Eagles' Tiger-hold will turn: Wallace
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
Fri 11 July, 2008
IT'S A growing trend in the AFL – coaches admitting that the reason one team appears to have the wood on another is that one team is simply better.
Carlton's Mark Riley and Melbourne's Dean Bailey recently put their hands up, saying the reason their teams had established such poor records against particular sides was because the other team was markedly superior for a period of time.
This week it was Terry Wallace who pointed out that the reason that West Coast had such a good recent record against the Tigers is pretty obvious.
"Look, everyone doesn't want to have a side have the edge on them. But I suppose over that period of time, we've probably been in that bottom four, and most of that period of time they've been in the top four, and that's been the reality of the scenario," he said.
"It's the reality of where the two sides were."
But Wallace also notes that in footy, as in all things, the wheel turns.
"We've run them close a couple of times over here, and things do change -- they change in the competition all the time.
"But we also know that they've had two weeks to get locked-and-loaded. It's the first time they've gone back to Subiaco after the Geelong game, they've announced that Brauny (West Coast veteran Michael Braun) might be stepping away, whether it's his last game or not, so they've had their chance to lock-and-load over a fortnight."
The teams have somewhat contrasting results from their last games at Subiaco Oval. The Eagles were smashed by an awesome Geelong outfit that played almost perfect football, while the Tigers dismantled (then) top-four tip Fremantle in round four to win by 10 goals.
But Wallace said the records don't prove much, especially for the younger players.
"I’m not much of a historian – I don't sit back there and go 'Geez, we need to beat them because of that'.
"I don't think that Trent Cotchin or Matty White or Jack Riewoldt, they wouldn't have a blue clue where the figures stand.
"We just take on the 22 that they bring, and we take our 22, and see where they sit."
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsid=63122
