Thursfield keen to turn the page (RFC)

[one-eyed]

Thursfield keen to turn the page
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 1:40 PM Mon 21 September, 2009

FOR WILL Thursfield, it's all blue skies from now on.

Thursfield endured a harrowing 2009, a year that saw him dropped early in the season and miss eight weeks before his season ended prematurely with a shoulder injury in the second-last home-and-away contest.

Thursfield's shoulder was dislocated in a clash with Hawthorn youngster Liam Shiels early in the round 21 match, and despite wearing a sling at the club's best-and-fairest awards night, the tall defender was upbeat about 2010.

"To be honest, I'm really good – I 'm just wearing this to stop all the people bumping into me and for a bit of sympathy," he told richmondfc.com.au with a laugh.

"It's coming along perfectly.

"It's two-and-a-half weeks since the operation. They (club doctors) reckon I could probably play in about a couple of weeks, so I'm going to be absolutely fine for the start of pre-season."

The 23-year-old is also looking forward to a new start for the Tigers, who began the season with most people tipping them to play finals for just the third time in over a quarter of a century, but ended with a horror last month and a 15th-place finish.

One message new coach Damien Hardwick had been hammering home is that the new Tigers will have the footballs out early and rehearsing next year's game plan on a regular basis.

Thursfield agreed that the Tigers had to work like never before.

"There's a few positives out of the season, but I'm just looking forward to starting the new way of things.

"It was a shocking year. In the past we've had enough of tactics and that sort of thing, and we've always been a bit confused as to how we play.

"I've had a few chats to Damien – nothing too deep - and he seems nice, but I'm sure we'll have a really tough preseason.

"The more footy work and hard work, the better. Getting the game style down pat - it's what we need."

Gaining weight has always been a battle for the 191cm Thursfield, and at 85kg, he knows he has to bulk up to be able to beat the power forwards in a strength war on a weekly basis.

But today's frenetic footy makes that a difficult goal.

"I'd like to do less running and get bigger – just have a really good year. I've had enough with injuries and stuffing around," he said.

"It's really hard to get bigger, though – you have to do heaps of running because they want you fit so you can play up the ground, and then I end up playing deep.

"I'm hoping we'll just decide I'll play deep."

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/85078/default.aspx

[Chuck17]

"It was a shocking year. In the past we've had enough of tactics and that sort of thing, and we've always been a bit confused as to how we play.

Scary Stuff 

[Jackstar is back]

Will admitting that they were confused to how they were to play, well hello.
I stated 3 years ago on here that Wallace had lost the plot and the players had no idea what to do.

[Jackstar is back]

"It was a shocking year. In the past we've had enough of tactics and that sort of thing, and we've always been a bit confused as to how we play.

Scary Stuff 

mate, Will is on the money I am afraid.
Whats funny that people on here bagged me for bagging Wallace, now the players are coming out saying this.
Its a pity the club didnt listen to the players back then

[the_boy_jake]

mate, Will is on the money I am afraid.
Whats funny that people on here bagged me for bagging Wallace, now the players are coming out saying this.
Its a pity the club didnt listen to the players back then

Thing is Jack I don't reckon our players are smart enough to play a tactical game anyway. Lay the blame with whoever you want, but when I watch the Saints set up their zone I think gee we are so far off having the intelligence in our game to pull that off. The fact that Thursfield sounds like he's been put off tactics altogether is a bit of a worry.

[tigersalive]

mate, Will is on the money I am afraid.
Whats funny that people on here bagged me for bagging Wallace, now the players are coming out saying this.
Its a pity the club didnt listen to the players back then

Thing is Jack I don't reckon our players are smart enough to play a tactical game anyway. Lay the blame with whoever you want, but when I watch the Saints set up their zone I think gee we are so far off having the intelligence in our game to pull that off. The fact that Thursfield sounds like he's been put off tactics altogether is a bit of a worry.

Maybe because Ross Lyon had his gameplan set in stone but had the balls to wait three years for the players to fully grab hold of it, while Tezza wanted to change our bloody gameplan every year to suit what had worked for the previous Premier leading the players round and round in circles.   

I am not surprised they became confused about what was expected.

[Jackstar is back]

Very confused actually

[Judge Roughneck]

"It was a shocking year. In the past we've had enough of tactics and that sort of thing, and we've always been a bit confused as to how we play.

Scary Stuff 

Makes me want to find Wallace house and put brick thou window

[tdy]

"It was a shocking year. In the past we've had enough of tactics and that sort of thing, and we've always been a bit confused as to how we play.

Scary Stuff 

Makes me want to find Wallace house and put brick thou window

Now now. Don't be naughty, what would your mother think, you might cut yourself. 

[mightytiges]

Thing is Jack I don't reckon our players are smart enough to play a tactical game anyway.

Yep we don't seen have the brightest playing group. I always felt some of players can't think for themselves and adjust as well as being too slow in being able to spot options when they have the ball. We are the slowest side in moving the footy. I think that's one of the reasons why Tucky is being moved on. Likewise Rainesy being traded because he blindly runs on tram tracks into trouble instead of adjusting and giving off the ball earlier. Mind you none of this was corrected on the training track. Just as poor skills at training were tolerated  .

You would hope Thursty means there was a lack of stable basic team rules to follow and we chopped and changed far too much under Plough. As a modern footballer you still can't be tired of tactics . If Hardwick sticks to his word about rehearsing, rehearsing and rehearsing then the players better get use to doing training drills and perfecting them.