Out of all the positives that came out of yesterday's intra-club match why are some in the media making such a big deal out of Cambo playing for the possibles ???.
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Tigers to drop Campbell? It's possible
By Melissa Ryan
The Age
February 10, 2005
Wayne Campbell's exclusion from the team dubbed by coach Terry Wallace as "virtually our best side" in Richmond's intra-club match at Victoria Park yesterday overshadowed starring roles from would-be captain Matthew Richardson and eye-catching youngster Richard Tambling.
Campbell, who stood down as Richmond captain before the last game of 2004, was included in the team of "possibles" against the "probables" who are set for the starting line-up against Collingwood in the club's pre-season Wizard Cup opener tomorrow week.
With Tambling and No. 1 draft pick Brett Deledio certain starters for the match against the Magpies, Wallace was quizzed about Campbell's omission from the "probables" after the hit-out, which consisted of four 25-minute quarters. Mark Chaffey found himself alongside his former captain in the young team.
"Wayne, we just needed some experience in that younger group," Wallace said. "We are looking towards the future and so the situation was having some sort of experience in the other side. Wayne's an experienced player, he'll step up when the time need be.
"We only had 18 running around in that side, we'll have 24 running around next Friday night so you'd suggest that he'd be one of them, wouldn't you?.
"We haven't selected our side. No one's a walk-up start until we've selected our side. He was in the possibles today so he has to be one of six to step up if we play the 18 (probables)."
Richardson, one of four contenders for the Richmond captaincy, had his chance to display his leadership wares by captaining the "probables" and he booted six goals in three quarters from centre half-forward.
Tambling, the No. 4 pick in the national draft, could have had almost as many alongside his name but for some wobbly set-shot kicking.
Richardson dominated against opponents Kyle Archibald, Kelvin Moore and Coburg player Michael Rix, and again combined strongly with new recruit Troy Simmonds, who rotated between full-forward and the ruck, kicking two goals but also missing some shots.
Just as Deledio shone in Mildura last week, Tambling took his turn yesterday, kicking three goals but also missing three shots at goal. He roamed the forward line, spent time on the wing, and in a moment of deja vu for Brent Hartigan, twice chased and tackled his teammate in the space of minutes.
"I thought a couple of times when he had shots on goal when he was on angles, perhaps at under-18 level he would have taken off, run around and almost kicked them (Jeff) Farmer-like, but here he was a bit more rigid and a bit more stiff in his approach on his set shot goal-kicking," Wallace said.
"The sooner that he can relax and play his natural game, which he's learning to do pretty quickly, the better. He is a player with flair and you've got to let those guys have their head."
Mark Coughlan, continuing his comeback from osteitis pubis, played in the second quarter, while Greg Stafford (knee) played the first half. Stafford is a chance of playing against the Magpies next week, but the match committee will weigh up whether to play him off the bench or give him four quarters in the reserves instead.
Nathan Brown, another of the captaincy contenders, did not play because of hamstring tightness but coached the "probables" with Trent Knobel.
Wallace is expected to decide on who will lead the club in "about three weeks". "It was Matthew Richardson's chance to captain today so he captained the side," Wallace said. "We'll just rotate it around. A lot of people will think that whoever captains next week will be the most likely candidate. I don't think that will be the case, we're in a rotation mode."
Andrew Krakouer, who was lively in the third quarter with two goals, hobbled off after sustaining a kick to the calf and bruising. He will be monitored ahead of the Collingwood game, as will Brown.
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/02/09/1107890272782.html
