Stepping up
Emma Quayle
The Age
March 24, 2007
Which raises the question: how do you tell? What are the signs a player might, finally, be ready to go?
In 2005, Terry Wallace had an end-of-season "exit meeting" with Raines. The teenager had just finished his second season, and was wondering where he stood.
Wallace told him he was was going ... well, OK. "I just said I thought he was adequate at everything," recalled the Tigers coach this week.
"He was mid-range fitness, mid-range speed, mid-range strength, probably mid-range toughness. He wasn’t elite at anything but, to his credit, he went away and within a six-month period, he’d worked on his speed and he’d put a real emphasis on becoming a physical player.
"He went from being average in four areas to being elite in two and improving the other two, and that’s where the big leap comes from."
For Wallace, there are a few things to consider when contemplating who might take the next big step. He predicts most will be players starting their third or fourth seasons, provided their fi rst- and second-year graphs have been moving in the right direction.
He is rarely surprised by a player’s emergence during an actual season, but finds the pre-season is where progression more often presents itself. "It’s more often that they surprise you in that six-month period. Opportunity comes in that time," he said.
"It’s probably more irregular that a guy gets a game in round 10 and all of a sudden by round 22 he’s taken that quantum leap. I reckon they take it in pre-season, when they’ve had another summer under their belt.
"They feel a bit bigger, and fitter, and stronger, and they’re more mature and have more balance in their lives. Ability is one thing, but mental and physical maturity both play a part in them making that rise. Everything has to come together."
Belief matters, too. Raines had it from the start of last season; he still has no clue how seriously his coaches and, more than that, his teammates rated him, but was certain that if he got a chance, he would be able to make an impression.
"I think the coaches had confidence in me because they played me straight up in the senior side. But with some people, it was probably more that they were hoping for me to step up," he said.
"I probably did surprise some people, but I’ve always tried to be someone who backed myself in, and I knew I’d done the work and I felt ready. I’d worked on a lot of things and my hunger and want was there. It was like I got to a point where I actually really wanted to play well.”
Raines is also looking forward to what will come this year — increased expectation from inside and outside his club, not to mention himself, as well as extra opposition attention. "I’ve only had one good year,” he said. “There’s a big mental aspect to this year, to be prepared for more and to be prepared for everything. But I feel like I’ve done a lot of work and that I am prepared for it."
Who will be next:
Richmond: Nathan FoleyEveryone is waiting on Richard Tambling, but Foley has been a big pre-season performer at Punt Road, and is building the speed and skill set to go with his determination.
Full article at:
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2007/03/24/1174597952805.html
