Tigers depth 'fantastic', says Royal (RFC)

[one-eyed]

Tigers depth 'fantastic', says Royal
richmondfc.com.au
Mic Cullen
4:05 PM Fri 16 May, 2008

JOEL BOWDEN is back, and there are plenty of others waiting in the wings to join him in the senior team.

The 29-year-old has been playing for Coburg for the last month, although not in his customary defensive positions, and has been named on the wing for the AFL side this weekend.

Assistant coach Brian Royal said Bowden had ticked all the right boxes in his VFL stint.

"It's been four weeks now, and he's been in really good form at Coburg," he said. "He's been playing multiple positions, playing in the midfield and playing forward, so no doubt tomorrow you'll be seeing him playing those positions."

Royal said the fact that Bowden, a dual Jack Dyer Medallist and dual All-Australian, could spend a month in the VFL was an indicator that nobody could take their spot in the team for granted.

"I think what it does show is that the depth of the Richmond Football Club is now at a stage where players don't get played continually when they don't deserve opportunities, and that goes for the best player in the team down to our first-year players.

"We're in a fantastic position with the Richmond footy club with the depth of our list."

Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls and Trent Cotchin, each taken as the Tigers' first pick in the NAB AFL National Drafts of 2005 and 2007 respectively, are both close to AFL selection, but Andrew Raines is fighting to regain full fitness after knee problems.

"He's [Oakley-Nicholls] very close, he's in terrific form at Coburg at the moment, and I wouldn't expect he's too far off as well. But again, there's a lot of players back there – [Greg] Tivendale and [Kane] Pettifer, to name a couple, who are also putting their hand up to play – and young Trent Cotchin – so spots are pretty hard to get."

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=59723

[one-eyed]

Joel Bowden reborn in new role
Amelia Harris | May 17, 2008 12:00am

RICHMOND veteran defender Joel Bowden will line up against Geelong today in a new role.

Tigers director of coaching Brian Royal said Bowden, 29, had played up forward and in the midfield during his four-week stint at VFL affiliate Coburg.

"Pretty much we spoke to Joel four or five weeks ago about changing his role in the side," Royal said yesterday.

"It was to go back to our feeder side in Coburg and play a different role, and that's what he's done and he's done it successfully.

"No doubt (today) you'll see him play multiple positions.

"He can certainly see the change in the side over the past month, and he's looking forward to playing a part in that changing team."

Royal said the decision to drop Bowden reflected the Tigers' depth.

"(We are) now at a stage where players don't get played continually who don't deserve opportunities," he said.

"That goes for the best player in the team down to our first-year players."

In-form big man Matthew Richardson has again been named on the wing.

Royal said a number of (Geelong) players could pick up Richardson.

"(Darren) Milburn's probably one that could play on him. They've been playing (Andrew) Mackie also out the wing," Royal said.

Richmond's Andrew Raines, Travis Casserly and Cleve Hughes trained away from the main group yesterday and left the 30-minute session early.

Captain Kane Johnson and forward Nathan Brown, and Chris Hyde and Brett Deledio, paired up and worked away from the main group doing light skills.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23711123-19742,00.html