One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on January 27, 2018, 02:56:13 PM
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Shaun Hampson’s return from injury can help Richmond reshape its forward line in 2018
Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
27 January 2018
JACK Riewoldt and the mosquito fleet worked a treat last year but Richmond is looking to return to a more conventional forward set up in 2018.
Well aware no system is foolproof and “tweaks” will have to be made if they are to fly high again this season, the reigning premiers are hopeful Shaun Hampson will return to fitness and form to give them options in attack.
The forgotten ruckman missed all of last year with back injuries but a Hampson return to the No. 1 ruck role would allow Toby Nankervis to spend significant time forward, which had been the plan for the ex-Sydney big man last season.
Nankervis was instead forced to shoulder the bulk of the ruck duties, with Hampson and fellow tall Ben Griffiths — who has since departed Punt Rd to take up a College Football scholarship — playing only two games between them due to injury.
“Toby had been earmarked early to play a bit more forward and 50-50 in the ruck. With Hampson going down and then Ben after the Collingwood game, it left us short,” Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said.
“We thought Ben would come back in and play that second tall which we didn’t really have at the end of the season. Toby did most the ruck on his own and we used players like Shaun Grigg to supplement which still worked okay but I think we thought in the back of our minds we still needed another tall.”
Hampson remains on a modified training program but will ramp up his work in coming weeks and shapes as a potential game-changer for the Tigers should he get his body right.
Former Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara believes Hampson and Nankervis could create a similarly potent combination to that of Ben McEvoy and David Hale, who played together in the Hawks premierships in 2014 and 2015.
“You have to keep changing it around and that’s why Hampson could be really important. He’s another bonus in that tall man department,” Buckenara said.
“McEvoy was the No. 1 ruck who could go forward but predominantly he had a bit of a rest and they changed the structure of the forward line. I think Richmond probably can use Hampson in the same way.
“That will give them the luxury of pushing Nankervis forward for some periods of time.
“He did it okay in Sydney when he wasn’t that fit. He can take a mark and he’s a beautiful kick so I think it gives them some sort of structure. So much pressure goes onto Riewoldt to be that tall forward when he actually is a medium-tall forward.”
Leppitsch said “there’s a possibility” of such a set up but Hamspon, who turns 30 in March, had to first prove his fitness before coming into calculations.
“Shaun has missed so much footy,” he said.
“First of all he’s just got to build confidence in himself, his body and play some footy. That’s the first step and once we do that we can assess.”
Whatever the structure with the talls, Leppitsch said he expected the smalls — including Daniel Rioli, Daniel Butler and Jason Castagna — to only improve this year, adding Shai Bolton had “jumped another level” over pre-season after playing six games on debut last season.
“Every forward line is different but ours is built off a bit of grunt and tackling, nothing of which is talent based,” Leppitsch said.
“Although they’ve all got talent it’s all built off hard work and pressure and scoring off that so as long as the players’ minds are right and we can get the boys motivated again to do it I can’t see why we can’t continue on.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/shaun-hampsons-return-from-injury-can-help-richmond-reshape-its-forward-line-in-2018/news-story/b59fc0eb8300c76d6f6a7c34bfea840f
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Ffs
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Hampson will only get a game in the ruck and only if Nank was to get injured, suspended or just needed a week's rest so Toby doesn't burn out over a long season. No way could we play both Nank and Hampson and furthermore no way could we rely on Hammer in the forward line as he regularly drops marks that AFL players should take, he's a poor shot for goal, and defensively he'd be a liability. It'd be like playing one man down.
Someone also needs to tell Buckenara that it isn't 2015 anymore. The changes to the ruck rules (no third man up & no grabbing the ball out of the ruck) has effectively killed off playing two ruckmen.
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Jackster will be rapt
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Hampson playing AFL this year.....gee :pray not!
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Jackster will be rapt
who?
:lol
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Perfect VFL back up IMHO.
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Agree - perfect back up for Coleman-Jones...
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Hampson is a list clogger. Best thing about it is he only has 12 months to go on a contract so we probably have another $350k we can save when we get rid of him.
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Delist.
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Agree - perfect back up for Coleman-Jones...
That's what I meant! :snidegrin
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Tall's recovery may lead to Tigers tinkering
Nathan Schmook
afl.comau
Jan 28, 2018 4:30 PM
RICHMOND is positive about Shaun Hampson's ability to managing a back injury through 2018, raising the prospect of ruckman Toby Nankervis moving into a taller forward line as the reigning premiers keep the competition guessing.
Meanwhile, midfielder Anthony Miles is using his return from shoulder surgery to build his running power and become a regular member of the Tigers' best 22 after missing last year's finals series.
Richmond has just completed a gruelling six-day camp on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, mixing a series of highly contested training sessions in the humidity with team-building activities such as paintball and water-skiing.
Hampson is among a small group of Tigers on modified training as he manages a back injury that restricted him to six VFL games last season and will need attention for the rest of his career.
Football manager Neil Balme said the Tigers understood Hampson's injury would require constant management, but they were positive about his prospects of playing senior football in 2018.
"We're pleased with where he is. Most of what he does is relatively modified, but he's just trying to get himself fit enough so he can play, which he's doing relatively well," Balme told AFL.com.au.
"He's looking after himself well, but backs are backs, they don't just go away.
"We’ve got to be careful with his ground ball stuff, just to make sure we don't put too much stress on him.
"But he got through last year probably better than we thought, so we're quite positive about it, as is he."
With Ben Griffiths struggling with concussion in 2017 and no obvious replacement, Richmond deployed a small forward line that has been recognised as a key element in their premiership success.
The availability of Hampson, however, has convinced forward line coach Justin Leppitsch to explore a more traditional forward line with Nankervis rotating in as a second tall alongside Jack Riewoldt.
Nankervis was recruited by the Tigers as a ruckman/forward from Sydney at the end of 2016 after booting 19.7 in the NEAFL, but Hampson's injury in 2017 meant he held down the No.1 ruck spot all season, spending very little time in attack.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-01-28/talls-recovery-may-lead-to-tigers-tinkering
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Shaun Hampson’s return from injury can help Richmond reshape its forward line in 2018
Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
27 January 2018
The forgotten ruckman missed all of last year with back injuries but a Hampson return to the No. 1 ruck role would allow Toby Nankervis to spend significant time forward, which had been the plan for the ex-Sydney big man last season.
Nah, not forgotten, just glad.
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We got pumped the year before last many times because we were basically playing with 20 players against 22. (Hampson and Vickery)
I agree we should play 1 more tall because its too risky playing with just one ruckman. Hampson is not the answer though as he give nothing around the ground and is in fact a liability with our chase and pressure game plan. Lets hope one of the other talls comes on this year.
Just say NO to Hampson please