Nathan Brown: It's not all about Ben Cousins
Jackie Epstein | January 25, 2009
RICHMOND forward Nathan Brown has warned not to expect Ben Cousins to be the magic catalyst for a tilt at the finals this season.
Cousins is on a modified training program, but Brown said all players benefited from training with the former Eagles star.
"He's not going to be the be all and end all," Brown said. "He's going to play good football, but the rest of the side has got to lift and make sure our game plan is spot on.
"He's just brought a bit of confidence and enthusiasm to the club. The young guys sit there and look at him in awe a bit and they watch him train and that's certainly fantastic.
"And for the older guys like me, Richo (Matthew Richardson) and Kane (Johnson) it just gives us a bit of a lift knowing that you've got a Brownlow medallist and superstar coming into your team."
Brown said the club's expectation was to improve this season after just missing a finals berth last season.
"There's an exciting feel around the club at the moment with some big-name recruits, our younger guys a year older and a good game plan," he said.
"Wayne Campbell's been very good back at the club as an assistant coach. We've said we want to play finals and everyone does, (and we'll) take the old cliched line - one week at a time.
"We've got to get as fit as we can and get our game plan right and be ready to go in Round 1.
"I've had a lot of injuries the last few years, but I'm looking forward to getting out and playing 22 games -- that's my first aim."
Forward Jack Riewoldt is another Tiger looking forward to a successful season.
"Everything's going well," Riewoldt said. "It's getting to the middle of January and we're ramping it up a bit more now.
"Everyone's fit and well and looking forward to a positive season.
"We said over the last couple of years at Richmond that we're a developing side. We've got to make that step to become a really dominant senior side.
"(Coach) Terry (Wallace) gave the guys with 30 to 50 games those early games under our belts and put the time into us. It's our time to repay that faith.
"It's our chance to make a stand in the AFL and some of the guys coming through, hopefully, can make a name for themselves at Richmond and in the AFL."
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