3:47:49 PM Fri 11 April, 2003 Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
Richmond insists its star forward Matthew Richardson is in contention to play this week, despite having facial surgery just three days ago.
The club had been preparing to meet Fremantle without Richardson ever since he suffered a hairline fracture to his cheekbone in the club’s round two victory over the Western Bulldogs. Eyebrows were raised when he was named in the Tigers’ round three squad on Thursday night.
Richardson did not train with his teammates at the club’s final session at Punt Road on Friday afternoon, but senior coach Danny Frawley said he gave the Tiger hero every chance of playing.
“He is a realistic chance. He’s done a little bit of work, and he’s going to do a little bit of work again tomorrow. But we’ve just got to wait and see how he pulls up. He’s really desperate to play. Obviously it’s a really big game for the club and for Wayne Campbell, he’s just really keen to play in that game.”
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“It’s still 48 hours before the game and the improvement from Wednesday to today has been significant. So if the improvement still goes at that rate he’s a very good chance to play.”
“We’re also mindful of the fact that it’s a long season, but he’s really positive,” Frawley said.
Frawley said Richardson had trained before his teammates on Friday, in order to protect him from the intense tempo of their last run before meeting the Dockers.
“We just wanted to make sure he got through a session on his own without putting the pressure on him. Our boys will be going flat out today, we’ll be training upbeat for 20 minutes. This was his first run since getting out of hospital so it’s a bit too much to expect him to train flat out in a session like this,” Frawley said.
The swelling on Richardson’s face will be monitored in the 48 hours leading up to the match, but Frawley suggested a final decision would be made on Saturday after Richardson trains again.
“We’ve just got to see how he pulls up from that. There’s still a little bit of swelling there. But the real positive is he’s definitely going to play the week after.”
“If the doctor and Matty give the all clear I’d be mad not to play him, but we’re still mindful of the fact that it’s a long season so it’s Matty’s call in the end and the doctors’,” Frawley said.
Frawley said Richardson would not wear protective gear on his face should he play, but that he needed to be comfortable with playing senior footy so soon after having surgery.
“The surgeon and Chris Bradshaw, our doctor, said on Wednesday that if the swelling comes down significantly he’s a very good chance to play. He can’t do any further damage, so it’s a real positive.”
Tigers football manager Greg Hutchison said on Monday it was likely the gun forward would only miss one match, and club captain Wayne Campbell publicly backed his teammates to cover the loss of Richardson on Wednesday.
Richmond has added Royce Vardy, Andrew Mills and Tim Fleming to the side which kicked 16 goals against the Bulldogs. Richardson contributed just one major, but always takes the opposition’s best key defender.
afl.com.au
Richmond insists its star forward Matthew Richardson is in contention to play this week, despite having facial surgery just three days ago.
The club had been preparing to meet Fremantle without Richardson ever since he suffered a hairline fracture to his cheekbone in the club’s round two victory over the Western Bulldogs. Eyebrows were raised when he was named in the Tigers’ round three squad on Thursday night.
Richardson did not train with his teammates at the club’s final session at Punt Road on Friday afternoon, but senior coach Danny Frawley said he gave the Tiger hero every chance of playing.
“He is a realistic chance. He’s done a little bit of work, and he’s going to do a little bit of work again tomorrow. But we’ve just got to wait and see how he pulls up. He’s really desperate to play. Obviously it’s a really big game for the club and for Wayne Campbell, he’s just really keen to play in that game.”
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“It’s still 48 hours before the game and the improvement from Wednesday to today has been significant. So if the improvement still goes at that rate he’s a very good chance to play.”
“We’re also mindful of the fact that it’s a long season, but he’s really positive,” Frawley said.
Frawley said Richardson had trained before his teammates on Friday, in order to protect him from the intense tempo of their last run before meeting the Dockers.
“We just wanted to make sure he got through a session on his own without putting the pressure on him. Our boys will be going flat out today, we’ll be training upbeat for 20 minutes. This was his first run since getting out of hospital so it’s a bit too much to expect him to train flat out in a session like this,” Frawley said.
The swelling on Richardson’s face will be monitored in the 48 hours leading up to the match, but Frawley suggested a final decision would be made on Saturday after Richardson trains again.
“We’ve just got to see how he pulls up from that. There’s still a little bit of swelling there. But the real positive is he’s definitely going to play the week after.”
“If the doctor and Matty give the all clear I’d be mad not to play him, but we’re still mindful of the fact that it’s a long season so it’s Matty’s call in the end and the doctors’,” Frawley said.
Frawley said Richardson would not wear protective gear on his face should he play, but that he needed to be comfortable with playing senior footy so soon after having surgery.
“The surgeon and Chris Bradshaw, our doctor, said on Wednesday that if the swelling comes down significantly he’s a very good chance to play. He can’t do any further damage, so it’s a real positive.”
Tigers football manager Greg Hutchison said on Monday it was likely the gun forward would only miss one match, and club captain Wayne Campbell publicly backed his teammates to cover the loss of Richardson on Wednesday.
Richmond has added Royce Vardy, Andrew Mills and Tim Fleming to the side which kicked 16 goals against the Bulldogs. Richardson contributed just one major, but always takes the opposition’s best key defender.
