Aiming for improvement
9:08:02 AM Thu 9 June, 2005
Angus Morgan
Exclusive to afl.com.au
While there's a host of Richmond players among the most improved in the competition in 2005, there's one young Tiger who readily concedes he probably should be up there as well.
But Andrew Krakouer is confident his second half of the premiership season will be a vast improvement on the first.
"I've probably been a bit quiet by my own standards, I think. I've had a couple of good games, but then my bad ones have been really bad," Krakouer said in an exclusive interview.
"I'm just trying to get a bit of consistency in my game, and for the rest of the season starting this week, I'm hoping to get a bit more involved.
"I've been in the caper for a few years. This is my fifth year now and I'm looking to take the next step and to contribute more because I had a good pre-season where I didn’t miss a beat."
Stats-wise, Krakouer's numbers after 11 rounds are around 50 per cent of his season's figures for 2004, suggesting he's just about on target to match last year's KPIs.
But it’s the spread that concerns him. Interspersed with efforts like his five-goal haul against Carlton in round seven and solid performances in wins against the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle have been quiet matches in defeats by the Saints and West Coast.
Top of the list of Krakouer's pre-season goals was to narrow the gap between his best and worst, and so far, he hasn’t quite managed to achieve it.
"I need to stay more involved," he said.
"Against the Eagles (last Saturday) when things were not quite happening for the team I sort of drifted out of the game and didn’t get myself involved. I've really got to get myself involved a bit more."
Last season former coach Danny Frawley had Krakouer earmarked for more time in the midfield, but there's far more competition for spots in 2005.
With the Tigers' forward and midfield set-ups to be recast in the light of Nathan Brown's season-ending broken leg however, Krakouer is taking a fresh approach to his personal contribution to Richmond's run to the finals.
"Last year we were lacking a few midfielders, but this year Coggo's back and Shane Tuck has stepped up and you have Kane Johnson and the usual suspects there running around.
"Now with Nathan down, I think my might be needed to play a more prominent role in the forward line. When I'm not needed as a deep forward, I think I've got to get more involved as a "hit-up" half-forward.
"All I've got to do is control the controllables and prepare well for each game and training session, and hopefully if I do everything in my powers the right results will come on match day."
Krakouer said the Tigers, who have a terrible recent record against the Kangaroos, were desperate for a win at Telstra Dome on Sunday. Richmond has won only six of 26 contests between the teams since 1990.
Victory would put the Tigers right back on track for a finals berth - and perhaps a place in the top four - not that Krakouer is keen to mention the 'F' word.
"It's a long-term goal, we don’t like to look to long down the track, but that's what we're here for," Krakouer said.
"We're not playing footy to make up the numbers. We're in it to play finals and that's on our agenda but we've got to take it week by week. As we get closer, that's when we'll start worrying about them a bit more."
RELATED LINKS
Andrew Krakouer's highlights reel
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