Pressure off Tiger cubs
9:40:31 AM Wed 22 February, 2006
Scott Spits
Sportal for afl.com.au
High draft picks Brett Deledio and Richard Tambling had contrasting fortunes in 2005, but Richmond coach Terry Wallace does not have massive expectations of either player in their second AFL seasons.
Deledio, the 2004 NAB AFL Draft No.1 selection, had a standout first season with the Tigers, playing all 22 matches and representing Australia in the International Rules series against Ireland in October.
Tambling, the No.4 selection overall, still managed 12 matches in an injury-affected debut season.
Wallace reinforced that Richmond's improvement in 2006 would not come from its recent draft picks, but from players who had spent several more years on the club's list.
"I've never had huge expectations on first and second year players. Anytime I've ever spoken to our recruiting staff, I always sort of say when they're going into the draft - what are they going to do for us in four years time," Wallace said.
"If you have a look at the improvement that Geelong (and) the Western Bulldogs have made in recent years … they've made it with guys who've been in the system for four or five years. They haven't been one or two year players that have made that difference. I don't see why ours should be any different, although it's exciting to get a good young batch of guys in."
While Tambling's impact on the AFL was not as profound as Deledio's in 2005, Wallace said it must be remembered that St Kilda's Luke Ball - the No.2 selection in the 2001 NAB AFL Draft - was put to one side during his first year on the club's list in 2002.
"We hadn't seen Luke Ball in the first 12 months of his career, he just played school footy," Wallace said.
(With) Richard, you wouldn't know what to expect either way. He had a massive year in the change of environment, coming down from Darwin and just the changes to his lifestyle.
"I just think people undersell just how much of an impact that makes on a younger player. I still think it will be 18 months to two years before you see the absolute best of him."
The second-year Richmond coach predicted Deledio would have no problem coping with 'second-year blues'.
"I don't see it that way. He was very successful in the fact that he played the 22 games and played some really good football. (But) I probably think there was only two or three games for the year that you could actually say that Brett Deledio's impact on the game actually affected the result of the game," Wallace said.
"If Richmond supporters are waiting for last year's draft players to make us a better side this year, I think they're unrealistic in their expectation. Because history says that's just not normally the way."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=246928
