It’s all coming together for Tiger Tambling
10:05:48 AM Thu 1 June, 2006
Chris Riches
richmondfc.com.au
Watching Richard Tambling in full flight can be an other-worldly experience . . .
At times his reflexes, speed, anticipation, vision and flat-out agility are simply blinding – so blinding and so quick that they reduce themselves to a blur. You watch him and then think – “hang on, I missed something there”, and have to hope the television cameras have caught the action, so you can video it, rewind it and watch it again.
Take his effort early in the last quarter of Richmond’s 20-point win over Geelong at Skilled Stadium last Saturday.
A long centre clearance sees promising young Tiger ‘tall’, Adam Pattison, jostling with his Geelong opponent for a mark. Unable to grasp the ball, Pattison brings it to ground.
In a flash the ball is gone . . . a small slender blur by the name of Richard Tambling having pounced on it as it hits the turf.
Tambling gathers the ball two steps ahead of his more experienced opponent in Josh Hunt, slips sideways away from the contest, drops the ball and then picks it up again – all in the blink of an eye.
Seemingly in the clear, but side-on to the goals about 40 metres out, he instinctively “feels” Hunt pursuing him from behind. Before you know it, he’s not only picked up speed, but then dodged to the right in one motion to avoid Hunt’s tackle.
Stopping, pivoting for a split second, Tambling still seems to be moving at twice the speed of anyone – teammate or opponent – around him. But he isn’t finished . . . He launches himself sideways again, brushing past the groping arms of a second would-be tackler.
It’s then that he stumbles and starts to fall. He looks around to see teammate Mark Coughlan calling for the ball. In one action he falls backwards, rolls and recovers to his knees, to handpass unerringly to Coughlan.
All this occurs in about three seconds. Three seconds? No, surely not; it had to be longer than that. Rewind the video, watch it again – no, it’s still about three seconds.
Three seconds of magic, of sheer brilliance, that almost produces a goal for Matthew Richardson. ‘Richo’, unable to mark the Coughlan kick, gathers and snaps over his left shoulder towards goal, but just misses.
Fast-forward about 25 minutes and it is Tambling and Richardson who have the last laugh . . . Tambling pounces on a Patrick Bowden soccer kick forward to gather, steady, and deliver a pinpoint pass to Richo in the goal square.
Richo kicks truly, the Tigers have a commanding 20-point lead and the powerfully-built veteran forward and rake-thin youngster are a study in contrasts as they embrace. Sixteen years without a win at the stadium formerly known as Kardinia Park is about to end for the Tigers; and Richard Tambling has enjoyed the best game of football of his short AFL career.
It’s hard to believe that just 12 months ago Tambling cut a forlorn figure as his teammates celebrated a fighting Round 9 win over Brisbane at the Gabba.
Injured again late in that game, the youngster from the Northern Territory must have wondered if he would be able to string a decent number of games together in his first year at Punt Road.
Recruited from the Southern Districts Crocs, the culture shock must have been huge for the 18-year-old Tambling when he arrived in Melbourne last year. That change in scenery, as well as persistent injuries, cruelled much of his debut AFL season.
There were certainly flashes of brilliance – blinding speed in a memorable pre-season cup match goal against Collingwood, cat-like quickness and balance and a natural football brain, but they were only glimpses of his undoubted talent.
It’s been a different story in 2006, however. A solid pre-season has improved Tambling’s fitness, so much so, that he has been available for selection each week and has played seven??????????? games in-a-row - the longest stretch of consecutive games in his AFL career.
Not only that, but Tambling’s confidence, better decision-making and willingness to present and contest have started to combine with his natural talent to produce a rapidly-improving league player.
It would be this mix that would be showcased in the game against Geelong, with his first quarter mark and goal showing a young man increasingly coming to grips with the pace and timing of AFL football.
Spying teammate Kayne Pettifer gathers the ball about 65 metres out from goal, Tambling picks the perfect moment to lead into space – timing his run to perfection and leaving Hunt in his wake, as he marks 40 metres out and then kicks truly.
An effort later in the half underlines Tambling’s growing confidence in his own abilities at AFL level. Showing a willingness to run all the way to the defensive 50 area to provide an option for his defenders, Tambling receives a clearing kick, gathers possession and takes off.
Running and bouncing to the wing, he spies Cat James Kelly laying in wait, ready to pounce. Yet he continues to run, seemingly unconcerned at being tackled.
The reason why becomes quickly obvious – a slight jink to the left by Tambling as he approaches, sees the stationary Kelly thrown off-balance and unable to lunge at the young Tiger. Then, just as quickly, Tambling slams on the jets, pushing off to the right and careening away from a now befuddled Kelly, to kick the ball forward.
Arguably more inspirational, however, is Tambling’s third term.
With the game well and truly up for grabs, he racked up nine touches and four marks for the quarter. But what the stats don’t show, is his repeated hard running and willingness to put his body on the line to win the contested ball.
Tambling wears some hard hits as he throws his body into the centre of the contest. Twice he wins free kicks – once wearing a whack when intercepting an errant Geelong pass, another time burrowing into a pack and copping another hit, through putting his body on the line against bigger, heavier opponents.
Despite the hits, he keeps presenting – leading up beyond the wings at times to provide an option for his teammates. He’s also unlucky not to kick his second goal during the term following another well-timed lead and mark.
All of which sets the scene for a memorable final quarter, with Tambling providing three seconds of brilliance early, before helping ice the game – and secure the Tigers’ fifth win of the season.
Watching the emergence of a young player is one of the joys of being a football supporter. So, it’s no wonder Richmond supporters are grinning from ear-to-ear right now after Tambling’s performance against Geelong.
Because this game, more than any other, has given the strongest indication yet that Tambling will be an exciting player at Punt Road for many years to come.
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