Tigers set to be at full strength
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
4:43:25 PM Wed 18 June, 2003
Richmond may have gone into the mid-season break struggling after four successive losses but at least they will begin the second half of the season virtually at full strength.
The Tigers have dropped from third to ninth in the past month following successive losses to West Coast, Sydney and narrow defeats to the Kangaroos and Carlton.
This has left Danny Frawley’s team precariously placed at six wins and six losses after 12 rounds and with successive interstate matches against Brisbane and Adelaide to come immediately after the break.
However Frawley, speaking exclusively to richmondfc.com.au on Wednesday, said the season was far from over for his club which would be close to full strength when the season resumes.
In fact the Tigers will regain skipper Wayne Campbell, star midfielder Kane Johnson, key defender Ben Holland and Essendon recruit Justin Blumfield from injury after the mid-season break leaving only full-back Darren Gaspar and veteran Duncan Kellaway on the injury list.
Frawley admitted the club has suffered in 2003 from consistently being unable to get its best players on the field at the same time.
“People talk about depth and being able to cover injuries but you have got to have your best four players playing week in, week out,” he said.
“Look at even Brisbane last weekend and how they went without Michael Voss and Jonathan Brown (when the Lions were thrashed by 69 points on home soil by West Coast).
Frawley said the Kangaroos game in round 11 summed up the Tigers’ fortunes in terms of injuries to star players this season.
“We just get one of our premier ruckman/forward’s (in Brad Ottens) back from injury and then we lose our premier defender (Darren Gaspar) for the rest of the season.”
Gaspar will miss the rest of the year with a knee injury meaning that he and Ottens – clearly both in Richmond’s top six players – will have played together just once for the whole season.
Throw in injuries to the Tigers’ other big guns in skipper Campbell – who has not played a full game since the Hawthorn game in round five – and Matthew Richardson, who has missed three games, and the Tigers are clearly hurting by injuries to their elite players.
In addition Holland – a key player at centre-half-back in 2001, has not played since round four, 2002 due to a knee injury, while Blumfield has been sidelined since round four this season.
Frawley however said the one positive in having so many of his leadership group sidelined during the season was that several other players had relished the pressure of added responsibility.
“Guys like Andrew Kellaway, Mark Chaffey, Greg Tivendale, Chris Newman, Ty Zantuck, Mark Coughlan and Kane Johnson have all stepped up,” he said.
Aware of the growing criticism his side is facing from frustrated supporters, who sense another wasted season from a club that has made the finals just twice in the past 20 years, Frawley urged the Tiger army to keep the faith.
“We’ve put in a real consistent effort all year probably other than the Sydney game (in round 10) and if we had won the last two (when the Tigers led on both occasions with just minutes left) we would be talking about a different mindset,” he said.
“We are still improving, our oldest player (Leon Cameron) is only 30 but we have just got to get back to closing games out like we did earlier in the year and in 2001.”
Frawley confirmed that six of his out-of-form players - Rory Hilton, Craig Biddiscombe, David Rodan, Tim Fleming, Adam Houlihan and Kayne Pettifer - would play for Coburg in the VFL during the mid-week bye.
The Tigers’ coach has cancelled his planned break to watch the match against the Northern Bullants on Saturday, saying the loss of form of Hilton in particular had hurt the side in recent weeks.
“He is a real wildcard for us when he is playing well and he can kick a goal,” Frawley said of Hilton, who missed nearly all of 2002 with a shoulder injury.
“He has to get back to the VFL this week and re-invigorate himself because maybe in the past few weeks he has been trying too hard.”
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
4:43:25 PM Wed 18 June, 2003
Richmond may have gone into the mid-season break struggling after four successive losses but at least they will begin the second half of the season virtually at full strength.
The Tigers have dropped from third to ninth in the past month following successive losses to West Coast, Sydney and narrow defeats to the Kangaroos and Carlton.
This has left Danny Frawley’s team precariously placed at six wins and six losses after 12 rounds and with successive interstate matches against Brisbane and Adelaide to come immediately after the break.
However Frawley, speaking exclusively to richmondfc.com.au on Wednesday, said the season was far from over for his club which would be close to full strength when the season resumes.
In fact the Tigers will regain skipper Wayne Campbell, star midfielder Kane Johnson, key defender Ben Holland and Essendon recruit Justin Blumfield from injury after the mid-season break leaving only full-back Darren Gaspar and veteran Duncan Kellaway on the injury list.
Frawley admitted the club has suffered in 2003 from consistently being unable to get its best players on the field at the same time.
“People talk about depth and being able to cover injuries but you have got to have your best four players playing week in, week out,” he said.
“Look at even Brisbane last weekend and how they went without Michael Voss and Jonathan Brown (when the Lions were thrashed by 69 points on home soil by West Coast).
Frawley said the Kangaroos game in round 11 summed up the Tigers’ fortunes in terms of injuries to star players this season.
“We just get one of our premier ruckman/forward’s (in Brad Ottens) back from injury and then we lose our premier defender (Darren Gaspar) for the rest of the season.”
Gaspar will miss the rest of the year with a knee injury meaning that he and Ottens – clearly both in Richmond’s top six players – will have played together just once for the whole season.
Throw in injuries to the Tigers’ other big guns in skipper Campbell – who has not played a full game since the Hawthorn game in round five – and Matthew Richardson, who has missed three games, and the Tigers are clearly hurting by injuries to their elite players.
In addition Holland – a key player at centre-half-back in 2001, has not played since round four, 2002 due to a knee injury, while Blumfield has been sidelined since round four this season.
Frawley however said the one positive in having so many of his leadership group sidelined during the season was that several other players had relished the pressure of added responsibility.
“Guys like Andrew Kellaway, Mark Chaffey, Greg Tivendale, Chris Newman, Ty Zantuck, Mark Coughlan and Kane Johnson have all stepped up,” he said.
Aware of the growing criticism his side is facing from frustrated supporters, who sense another wasted season from a club that has made the finals just twice in the past 20 years, Frawley urged the Tiger army to keep the faith.
“We’ve put in a real consistent effort all year probably other than the Sydney game (in round 10) and if we had won the last two (when the Tigers led on both occasions with just minutes left) we would be talking about a different mindset,” he said.
“We are still improving, our oldest player (Leon Cameron) is only 30 but we have just got to get back to closing games out like we did earlier in the year and in 2001.”
Frawley confirmed that six of his out-of-form players - Rory Hilton, Craig Biddiscombe, David Rodan, Tim Fleming, Adam Houlihan and Kayne Pettifer - would play for Coburg in the VFL during the mid-week bye.
The Tigers’ coach has cancelled his planned break to watch the match against the Northern Bullants on Saturday, saying the loss of form of Hilton in particular had hurt the side in recent weeks.
“He is a real wildcard for us when he is playing well and he can kick a goal,” Frawley said of Hilton, who missed nearly all of 2002 with a shoulder injury.
“He has to get back to the VFL this week and re-invigorate himself because maybe in the past few weeks he has been trying too hard.”
