Simmonds climbs a big Hille
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
1:32 PM Sun 20 July, 2008
AFL FOOTBALLERS love a challenge, and for ruckmen, David Hille is right up there in the challenge stakes.
The Essendon big man has been frequently mentioned in all-Australian talk this winter, and taking him on is a challenge indeed.
So Richmond knew they had to go close to breaking even with the Bombers star in order to get enough ball from stoppages to win.
In the end, Essendon won both the hitouts and the clearances, but it was marginal – 30-27 and 34-30 respectively.
Leading the Tiger charge was Troy Simmonds, the former Docker and Demon who finished with 12 hitouts, 15 disposals, seven marks, three inside-50s, and importantly, a couple of goals, including a vital one in the last term.
"[Hille] has been in terrific form, and he's really come of age with his ruckwork," Simmonds said after the game.
"I knew going into this game he's been probably the number one ruckman in the competition in the last four or five weeks.
"It was a good challenge, and I love these types of challenges. It was good to get around the ground and have a good game.
"I came back after the break and the body's feeling good, and my knee is very good.
"I just wanted to make sure I backed up after Dean Cox with David Hille this week, and make sure I put a good performance together."
The 30-year-old said a focus during the week was on recovering from the trip back from Perth – something he did plenty of times in 62 games with Fremantle – on Sunday night/Monday morning.
"It took me until about half-way through the week to start feeling good again, and I worried about our young guys, not being experienced at that trip, how they'd go.
"We had that lapse in the third quarter where we just stopped running, but it was a good way to fight back in the last quarter."
Assistant coach Brian Royal was rapt with Simmonds' performance.
"Troy was fantastic," Royal said. "Hille's been in really good form, and for Troy to do what he did in the last quarter was terrific."
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