Hyde gets a hurry-on
11:00:22 AM Tue 23 November, 2004
Paul Gough
Sportal/exclusive to afl.com.au
Chris Hyde's AFL career certainly got a hurry-on in 2004.
Delisted by the Tigers at the end of his first season with the club in 2001, the 22-year-old began the '04 season with just eight AFL games to his name and with the jury well and truly out as to whether he had a long-term future at Punt Road.
But that verdict is certainly in now after a vastly-improved 2004 season, which not only saw Hyde play all 22 games but cap off his year by running fifth in the Tigers' best and fairest award.
And after for so long being worried about whether he would retain his place on the club's list - Hyde is now looking forward to the future under new coach Terry Wallace with renewed confidence.
"I am enjoying my footy at the minute even though we had a lean year but things are looking good going forward," Hyde said.
Hyde emerged this year as the player most likely to develop into the Tigers' next long-term tagger following the retirement of Duncan Kellaway.
After having always been renowned as one of the fittest players at Richmond, Hyde proved in 2004 he also had the skills to back up his fitness as he was finally given the opportunity after three frustrating years at the club prior to this season.
"The first year I got picked up at pick 40 in the 2000 draft but then I was told I would be de-listed at the end of 2001 (despite not having been given a senior game)," he said.
"I then got re-drafted in the 2001 draft (at pick 68) so it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for me."
"At the start of the year I certainly didn't expect to play all 22 games this year after playing only eight in the last two years."
"I wouldn’t change anything that has happened but it's certainly made me grow up pretty quickly."
Hyde put his form turnaround to simply getting a regular opportunity to play - citing the round six win over Hawthorn as the turning point.
That night Hyde finally got the chance to start a game in midfield and produced a superb first quarter, including a great goal on the run, as the Tigers beat the Hawks by a point at Telstra Dome.
"Spud (former coach Danny Frawley) said to me during that week 'I am going to play you, you are going to start and get a good run' and I got my mind around that and that was the start of it," he said.
Now Hyde wants to nail down the tagging role at Richmond for the long-term.
"I want to play on the good players and just learn something off them and try and keep them to not having a huge influence on the game and also try and get a bit of the footy as well."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=178489
