Demons will examine our progress: Wallace
Malcolm Conn
The Australian
July 12, 2006
FOR all the giant-killing exploits of an unpredictable Richmond this season, coach Terry Wallace believes that Friday night's finals-like encounter against Melbourne will be the most compelling barometer of his team's progress.
The clever mentor has drawn a line through last year's defining clash against Melbourne, when brilliant forward Nathan Brown broke his leg and Richmond was flogged.
The Tigers went into that match with a completely unexpected seven wins from nine matches and had started talking about the prospect of a top-four finish, but faded from view without Brown, winning just three more games for the season to finish 12th.
"We had our ears scrubbed off us in a big Friday night game," Wallace said. "It's another chance to see if we can improve on that 12 months later."
Certainly Wallace has no doubts about the size of the task in front of a team which finished a lonely last less than two years ago, prompting the Richmond hierarchy to replace coach Danny Frawley.
"They've been terrific," Wallace said yesterday of the third-placed Demons. "At this stage they deserve the right to have the mantle as the best Melbourne-based team.
"They're going to be challenged along the way. Obviously St Kilda is beginning to mount a fair challenge.
"Others will put their hand up along the way, but any side that has won 10 out of their last 11, I think they probably sit second to Adelaide at the moment so that's a big challenge for us."
Richmond has had some stunning wins this season, including being one of only two sides to upset raging premiership favourite Adelaide.
But the Tigers have also played some shocking matches, twice enduring 100-point thrashings and losing to lowly Hawthorn in the match before the mid-season break.
They have redeemed themselves with impressive victories over Collingwood and Port Adelaide to move into the final eight for the first time this year.
With eight wins from 14 matches, after losing the opening three rounds of the season, Wallace believes his side must win five of its next eight matches to be sure of playing finals football in September.
"I think when you've got the lowest percentage of the group vying for it (a finals berth), if you're serious about wanting to play finals, you'd have to look at 13 (wins) to make it a guarantee otherwise it's in the lap of the gods," Wallace said.
"I've had a look at it, as you do, and I wear a media hat often enough that you do all your permutations and combinations and know you're never going to get them right, because one game blows the whole lot out of the water straight away.
"But you still fiddle around and you have a bit of a look, and I think 12 has a real chance of getting you there but as I said, in our position, 13 would be necessary because we're not going to make up the percentage on some of those other clubs."
Richmond, eighth, has a percentage of just 87 but Fremantle, a game behind in ninth position, is hardly any better placed. A win ahead of Geelong, Fremantle has a percentage of just 89 and plays a suddenly struggling Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday in a match which will decide much about the finals prospects of both sides.
Since the final eight was introduced in 1994 the Tigers have made the finals only twice, finishing third in 1995 and fourth in 2001, but have also been stranded in ninth place four times.
Twice Richmond has managed 12 wins without seeing action in September, missing out by 6 per cent in 1994 and less than 4 per cent in 1998.
With so many away matches early in the season, because the MCG was out of action following the Commonwealth Games, the Tigers have seven of their last eight matches in Melbourne, including five at the MCG.
Five of those eight are against sides above them on the ladder, leaving a considerable task ahead to play finals football.
Wallace is particularly happy with the continuing development of his second-year players. All five players that Richmond took in the top 20 of the 2004 draft - Brett Deledio, Richard Tambling, Danny Meyer, Adam Pattison and Dean Polo - have become regulars in the Tigers line-up along with Andrew Raines.
"Probably the biggest thing, call it a surprise or call it pleasing, is just the development of some of those younger boys who have probably come along quicker than I expected," said Wallace.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19760902-36035,00.html
