‘Don’t want to pigeonhole myself’: New role behind unsung Tigers gun’s ‘evolution’Jack Jovanovski
Fox Sports
May 18th, 2025 6:00 amJack Ross knows “at heart” he’s an inside midfielder at AFL level.
But as part of a constantly evolving role under second-year Richmond coach Adem Yze, he’s more than happy to sacrifice engine room time — especially given the club’s emerging ball-getters are the beneficiaries.
Ross, playing more time forward of the ball in year seven, starts most centre-bounces at half-forward before pushing up to stoppages around the ground.
Now a more senior figure amongst a youthful and exuberant Punt Road brigade, Ross said he feels liberated in the role he’s currently playing — a different one to years past, and one that he hopes will enhance his skillset.
“My game’s kind of evolved a little bit, even in the first nine weeks (of this season),” Ross told foxfooty.com.au.
“I’m playing a lot more forward, and then kind of coming up around stoppages, trying to get my hands on it and then getting hard (back) forward.
“It’s been good; it’s a new challenge for me, playing a different position, but I really love it.
“I like getting tested like that, and I feel like the more strings I can add to my bow, the better my game (and) my career can be. I’m loving it.”
The 79-gamer is averaging 17.8 disposals per game — a touch below what he averaged across the previous pair of campaigns — but he’s more involved in attacking chains as a lead-up option, averaging 5.1 marks (a 1.4 increase on 2024) and a career-best 4.8 inside-50s per game.
And given Richmond currently ranks last for inside-50s generated, second-last for groundball gets and last for forward-50 groundball gets, Ross’ contested presence at the fall of the ball up forward has been valuable.
Intriguingly, last Sunday against the Eagles represented the first time this season Ross hadn’t attended a single centre bounce.
And while “deep down” he’s adamant he’s a contested midfielder at the level, the 24-year-old doesn’t want to “pigeonhole” himself into a fixed spot — happy to pave the way for his younger teammates.
“I think at heart I know I’m an inside midfielder, and that’s where I really want to play,” Ross said.
“But at the same time, I feel like I’ve been able to kind of go outside — I played a little bit of wing in the last couple of years — and now playing forward.
“So, I don’t really want to pigeonhole myself too much. It’d be awesome to play full-time midfield, but we’ve got some great mids and we’ve got some young boys coming through like Kane McAuliffe, so it was really good to give them a run and I can have a little pinch-hit here and there.
“Deep down I’d love to be in there, but I’m loving my role at the minute.”
As Ross notes, one of the beneficiaries in Richmond’s Round 9 win over West Coast — its third triumph in nine games — was McAuliffe, who’d returned to the senior side for his first match of the season and attended 58 per cent of the centre-bounces.
Household names Tim Taranto, who’s attended 83 per cent of Richmond’s centre-bounces this year — the most of any Tiger — and Jacob Hopper (81 per cent) have understandably enjoyed the most opportunity in the guts.
They’ve been joined by improving 43-gamer Thomson Dow (49 per cent) and beloved stalwart Kamdyn McIntosh (40), who’ve both played in every Richmond match this year, with McIntosh set to play his 200th league match against North Melbourne on Sunday.
Ross has also played every game but for an average centre-bounce attendance of just 19 per cent, which might surprise some given how often you’ll spot him getting his nose dirty around the footy.
One of the promising Tigers youngsters who’ll gradually see more centre-bounce time is prodigious No.1 draft pick Sam Lalor, who is currently averaging a 26 per cent attendance.
Eighteen-year-old Lalor went head-to-head with 2023 Pick 1 Harley Reid last Sunday, with Ross full of praise for both.
“I saw them going at it there after a stoppage on the ground, which was good to see — they’re both rippers, they’re so good for the game,” Ross reflected on the matchup last Sunday.
“Sammy is an 18-year-old going on 25. He’s got such a mature head on him, and he played another great game for the club and he’s becoming a real leader already as a young guy.
“He’s killing it, and I wish Harley all the best for the year as well.”
No.7 pick Josh Smillie is another the club envisions as a long-term midfield wrecker, but for now he nurses another hamstring issue after an earlier one disrupted his maiden pre-season.
Reviewing the Mothers’ Day win, Ross explained holding on in tense final moments would ensure the continued “growth” of Richmond’s burgeoning charge.
“I’m really proud of the group. It happened similar to Round 1 against Carlton; had a little bit of a lead and needed to hold on, and that’s where the growth from this group is going to come from — holding onto little wins like that and learning how to win in a tough way,” he told foxfooty.com.au.
“We would’ve loved to have won by a bit more, but the resilience that the group (showed) through the four quarters, we got a lot of growth. But to bounce back like that and get a win; it’s massive.”
The Tigers are just nine games into their season and already have three wins to their name after plenty pondered pre-season how they’d manage one or two for the whole year.
Ross said second-year mentor Yze was getting his feet underneath him after a baptism-of-fire debut coaching campaign.
“I think we knew that it was going to take a little bit of time,” Ross said of Yze’s progression.
“There was a little bit of lag effect with taking over in a difficult period of the year, and now he’s got the full reins. And all the coaches, not just ‘Ooze’, but all of them are really buying into it and they’re really driving it, so full credit to him — he’s got us, and we’ve got his back, so we’re loving playing for him.”
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