Ex-Tiger escapes AFL cage, more at home in the 'wild'By Phil McLeod
Inside Football
April 11, 2012Country footballers dream about moving to the big smoke to play in the AFL.
But for former Richmond defender Will Thursfield, who was struggling to cope with the constant demands of playing at the elite level, it was the country that provided his salvation.
Thursfield's is a rare story. After 77 senior games he had established his AFL career and was still a required player for the Tigers this season.
Yet he turned his back on a life that countless other aspiring footballers around Australia would give anything to have.
However, the 25-year-old, who is now the player-coach of the Leongatha Parrots in the Gippsland League, says he has no regrets.
"I grew up in the city, but I'm a country guy at heart," Thursfield said.
"I love getting out of town and saw it (playing in the country) as a natural progression; it's something I've always wanted to do.
"I was mentally burnt out (in the AFL) … 10 months of the year, almost six days a week of endless meetings, and the daily monotony.
"Some people love it, others find it hard, and I'd just had enough," he said.
"I enjoyed my time there (at Richmond), but felt I wouldn't mind going out on my own terms. And I have a growing landscape business to look after.
"I could have stayed there another year and who knows what might have happened."
The ex-Tiger is embracing his new challenge.
"It's my first crack at coaching and I've jumped in at the deep end a bit, but I've got some good people helping me out and that was one of the key things when I signed on," Thursfield said.
"I reckon I've got a bit to pass on and I'm loving it so far."
Thursfield said while he was working to make the club more professional in its approach, he also had to adjust to the country way life.
"The boys are mostly tradesmen or work in the rural area," he said.
"They come up after work, take their work boots off and put their footy boots on.
"They work hard the boys. They look stuffed when they come to training, but they put in as hard as anything.
"It's also about advising them on the smaller but important things, like being hydrated before training and games and about eating the right things. It's about making everything a little more professional."
The Parrots finished fourth on the ladder last year and Thursfield said they needed to strengthen their midfield if they were to go deep into the finals this season.
"We just want to be the tightest-knit group from player one to player 50," he said.
"I'm putting a big emphasis on everyone training together and doing all the hard work as one group and hopefully that translates into playing good team football.
"It's a pretty young group, but there are also some good older players so it's quite a good mix.
"We needed to increase our midfield depth and we've recruited with that in mind.
"We've also got a good full forward, which is important in country football, in Dwayne Holt who kicked 90 goals a few years ago."
The Parrots have another Richmond connection in Tas Clingan, who will be an assistant coach.
Clingan came off Richmond's rookie list three years ago and spent the previous two years playing with the Wangaratta Rovers in the Ovens and Murray League.
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