Kevin Diggerson
afl.com.au
12:32:26 PM Fri 7 March, 2003
Richmond assistant coach Darren Crocker believes the Tigers have enjoyed a solid pre-season despite losing their two pre-season games so far. The Tigers went down to Melbourne in the Wizard Home Loans Cup and lost to Fremantle last week in Geraldton, but Crocker says their focus is on the regular season opener against Collingwood.
"We've been really happy", Crocker said when asked about Richmond's pre-season.
"We are starting to get a few players back. We've got 23 days to go until round one against Collingwood. As soon as we got knocked out of the Wizard Cup that was our focus and we have been able to manage our players and gear ourselves for that game."
Richmond faces Carlton at Optus Oval on Saturday in its only Melbourne pre-season hit-out. While Crocker believes a win would be good for the Tigers' confidence ahead of the season, he doesn't see victory as imperative.
"It would be good for the guys confidence to get a win under our belt, even though there have been some positives to come out of last week in Geraldton", he said.
"We took a young team across and some of those younger guys and some of the more experienced guys we took over performed quite well. It would be good against a near full strength Carlton team and we are starting to get some players back, to have a win."
Richmond will welcome back the likes of skipper Wayne Campbell, Justin Blumfield, Ray Hall, Brad Ottens, Matthew Richardson, Kane Johnson and David Roden, giving the Tigers their strongest line-up of the pre-season. But, at this time of year, Crocker sees more emphasis in the Tigers setting themselves for the home-and-away campaign.
"We've been going about things the way we would like to go about them (in the home-and-away season)", Crocker said.
"There hasn't been any special focus from us. It's been a matter of getting the work into the guys and making sure from one week to the next, once the games start, that we are competitive when we get out there."
afl.com.au
12:32:26 PM Fri 7 March, 2003
Richmond assistant coach Darren Crocker believes the Tigers have enjoyed a solid pre-season despite losing their two pre-season games so far. The Tigers went down to Melbourne in the Wizard Home Loans Cup and lost to Fremantle last week in Geraldton, but Crocker says their focus is on the regular season opener against Collingwood.
"We've been really happy", Crocker said when asked about Richmond's pre-season.
"We are starting to get a few players back. We've got 23 days to go until round one against Collingwood. As soon as we got knocked out of the Wizard Cup that was our focus and we have been able to manage our players and gear ourselves for that game."
Richmond faces Carlton at Optus Oval on Saturday in its only Melbourne pre-season hit-out. While Crocker believes a win would be good for the Tigers' confidence ahead of the season, he doesn't see victory as imperative.
"It would be good for the guys confidence to get a win under our belt, even though there have been some positives to come out of last week in Geraldton", he said.
"We took a young team across and some of those younger guys and some of the more experienced guys we took over performed quite well. It would be good against a near full strength Carlton team and we are starting to get some players back, to have a win."
Richmond will welcome back the likes of skipper Wayne Campbell, Justin Blumfield, Ray Hall, Brad Ottens, Matthew Richardson, Kane Johnson and David Roden, giving the Tigers their strongest line-up of the pre-season. But, at this time of year, Crocker sees more emphasis in the Tigers setting themselves for the home-and-away campaign.
"We've been going about things the way we would like to go about them (in the home-and-away season)", Crocker said.
"There hasn't been any special focus from us. It's been a matter of getting the work into the guys and making sure from one week to the next, once the games start, that we are competitive when we get out there."
