Much to prove: Wallace
11:43:26 AM Wed 11 May, 2005
Scott Spits
Sportal for afl.com.au
Richmond coach Terry Wallace concedes the Tigers still have 'a heck of a lot to prove' this season as they sit in the top four with a 5-2 record.
Wallace, in his first year as coach at Punt Road, pointed out that Richmond still hasn't played outside Victoria and had only played one team in the current top five (losing to third-placed Geelong by 62 points in round one).
"You look at what we've done so far. We haven't played an interstate game. The Kangaroos (who lost their two games at AAMI Stadium in the past two rounds) haven't lost in Melbourne at all," Wallace said.
"There's no need for us to be getting ahead of where we are at the moment."
Nonetheless, Wallace says the Tigers are now playing the right style of football, reflected by their 85-point massacre of Carlton last Saturday and 66-point pounding of reigning premier Port Adelaide one week earlier.
"We're really pleased with the sort of footy that the guys are playing but I think we've still got a heck of a lot to prove."
He said the Tigers now know how to play together and it took time for the club's youngsters and senior players from other clubs to 'gel together'.
"Certainly in the last two weeks our guys are now starting to get a far better understanding of what they're trying to achieve out there.
"We've had some new young players injected into the team but we've also had some senior guys come from other clubs," Wallace said, referring to first-year players Richard Tambling, Brett Deledio and Danny Meyer, along with 'recycled' players Mark Graham, Trent Knobel and Troy Simmonds.
"It really was a new side. I just reckon that's taken a while to actually gel."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=201855
