One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on October 22, 2014, 03:10:11 PM
-
Fit Astbury ready for full pre-season with Tigers
Jennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
October 22, 2014 12:33 PM
DAVID Astbury is poised for a full pre-season program with Richmond optimistic his late-season VFL return will give him confidence in his battered knees.
The 23-year-old suffered a heartbreaking left patella dislocation in round nine this year when he went to change direction as he tried to tackle Melbourne's Jack Viney.
After losing 12 months to the same injury on his right side in round 12, 2011, Astbury was moved to tears when the Tigers came together at three-quarter time that afternoon at the MCG.
It was enough to make coach Damien Hardwick emotional as he struggled to accept the new blow to his much-improved defender amidst the wreckage of the Tigers' 17-point loss to the Demons less than a week after the death of club great Tommy Hafey.
But now things are looking brighter for Astbury, who will resume full training with the Tigers when they return in mid-November.
"He had the surgery and it was successful and he got back playing and worked really hard, which is a credit to him," Richmond football manager Dan Richardson told AFL.com.au.
"He'll be ready to go from the start of pre-season, which is terrific.
"I think getting back and playing one game, even though it was only one will give him the confidence that his knee is right to go."
Asbury had limited game time in the VFL match he played against Footscray late in August with the aim to simply get him through the game.
It was an important step in his recovery from the injury with the Tigers hopeful it would provide him with a springboard into the pre-season.
They also believe the athletic defender will take heart from his start to the year, which saw him put in strong performances against the likes of Travis Cloke, Jarryd Roughead and Tom Hawkins.
He was coming second in the club's best and fairest which was won by captain Trent Cotchin when the injury happened.
"He had a great start to the year, he did really well to get back and at least play a game and recovery fully from the knee," Richardson said.
"That gives him the opportunity to have another good pre-season, which he did last year.
"Hopefully he'll just pick up on the form he showed early this year."
Astbury signed a two-year contract extension in September, which keeps him at the club until at least the end of 2016.
Despite the fact the injury has now happened on both sides of his body, the Tigers believe he was just unlucky and his genetic structure was unrelated.
Fellow backman and recent All Australian Alex Rance believes a fit Astbury will complement the Tigers' defence when they start playing next year.
"I don't think too many people realise how big he is
he's about 196cm, and he's nearly 100 kilos," Rance told the club's website.
"So, if we can get him on the park, he can take the [Kurt] Tippetts and the other big boys in the competition.
"It just means he's a lock and hes really strong mentally as well.
"He doesn't stray away from the game plan too much, or get distracted by too much.
"He really locks down on his job and executes it."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-10-22/fit-astbury-raring-to-go
-
This kid will be a gun defender and will regularly beat the Gorilla forwards IF he can stay on the park. Anyone have a highlights package of his games this year?
-
Grimes-astbury-morris
X-rance-lennon
-
Grimes-astbury-morris
X-rance-lennon
Is Tom Derickx back at Tigerland?
-
This is excellent news! We really missed Dave when he went down, can't wait to see what he can do with a full pre-season in the tank. The Rance/Astbury combination is a real plus for us, they are as good as any defensive combination around, lets hope we see lots more of it! If we get big Dyl up as third tall our back half starts to look pretty decent! (gee ... did I forget to name the other tall defender we have just now? I wish our selectors would! Astbury In, Claude Raines Out) ;D
-
Grimes-astbury-morris
X-rance-lennon
Is Tom Derickx back at Tigerland?
Ideally
Dea
Bachelor
Draft pick
Otherwise: deledio. Martin. Vlastuin
In that spot
-
Well done Astbury :clapping
-
Astbury shapes as a key to the Tiges season.
If he can hold down the players that Rance had to last year then Alex can become a real weapon for us from defence.
If he's able to play more of an attacking game and help out where needed then look out.
Our defence is definitely our strength. Hardwick's done a fine job rebuilding what was completely broken.
-
so if astbury takes the gorillas what is chaplins role. 197 and around 100kg slow with poor foot skills and poor decision maker. surely the gorillas are for chaplin.but wait lets make him the third tall where pace decision making and footskills are not needed.
people should brace themselves because there is no way chaplin will be cut, he can spud it up all he wants and he will still get a game. throw in rabbit in spotlights houli who walks of the ground with soiled shorts every game the comical morris who just falls over for fun and also makes some pretty poor decisions, and last but not least that doyen of defensive work newman.
we dont have a good backline it can and should be so much better.
even if astbury makes it and i have concerns we still deperately need a quality kpd to allow rance the third tall running role.
we need a shut sml defender who can keep his feet and actually hurt with ball in hand.we need an accountable running defender who can actually defend none of this claytons defending we get from houli and newman.
thats the trouble with people just too easily pleased. we have to improve in all areas and defence is not immune.
-
Claw why didn't you give Rance a serve?
-
Plenty of teams have plenty of big forwards. I'm sure a combo of Rance, Chap and, if he keeps up the standard he set early 2014, Astbury will be able to find some match ups that work in our favour