Ben Lennon [merged]

[Owl]

noice

[one-eyed]

'I've got a lot to prove': Tiger ramps up bid to cement spot

AFL.com.au
Feb 7, 2017


RICHMOND forward Ben Lennon says he has "a lot to prove" after failing to cement his spot since being selected as a first-round selection in 2013.

Lennon, 21, has been acknowledged as a player of much talent but has failed to play more than nine games in a season.

A variety of injuries troubled him last year, including shoulder surgery on his right AC joint.

"It's definitely frustrating watching from the stands. Whether it's injury or bad form, you just feel disappointed," Lennon told richmondfc.com.au.

"I feel like I've got a lot to prove this year and I'm just taking every training session as something to look forward to and try to get something out of it.

"Hopefully come the middle of the year, I'm not sitting in the stands, I'm actually out there so that's my main goal."

In 2015, Lennon played the final eight matches of the home and away season but was named as an emergency for the Tigers' losing elimination final versus North Melbourne.

"The hardest thing about not being selected in that game was playing in front of 100,000 people and if we did win, it would have been awesome to feel that success," he said.

"That spurs me on, to hopefully one day if we do make finals, that I'm not on the edge, I'm actually cemented in the team. It definitely drives me."

Lennon said this pre-season had been tracking a lot better than his previous three, and he had completed every session for the first time. He acknowledged a need to improve his defensive game, as well as his speed.

"I'm slowly chipping away at it (defensive work) and I feel like it's getting better," he said.

"That was another thing I identified, along with the coaches, at the end of last year – my speed.

"I had a family friend who is a sprint coach so I teed it up with him and it's held me in good stead.

"I still continue to do it after training with Peter Burge (physical performance manager) so hopefully that will help with the continuity of completing every session, and hopefully you'll see it in my games throughout the year."

Richmond went through a change in coaching personnel in the past few months, with former Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch returning to Punt Road as forwards coach.

"The club's a completely different place to what it was last year. That's no disrespect to the people that were here last year," Lennon said.

"I've really loved working with Justin Leppitsch. His knowledge of the game has been really great for me. I've been learning a lot off him and feel like I'm going to really enjoy playing for him this year."



http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-02-07/ive-got-a-lot-to-prove-tiger-ramps-up-bid-to-cement-spot

[one-eyed]

4 goals today in the intra-club.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/video/2017-02-16/lennon-kicks-4


We'll find out in the real stuff if the penny has finally dropped. Let's hope so  .

[Hard Roar Tiger]

Feb champion

[the claw]

I think people are forgetting how poorly this bloke was treated.
The situation has never been a one way street both parties have got it wrong.

He played 8 or 9 games in a row in 2015 and he showed plenty in some of them.But lo and behold was dropped on the eve of a final for favorites who had been injured for how long.

The kid spoke out  to his detriment and he clearly did not have a good relationship with Hardwick and because of this he had to wait until rnd 17 in a year that was shot to get another game.Can people really blame him for wanting out at the end of last yr.
As i said it is not all Lennons fault the blame lies with both sides.

Personally i think he should be played as a fwd and he should in time be able to be a part of midfield rotations it has not come out at this level yet but i think there is a little bit of the Dal Santo about him.I really think he is the type  who  should be given a decent crack at it.Unlike most around here i think he has shown some good signs it has not all been bad.

[one-eyed]

Balmey talking about Ben Lennon . . .

“He’s just not been able to do anywhere near what he thinks he’s capable of, and what we think he’s capable of (in his first three years of AFL football) . . . But he’s worked very hard over summer.  He’s got a terrific, positive attitude, given all the bad luck and the stuff that’s happened to him . . .We’ll just give him a chance.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2017-02-16/a-tale-of-two-tiger-bens 

[🏅Dooks]

I think people are forgetting how poorly this bloke was treated.
The situation has never been a one way street both parties have got it wrong.

He played 8 or 9 games in a row in 2015 and he showed plenty in some of them.But lo and behold was dropped on the eve of a final for favorites who had been injured for how long.

The kid spoke out  to his detriment and he clearly did not have a good relationship with Hardwick and because of this he had to wait until rnd 17 in a year that was shot to get another game.Can people really blame him for wanting out at the end of last yr.
As i said it is not all Lennons fault the blame lies with both sides.

Personally i think he should be played as a fwd and he should in time be able to be a part of midfield rotations it has not come out at this level yet but i think there is a little bit of the Dal Santo about him.I really think he is the type  who  should be given a decent crack at it.Unlike most around here i think he has shown some good signs it has not all been bad.

Very well said.

[WilliamPowell]

I think people are forgetting how poorly this bloke was treated.
The situation has never been a one way street both parties have got it wrong.

He played 8 or 9 games in a row in 2015 and he showed plenty in some of them.But lo and behold was dropped on the eve of a final for favorites who had been injured for how long.

The kid spoke out  to his detriment and he clearly did not have a good relationship with Hardwick and because of this he had to wait until rnd 17 in a year that was shot to get another game.Can people really blame him for wanting out at the end of last yr.
As i said it is not all Lennons fault the blame lies with both sides.

Personally i think he should be played as a fwd and he should in time be able to be a part of midfield rotations it has not come out at this level yet but i think there is a little bit of the Dal Santo about him.I really think he is the type  who  should be given a decent crack at it.Unlike most around here i think he has shown some good signs it has not all been bad.

Very well said.

Yep agree

Perfect summation Claw

[FlashGordon]

Balmey talking about Ben Lennon . . .

“He’s just not been able to do anywhere near what he thinks he’s capable of, and what we think he’s capable of (in his first three years of AFL football) . . . But he’s worked very hard over summer.  He’s got a terrific, positive attitude, given all the bad luck and the stuff that’s happened to him . . .We’ll just give him a chance.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/2017-02-16/a-tale-of-two-tiger-bens

A hell of a lot of people thought the world was flat once 

[Willy]

I think people are forgetting how poorly this bloke was treated.
The situation has never been a one way street both parties have got it wrong.

He played 8 or 9 games in a row in 2015 and he showed plenty in some of them.But lo and behold was dropped on the eve of a final for favorites who had been injured for how long.

The kid spoke out  to his detriment and he clearly did not have a good relationship with Hardwick and because of this he had to wait until rnd 17 in a year that was shot to get another game.Can people really blame him for wanting out at the end of last yr.
As i said it is not all Lennons fault the blame lies with both sides.

Personally i think he should be played as a fwd and he should in time be able to be a part of midfield rotations it has not come out at this level yet but i think there is a little bit of the Dal Santo about him.I really think he is the type  who  should be given a decent crack at it.Unlike most around here i think he has shown some good signs it has not all been bad.

Clawski   

[Owl]

He showed sweet FA claw, he was indifferent, thought it was his birthright to be out there and was found out.  Went back to the seconds, as was correct, and got wounded.  Maybe the penny has dropped and he won't act like a spoiled prick and pull his finger out.  The tail doesn't wag the dog claw.

[Willy]

He showed sweet FA claw, he was indifferent, thought it was his birthright to be out there and was found out.  Went back to the seconds, as was correct, and got wounded.  Maybe the penny has dropped and he won't act like a spoiled prick and pull his finger out.  The tail doesn't wag the dog claw.

Disagree Owl. He was having a crack and showing a bit in that block of games (including 4? goals against Saints), then he got dropped for the elim for underdone Conca/Griffiths.

[Owl]

I reckon he was inconsistent and looked lost half the time

[Willy]

I reckon he was inconsistent and looked lost half the time

Perhaps. But forward flank/pocket isn't an easy position to stay involved all the time. You cant get cheap possies like you can on the back flank.

And I'm not saying he hasn't had application/attitude issues along the way, clearly he has, but I reckon Hardwick burned him there.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

 Clearly has more talent than 75% of the squad.

Just needs to apply himself 100%.

If he does, he transforms the side....