Resurgent Tigers keep the lid onrichmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
Tue 13 July, 2010RICHMOND forward Andy Collins says the Tigers aren't get ahead of themselves, despite a month of winning football.
After losing their first nine matches, the Tigers have turned their season around, winning five of their last six matches. The only loss in that period has been to flag fancies St Kilda.
The last four wins have been in succession, the last two scalps being top-eight teams in Sydney Swans and Fremantle.
Considering the dramatic turnaround, the Tigers could be excused for getting a bit carried away, but Collins says the side is firmly grounded.
"We have come a fair way, but look, we're not getting ahead of ourselves at all; we're just trying to play each week," he said at Punt Rd on Tuesday morning.
"Obviously, that's the next step for us - if we were non-competitive against a top-four side it would take a bit of polish off the last month of footy.
"We were excited to get the result, but for the rest of the season - as we keep saying - we haven't changed anything from rounds one to nine, we've just been trying to keep going down the same path with our gameplan that we're learning.
"It was very exciting to beat Freo, but we just hope to keep trying to master our gameplan and our structures."
The 21 year old, who has played 10 games this year, said he hoped Ben Cousins to be back into the side this week after being omitted last week after spending a day in in intensive care due to a prescription drug mishap.
Collins - who started life as a midfielder before slotting in to his current role as a small forward - said Cousins had been a mentor to him as one of the younger players at the club.
"I'm not sure what the match committee are going to do, but I'd be very hopeful that he'd be out there with us - I think he deserves to be and we walk taller when he's with us.
"He's been really good - obviously starting out in the midfield he's been huge for me.
"He gives me a lot of advice, just on how to prepare myself, he's great with his food intake, all sorts of things preparing for a game of footy.
"He's been a star, and we look up to him so much, it's great having him out on the field with us."
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