Coburg in 2001, Newman finally broke into the senior side in round nine last year.
It was the fifth occasion Newman had been named as an emergency, and when Leon Cameron was a late withdrawal, he found himself lining up at half-back against St Kilda.
The Tigers’ fifth choice (55th overall) in the 2000 national draft, and a best and fairest winner with the Dandenong Stingrays, Newman held his position until round 22, but the 21 year-old hasn’t missed a senior match since.
“Last year was a bit of a crunch year for me. I really wanted to get a game, and because I didn’t get a game in my first year I thought this year I really wanted to put my best foot forward and see what I could do,” he told afl.com.au ahead of the game against Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night.
“This year I set my target to play every game, and so far I’m doing that, so hopefully I can go with it.”
The indicators are that Newman has impressed the Richmond selection committee sufficiently to maintain his position, but he still feels he is earning his spot as a regular member of the senior side.
“I definitely don’t feel comfortable, I’m not really happy with the way I’m going, I just want to keep whatever it is I’m doing though, to keep playing for the rest of the year,” he said.
“Your name’s not really cemented in the side, you play a few bad games and you’re under the pump. I don’t feel comfortable where I am at the moment and I know I have to keep playing well and put my best foot forward.”
The left-footer was assigned midfield roles during his junior days and for Coburg, but since his promotion, Newman has assumed more defensive roles.
“They sort of see me as a defender, and they’re trying to develop me into a defender so I think that’s really helped me with another side of the game. I’d never really played in defence growing up.”
Newman is vying for a midfield role against the likes of numerous talented teammates, particularly since premiership on-ballers Kane Johnson and Justin Blumfield were recruited by Richmond over the summer.
But despite the emergence of Mark Coughlan, the longevity of the club’s skipper Wayne Campbell and consistency of Joel Bowden, Newman feels he still has something to contribute.
“Obviously I want to get into that position, like Mark Coughlan, where I get to play there every week and along side those good players like Kane Johnson and ‘Cogs’ (Coughlan) and ‘Campbo’ (Campbell).”
“I enjoy it back in defence, but obviously I want to try and get into the midfield as well and I’ve had a couple of chances now, which has been good,” Newman said.
Newman rates the Tigers’ historic round five come-from-behind win against Hawthorn as his most memorable match, but says his personal best effort came a week later when he accrued a career best 20 possessions against Port Adelaide.
That match was especially fulfilling, Newman said, because he matched up on one of the opponent’s best players.
“I had a role to do on Nick Stevens. He sort of got away from me a little bit, and he got a fair bit of the ball so it was a case of mixed emotions there with that game.”
