Short answer to Tigers' dilemma
10 April 2003 Herald Sun
By BRUCE MATTHEWS
RICHMOND is toying with the idea of fielding a small, mobile forward line against Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.
While players such as Kane Johnson, Justin Blumfield, Greg Tivendale and Joel Bowden are 10cm shorter than injured spearhead Matthew Richardson, all can present a moving target for the Tigers.
"There have been games when we've played with a small forward line, and that's what we're going to have to do because we just haven't got any other tall players to come in," captain Wayne Campbell said last night.
"It's just a case of trying to manufacture goals until he comes back. We've had to do a bit of that recently."
Richardson is expected to be back for the Round 4 clash with St Kilda after surgery this week to repair a cheekbone fracture.
The Tigers, who are missing other tall forwards Brad Ottens and Ben Holland as well, must improvise against Fremantle.
"When you miss a player like that for a week, it throws the onus on everyone else. If he was missing for six or seven, it would come down to someone (to assume his role)," Campbell said.
"You can cover a player for a week, but it makes it harder to cover him for a longer term. I think we've got the players there to kick a winning score.
"Everyone who goes and watches Richmond knows a fair bit of ball gets directed to him (Richardson) and, because of his athleticism, he gets a lot of balls, anyway.
"So we have to change a bit. It's more that when he's down there, he just presents himself so well. We won't be able to do that this time, it's as simple as that."
Campbell will become the 10th Richmond player to reach 250 games when he leads the team against the Dockers.
And he credits St Kilda and Hawthorn premiership coach Allan Jeans with instilling in him the belief that he could become a regular AFL player.
The young Bendigo wingman was more committed to business marketing studies when Jeans tossed him an onball role in 1992.
"When I was drafted, I just came down wide-eyed from the country. I guess I came to Melbourne to study as much as anything, footy wasn't as big then," Campbell said.
"Allan Jeans was the new Richmond coach and he came to me and said he thought I was a good player. I had played 12 games the previous year and, at that stage, I still didn't know if I was a good player.
"He had a fair bit of experience and it gave me a great deal of belief. I suppose for any young player to have a coach of that magnitude come to him and say, 'I'll play you on the ball' gave me a lot of confidence."
Campbell acknowledged the danger posed by Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich in the midfield on Sunday. "Obviously for a guy of his size to be able to play in the midfield, he has something pretty special," he said.
Campbell said he wouldn't have time to savour the 250 milestone in a game the Tigers are expected to win.
"I suppose you need to win all the time, but we really need to win this week and that has been the focus," he said.
10 April 2003 Herald Sun
By BRUCE MATTHEWS
RICHMOND is toying with the idea of fielding a small, mobile forward line against Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.
While players such as Kane Johnson, Justin Blumfield, Greg Tivendale and Joel Bowden are 10cm shorter than injured spearhead Matthew Richardson, all can present a moving target for the Tigers.
"There have been games when we've played with a small forward line, and that's what we're going to have to do because we just haven't got any other tall players to come in," captain Wayne Campbell said last night.
"It's just a case of trying to manufacture goals until he comes back. We've had to do a bit of that recently."
Richardson is expected to be back for the Round 4 clash with St Kilda after surgery this week to repair a cheekbone fracture.
The Tigers, who are missing other tall forwards Brad Ottens and Ben Holland as well, must improvise against Fremantle.
"When you miss a player like that for a week, it throws the onus on everyone else. If he was missing for six or seven, it would come down to someone (to assume his role)," Campbell said.
"You can cover a player for a week, but it makes it harder to cover him for a longer term. I think we've got the players there to kick a winning score.
"Everyone who goes and watches Richmond knows a fair bit of ball gets directed to him (Richardson) and, because of his athleticism, he gets a lot of balls, anyway.
"So we have to change a bit. It's more that when he's down there, he just presents himself so well. We won't be able to do that this time, it's as simple as that."
Campbell will become the 10th Richmond player to reach 250 games when he leads the team against the Dockers.
And he credits St Kilda and Hawthorn premiership coach Allan Jeans with instilling in him the belief that he could become a regular AFL player.
The young Bendigo wingman was more committed to business marketing studies when Jeans tossed him an onball role in 1992.
"When I was drafted, I just came down wide-eyed from the country. I guess I came to Melbourne to study as much as anything, footy wasn't as big then," Campbell said.
"Allan Jeans was the new Richmond coach and he came to me and said he thought I was a good player. I had played 12 games the previous year and, at that stage, I still didn't know if I was a good player.
"He had a fair bit of experience and it gave me a great deal of belief. I suppose for any young player to have a coach of that magnitude come to him and say, 'I'll play you on the ball' gave me a lot of confidence."
Campbell acknowledged the danger posed by Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich in the midfield on Sunday. "Obviously for a guy of his size to be able to play in the midfield, he has something pretty special," he said.
Campbell said he wouldn't have time to savour the 250 milestone in a game the Tigers are expected to win.
"I suppose you need to win all the time, but we really need to win this week and that has been the focus," he said.
