One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: mightytiges on June 30, 2005, 04:24:31 PM
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Tigers show the way with Will
2:06:39 PM Thu 30 June, 2005
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
Richmond has pulled a major surprise at the selection table for this Saturday’s big Round 14 clash with Sydney at the MCG by promoting Will Thursfield off the rookie list and straight into the senior side.
Thursfield, the No. 1 pick overall in the AFL Rookie Draft late last year, has been named on the interchange bench for his league debut with the Tigers.
It’s a rapid rise for the 19-year-old, who was playing VFL reserves football for the Coburg Tigers until early June.
“You could say it’s a surprise selection, but a pleasant one,” said Richmond’s Football Operations Manager Paul Armstrong.
“Will was very excited – and surprised – when he got the news. He was just making his way in the VFL with Coburg, but he got the tap on the shoulder from Terry, so he was thrilled.
“We just felt he deserved the opportunity . . . he’s shown enormous desire to want to play at the level.
“Since he’s been on the rookie list, he’s put on some weight and played some good games with Coburg reserves, before being promoted to their seniors recently.
“He has certainly shown enough, in the games that he’s played at senior VFL level, to suggest that he could be a good player for us in the future.”
Thursfield, a 190cm, 82kg athletic defender, played 20 games with the Sandringham Dragons last year in his first full season of TAC Cup under-18s football.
“Will likes to run with the ball, is quick, has a fine leap, and is a very competitive person,” Armstrong said.
“He’s someone we hope over the next few years will consolidate a spot in our team . . .
“It’s very exciting for him to be playing his first game, on the MCG.”
Thursfield becomes the sixth debutant at Tigerland this year, joining Brett Deledio, Richard Tambling, Danny Meyer, Adam Pattison and Nathan Foley.
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=212214
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richmondfc.com.au
4:11:33 PM Thu 30 June, 2005
The Richmond team for Round 14, 2005:-
B: Newman, Gaspar, Kellaway
HB: Bowden, Hall, Chaffey
C: Hartigan, Coughlan, Tivendale
HF: Pettifer, Simmonds, Deledio
F: Krakouer, Richardson, Campbell
R: Knobel, Tuck, Johnson
I/C: Raines, Graham, Thursfield, Hyde
Emg: Hilton, Tambling, Morrison
In: Hall, Hartigan, Thursfield
Out: Morrison, Stafford, Jackson
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In: Hall, Hartigan, Thursfield
Out: Morrison, Stafford, Jackson
Congrats to Will on his promotion and debut. Good to see the youth policy in full swing and Wallace not afraid to give our young blokes a crack at senior level footy.
I never thought I would say this at the start of this year but it's actually good to see Razor back. For some reason our defence this year plays tighter when he's back there. It's also good to see Hartigan back in the side this week given the Swans have a few small-midsize forwards in Nick Davis, O'Loughlin and O'Keefe.
Stafford shouldn't have been brought back in the first place. He wasn't right. Although he wasn't our worst bloke against the Crows, Morrison's axing you would safely presume signals the end of his time in the AFL.
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While i am not saying that Thursfield cant play footy, it is very surprising to see him come in so early.
I seen him play against Port Melbourne and he looked ok and nothing more.
I would hardly think he has done enough to be playing at the level but still wish him all the best and hope he plays a blinder.
All reports continue to say that he will be a fantastic player for Richmond for a long time. Lets hope he can develop into a GUN defender.
Also good to see Harts back in the line up. Atleast he has the balls to take players on and try and make things happen.
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While i am not saying that Thursfield cant play footy, it is very surprising to see him come in so early.
Gotta say I am surrpised too.
The Coburg games I have seen him play he's been good but seemed to struggled in the body on body stuff - only because he isn't big enough yet.
But I wish him all the best and it's great to them promoting the kids all goes well for the future IMHO
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its a surprise but a good one. maybe he has only been just good 4 the burgers but will lift a gear on the big stage.
what is utterly and totally dissappointing is that jackson was dropped!!!! thats is a joke , he was one of our hardest triers against the crows and had a go!!! i think its pathetic that he gets dropped and players like tiv remain safe
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I think Andy Krapouer is extremely fortunate to still be in the team.
Jackson hasn't done much and I think its a good idea to leave him in the seconds for a few weeks where he can play full games out on the ball.
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No problem with Jackson getting full games at Coburg. As John said he hasn't done much and there's plenty of time for him yet. Basically it was a straight swap for Hartigan as both can play in defence and push into the midfield. Hartigan is ahead in his development at this stage. Tivs and Krakouer shouldn't go anywhere near the backline lol. Plus if they don't change their ways in the next 9 weeks playing them in the seniors doesn't hurt their trade value.
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Tigers to rely on Will power
01 July 2005
Herald Sun
Michael Horan
WILL Thursfield thought yesterday was just going to be another Thursday at Punt Rd, if a little colder than usual.
Despite being elevated off the rookie list after the long-term injury to superstar Nathan Brown, a bit of a downer in VFL ranks last weekend did nothing to suggest his status as just another hopeful would change.
But change it did. The 190cm running defender will make his AFL debut against Sydney at the MCG tomorrow.
Richmond coach Terry Wallace called Thursfield into his office yesterday for what the 19-year-old thought would be just another regular chat, to deliver the brightest of news on a dreary day.
"I thought he just called me in for a chat like he sometimes does, and out of the blue he popped that out. It's amazing," Thursfield said.
"I hadn't really thought about it. I just didn't think I would have been in line to get picked.
"He had a chat to me up in Queensland (during the mid-season break), saying I was pretty close to selection. But then I didn't play very well at the weekend in the VFL, so I didn't think much more of it.
"Then he dropped it on me. I was speechless. I'm nervous, but I'm looking forward to it, big time."
At 83kg, there is still plenty of filling out ahead of Thursfield, who was the No. 1 selection in last year's rookie draft. "I'm a sort of running player, I'm certainly not going to out-body anyone. My speed and agility, hopefully that could work for me," he said.
"Being a rookie in my first year, I never really thought about playing senior footy. I've just tried to learn what I can off the older boys."
Wallace took pleasure in telling Thursfield in the company of veteran Mark Graham.
"He said, `We've got the old and the new, Mark's coming towards the end and you're just at the start'," Thursfield said. "And suddenly he goes, `You'll be making your debut this week'.
"I'll be struggling to get to sleep at night, but it should be good."
(http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,5022389,00.jpg)
Surf's up: Will Thursfield celebrates senior selection yesterday.
Picture: Peter Ward
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15783198%255E19771,00.html
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Tigers thorough on selection
5:43:30 PM Fri 1 July, 2005
Jen Witham
Sportal for afl.com.au
Richmond coach Terry Wallace believes the club had its most comprehensive selection meeting for 2005 during the week in a bid to formulate a team to end a four-match losing streak.
Probably the most significant change to the line-up comes in the form of first-gamer Will Thursfield.
"When you're getting beaten by ten and 11 goals as we did in our last outing, you've got to look at the whole formulation of your side," Wallace said after training on Friday.
"It's just an exciting opportunity to give a young player like that a chance, and to think only a few weeks ago he was running around playing at Coburg reserves, and now to be stepping up and playing at this level is terrific.
"We just thought we would give him a chance. When you have a look we had 29-year-olds and 30-year-olds running around two weeks ago having 13 goals kicked on them by two players. He's a defender, and it will give him the opportunity to get out there and mix it in the big time."
Meanwhile, exciting youngster Richard Tambling looks set to miss another senior match, after returning from a hamstring strain via the VFL.
Wallace said that his high draft selection and the increased expectations on the youngster will not tempt the Tigers into rushing him back into the 22.
"He's getting closer to the mark, and I think that everyone just says he's an early draft selection therefore he plays like a senior player, but he's not Joel Bowden, he hasn't played 150 games," Wallace said.
"He works his way back into football, and he has missed a lot of footy. We'll just do what we think is right for him."
To create further concerns for the Tigers, ruckman Trent Knobel could be a late casualty ahead of the Swans' clash, with the tall man failing to train on Friday morning.
Wallace said that Knobel is fighting illness, and the uncertainty over his inclusion in Saturday's side forced the Tigers to restructure their emergency list to include a substitute ruckman in Greg Stafford.
"He didn't train, he's got a bit of flu. We've spoken to the AFL and to Sydney, and we've changed our emergencies and put Greg Stafford on our emergency list. We don't know whether he'll come up until the morning," Wallace said.
"Purely and simply he was going to play until the last 24 hours, and now we're unsure."
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=212631
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Tigers give rookie defender his big chance
By Lyall Johnson
The Age
July 2, 2005
In its quest to end a four-game losing streak and get its finals hopes back on track, Richmond has had its "biggest week easily on match committee and selection", according to coach Terry Wallace.
While not in favour of wielding the axe too heavily despite his side's hefty loss to Adelaide a fortnight ago, Wallace has brought into the side 19-year-old rookie Will Thursfield, who only a month ago was running around with the Coburg reserves side.
The plan was to drop Greg Stafford to the VFL to give him an opportunity to find form, but he was promoted to the emergency list in place of Shane Morrison yesterday because ruckman Trent Knobel has been struck down with a virus.
Knobel did not train yesterday and will be given until this morning to be made available.
Wallace said after yesterday's training session at Punt Road that the inclusion of Thursfield was an exciting opportunity brought about by the fact that Adelaide had kicked a bag of goals against the Tigers' senior defenders.
"It's just an exciting opportunity to give a young player like that a chance. To think only about three or four weeks ago, he was running around playing at Coburg reserves, now to be stepping up to be playing at this level is terrific," Wallace said.
"(It's) all very well playing your older guys and your senior-age guys if they are doing a job, but when were getting beaten by 10 goals and we were getting beaten in those defensive positions, we had to look at some youth to come in. It might take him some time to be able to get up and play top-line roles, but he's only going to learn that if he plays at senior level."
An athletic defender with a good leap, who played for the Sandringham Dragons last year, Thursfield stands 190 centimetres and was first choice overall in the 2004 AFL rookie draft.
With its finals campaign on the line, the Tigers have had a tough week around the selection and match committee table, with strong debate on who should play and what tactics to take into the match.
"I think we've had our biggest week easily on match committee and selection. We've spent more time on it than any other time. We've still been at it this morning and arguing the point about certain positional moves and that sort of stuff," Wallace said.
Despite saying over the mid-season break that seven players should not feel safe in their spots in the team, the coach said he did not think it right to make wholesale changes.
"I don't think that to flip a side with seven changes at any stage is the right way to go, but I mean there was seven blokes in the side over the last couple of weeks with the way that we've been playing that legitimately shouldn't feel comfortable about their position. Well, some of them have made way for others," he said.
Wallace said he expected the wet conditions to suit both clubs, but admitted it would be important for the Tigers to be able to handle the way Sydney was able to graft out victories from low-scoring matches.
Ray Hall comes back into the side, as does Brent Hartigan.
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/07/01/1119724814748.html
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03 July 2005
Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph
... it was the debut of elevated rookie Will Thursfield that drew special praise from Wallace, after he played an excellent game on Michael O'Loughlin.
"I thought Will Thursfield did a terrific job," he said. "For him to start the opening bounce there and finish there, although it would have been very nervous sitting down there in that last bit, that is probably worth a dozen games to him in his career."
An ecstatic Thursfield said his first game could not have unfolded any better.
"I couldn't even believe I was playing, to be honest, and just running out there with the boys and the crowd was just amazing," he said.
"It was a fair challenge, but obviously Terry thought I was up to it and it was good.
"I thought we were going to win by a bit more, but you never know, so it was amazing to get over the line."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15803148%255E19771,00.html
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Rookie earns his stripes first-up
By Martin Blake
The Age
July 3, 2005
Will Thursfield felt the goosebumps coming as he walked down the race at the MCG yesterday, and right then and there, he knew he had to block out the roar of the crowd.
Thursfield was about to embark on a remarkable journey - his first AFL game, just two days after being elevated from Richmond's rookie list. He would not be afforded the luxury of a gentle introduction; coach Terry Wallace had elected to play him on Michael O'Loughlin, Sydney's mercurial, ever-dangerous forward, in an astonishing exercise in risk-taking.
After Wallace advised him of his plans last Tuesday afternoon, Thursfield went off to watch videotapes of O'Loughlin. He also rang his parents, Hugh and Vicky, who were holidaying on the NSW coast, and the family cut short its vacation to attend the match.
The nerves were jangling, and the dreams weren't pretty, Thursfield admitted. "Most of them were of me getting beaten," he said last night. "O'Loughlin kicking eight, that sort of thing. I couldn't sleep that well. It was good once the day came around."
But Thursfield, 19, came through his first test in the furnace. He had 11 disposals to O'Loughlin's 12 as the Tigers held on in a thrilling finish to deny the Swans by the smallest of margins - one point. O'Loughlin sneaked away to kick three goals and had a hand in two others, but he could have been a much bigger headache for the Tigers.
Wallace said he had thought it through. "We gave him (Thursfield) an opportunity," he said. "We've had 29-year-olds, 30-year-old blokes getting smashed playing in those positions over the last couple of weeks. We said: 'I'd rather go with a (19-year-old) who's going to improve every time he goes out there.' "
Wallace did have a plan B; he just didn't need to use it. "I didn't think he'd get through the game in that one position," said Wallace. "I thought, 'Give him the opportunity early, then swing it around, get one of the more senior boys into the role'. For him to start the opening bounce there and to finish there, although he would have been really nervous sitting down there, that would have been worth a dozen games to him in his career."
Thursfield was born in England, but the family emigrated to Australia when he was five. He dabbled in cricket and football and took up football seriously when he was about 16 and at Brighton Grammar School. Richmond picked him as the No. 1 selection in the 2004 rookie draft; Nathan Brown's broken leg opened up a spot for him on the senior list.
"He's come a long way in a very short time," said Hugh Thursfield in the dressing rooms last night. "We're very proud."
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/07/02/1119724847312.html
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First time I've seen Thursfield play live and was very impressed with his composure and read of the play for a 19 year old. Kept O'Loughlin completely out of the game in the first half. Second half O'Loughlin got away a couple of times but that was when the Swan midfielders where streaming through the corridor under no pressure.
Will alluded to on 3aw that he's grooming himself to play full back. Being in the media spotlight didn't faze him either. Seemed very confident in himself.
Well done to Terry for showing faith in our young guys and to Will for repaying that faith :thumbsup.
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Considering one of the 3 of O'Loughlin's goals came from a pretty arsey pack situation, i think we played very well on him.
He beat him clean out near the end 1v1, but that was probably the only time he did.
Great debut, and the reports on him are right, he does like to run with the ball!
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I thought Will's game was fantastic.
Yes he got beated by O"Loughlin a few times but he didn't drop his head and stuck at his task.
In the contests he got beaten it I reckon he would have learnt a helluva lot - especially about body positioning and reading the play.
Well Done Thrusty :thumbsup
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I thought Will's game was fantastic.
Yes he got beated by O"Loughlin a few times but he didn't drop his head and stuck at his task.
In the contests he got beaten it I reckon he would have learnt a helluva lot - especially about body positioning and reading the play.
Well Done Thrusty :thumbsup
yes he did get beateb a couple of times but it was O"Loughlin he played on, and imo opinion a 3 goal game is a big with to Will, poo , in the past the smaller molbile forward have flogged us and will did a fantastic job on him and imo won hands down. O"Loughlin was alwyas gonna kick at least 2 or 3, it was up to will to make sure he did not kick 4 to 7 and he did!!!
we done will!!!
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I think Andy Krapouer is extremely fortunate to still be in the team.
thank god he wasnt dropped
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He played like he knew it.
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He played like he knew it.
maybe that break at laguna where terry told 7 players were on notice it finally sunk in to him
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He certainly needed a wake up call for he was going nowhe :bangheadre
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How impressive is this kid. Bloody courageous and appears to have those all important footy smarts. Pretty cool under pressure and knows when to peel off to help out a teammate.
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Very impressed, has good pace, good awareness and reads the play well.
Only slight as well, looks like he has a lot of upside. :thumbsup
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Can't knock his game today, contributed.
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Thursfield wins acclaim, learns lessons
9:25:58 AM Thu 21 July, 2005
Angus Morgan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
Three matches in to his AFL career, Will Thursfield has won wide acclaim for his versatility, maturity and the energy he's brought to the Richmond backline.
Tall and strong enough to go one-on-one all day on debut with Sydney veteran Michael O'Loughlin in the Tigers' thrilling one point win, the 19 year-old was given a very different assignment by coach, Terry Wallace against the Saints last Saturday - to stop the elusive Stephen Milne.
While the Tigers generally struggled to stay with the Saints on the day, Thursfield did his job superbly, more than matching Milne for pace and holding him goalless virtually until time-on in the final term.
In those last few moments, however, Milne cut loose to score three times. The goals had no bearing on the result, but made a significant impression on his young opponent.
"Yeah, he was pretty quiet for most of the game and then, just a combination of things, I probably just dropped off a little bit in the last few minutes and, jeez, he made me pay," Thursfield said.
"He's pretty dangerous because he runs up to the ball and turns around and sprints back. You've got to concentrate the whole game with him."
So instead of adding Milne's name to his list of conquests, Thursfield had a new entry for his list of football lessons - to play it out to the final siren and to not relax for one second.
They're lessons he knows he must take on board from if he's to develop into the player he wants to be.
"After each of the three games when I've come off the ground, I reckon I've learned something new, for sure," Thursfield said.
"That first game especially, Terry told me afterwards it was probably worth a dozen games, just the experience of staying on the field for the whole game. It's been great and I've learned heaps so far.
"It just helps the week after because you know a bit more about what players will do and how they'll try to expose you."
Playing senior football had been the last thing on Thursfield's mind when he signed-on at Punt Road as Richmond's first pick in last year's AFL Rookie Draft.
By Thursfield's own estimation, he was "too skinny and too raw" so he set his sights on trying to hold down a spot with Coburg in the VFL.
Just as he was running into some good form, the opportunity for promotion to the senior list arose when Nathan Brown was ruled out for the season with a broken leg.
"It's been awesome just getting a game. Terry's put me on some pretty good opponents, so I've had to adjust pretty quickly without too much time to work out what's going on," Thursfield said.
"I've just been chucked in the deep end, but that's helped in a way. I just had to get in there and get on with the job.
"It's just unreal playing senior football and I hope to just stay in the team and get a few wins."
It says plenty about how quickly he's adapted that Thursfield remained on the ground for the entire 120 minutes in his first two matches and spent around 100 minutes on the field against the Saints.
He makes a point of working closely with the likes of Mark Graham, Andrew Kellaway and Darren Gaspar at training to pick up as many tips as he can from the Tigers' veteran defenders and believes he has the game to complement their experience.
"Maybe what I've brought is a bit of speed and enthusiasm into the backline. They're all senior players down there, there's no-one really young. I probably add a bit of life, I suppose."
With Kellaway and Gaspar sidelined by injury, Thursfield knows how important it will be for the Richmond defence to stand up against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night, and he expects to be assigned the job on one of the Power's smaller forwards - Josh Mahoney or Brett Ebert, perhaps.
He appreciates that a win will reaffirm the eighth-placed Tigers' finals credentials while at the same time dealing tenth-placed Port's finals hopes a hefty blow.
"We know that we probably need to pinch a win from somewhere and then do well in the games we're expected to go well in. We see ourselves as having a very good chance this week over at Port Adelaide."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=216541