We're the form team (RFC site)

[one-eyed]

We're the form team
4:52:56 PM Tue 23 May, 2006
Angus Morgan
Sportal for afl.com.au

Richmond coach Terry Wallace argues that the Tigers will have form on their side as they set about trying to break a losing streak against Geelong that stretches back more than six years.

Richmond's last win over the Cats was a 70-point shellacking at Telstra Dome on 30 April, 2000 - and the Tigers haven't come away with the points from Saturday's venue, Skilled Stadium, since 1990.

In fact, the Tigers have won only twice at Geelong - in 1982 and 1990 - in the last 30 years.

But Wallace argues that it's not history, but form that will count on Saturday.

"We're in reasonable form. When you look at our form over a five-week period, we've won four games. Obviously we had one very poor loss in amongst it, but four out-of-five's not bad," Wallace told his regular Tuesday media conference.

"They've got to find their form. Out of their last six, they've won one and they need to find some form. Our job is to try to not allow them to recapture that form."

While the Tigers may have found wins difficult to achieve, Wallace pointed out that he's enjoyed plenty of personal success coaching at Geelong.

"I think I'm four out of five down there, and the (loss) was by one point last year, so from that aspect of it I think I understand the nuances of the ground well enough to not have any concerns about traveling down the highway," he said.

While reluctant to tamper with a winning line-up, Wallace said he expected that a host of first choice players would prove their fitness on the training track this week.

"From the point of view of our team structure we'd be hoping that Kane Johnson (hamstring) would get through tomorrow's training session. We would hope that Ray Hall (soreness) will be available … also Darren Gaspar (hamstring).

"They're three key players for the footy club so … we think we'll be stronger so we'll have a different structure in our side."

One player not quite ready to return to action is forward Nathan Brown, who hasn't played since the round three loss to West Coast at Subiaco.

Brown, who has struggled for form in his comeback from a broken leg sustained in the middle of last season, has been on a modified program and is scheduled to join in full training this week.

When asked if Brown was a chance for this week, Wallace replied: "I would doubt it."

"First week back the training track he would need to be showing us that that he could get through training sessions and pull up at the other end of them OK, so I would say that would be at least a week away from him showing that."

Wallace said the club had a clear schedule in place for Brown and that he wasn't being rested indefinitely.

"We've had a strong plan on where we expect him to be, so I think he's reasonably comfortable with that."

http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=268074

[one-eyed]

Wallace has a ball as players return
By Chloe Saltau
The Age
May 24, 2006

TERRY Wallace is confident the return of three key players, though not yet Nathan Brown, will mean Richmond should not have to resort to more crimes against football in an attempt to this weekend defeat embattled Geelong for the first time in six years.

Wallace staged a Sheedy-esque entrance to his weekly press conference yesterday, twirling a ball on his finger to the Harlem Globetrotters' music Sweet Georgia Brown, at pains to point out he was bemused rather than hurt by the Essendon coach's cutting remarks about Richmond's tactics in upsetting powerful Adelaide on Saturday.

Brown, who has not played since round three because of the lingering soreness in the leg he broke last year, will rejoin his teammates at a full training session today but he is more likely to return to the team the following Saturday against Fremantle.

Still, the Tigers should regain captain Kane Johnson from a hamstring injury and tall defenders Ray Hall and Darren Gaspar, who Wallace suggested should strengthen the team sufficiently to avoid the possession-oriented, uncontested style described by Sheedy as "basketball crap".

"I think you do (start with a clean slate) every week," Wallace said.

"I don't know whether it's (basketballers Andrew) Gaze and (Chris) Anstey that will be coming into the side, but certainly … they (Johnson, Hall and Gaspar) are three key players for the footy club so from that point of view we will be stronger so we'll have a different structure in our side as well."

Richmond has not beaten Geelong since round eight, 2000, and has not won at Skilled Stadium for 16 years. The Tigers also know enough about responding to embarrassing defeats, having done so twice this season, to be wary of the Cats following their 102-point loss to Collingwood. But Richmond does have form, however ugly it looked against the Crows, on its side.

"Over a five-week period we've won four games," Wallace said. "Obviously we had one very poor loss in amongst it, but four out of five is not bad. They've got to find their form. Out of their last six they've won one."

There is, Wallace's globetrotter stunt suggested, a little bit of Sheedy in him, or at least more Sheedy than Sheedy might have thought.

On Sunday night, the Essendon coach said he hoped he and Wallace were "very different people", a remark the Tigers' coach chose not to take personally. He had not heard from Sheedy in the days since, and did not expect to.

"I've got enormous admiration for Sheeds, and no problems in regards to our relationship whatsoever," Wallace said, but referred to Sheedy's part in having the 15-metre penalty changed to 50 metres in the 1980s by instructing his Essendon players to impede opponents who marked and thought of playing on.

"Everyone has done something in their coaching careers that perhaps hasn't been 100 per cent to the trend of where you'd like the game to go, to get a result at any given time. This was a one-off circumstance that was very similar to that."

Both coaches have doubtless circled in their diaries round 21, the "hot August night" when Essendon and Richmond meet again.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/05/23/1148150255030.html