Tyro Vlastuin feeling the finals feverBy Jennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
Monday, August 12, 2013NICK Vlastuin might have been at Richmond for less than a year but he knows how special the Tigers' upcoming finals campaign is going to be.
The 19-year-old, who is rapt to have already exceeded his own expectations to play 15 games in his debut season, wants to make sure he appreciates the opportunity the Tigers have this year as much as his older teammates do.
Brett Deledio has told him he has never played in a season where the team has won more than 11 games. Chris Newman has spoken of the fact that he has not played in a final in 13 seasons.
So Vlastuin is determined to enjoy what now awaits, with Saturday's win over the Brisbane Lions ensuring they will play finals for the first time since 2001.
"You can sense it around the club. Everyone is a bit relieved as well that we are there and we are playing well," Vlastuin told AFL.com.au.
"All the supporters, they always say good luck in September, it's been so long … they're all so happy.
"They're all trying to keep the lid on it though.
"'Newy' had a talk to all the boys and he said how big of an opportunity we have.
"We probably don't realise how big of a deal it is because I've come straight into it and he's had 13 years.
"I probably haven't appreciated it as much as they would."
Recently, Vlastuin has noticed he has been training in front of crowds as big as those that watched him play for the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup last year.
Experiences like that, along with playing his first AFL game in round five and running out onto the MCG in front 84,234 spectators in round nine's Dreamtime at the 'G, remind him he's living his dream.
But he knows that playing in a final will supersede all of that, as well as winning the NAB AFL Under-18s national title with Vic Metro.
"This [finals] game, if I do play, that's easily going to be the most important game of my life.
"It's weird to look at it that way … but everything I've done before doesn't really matter to that day."
Vlastuin has missed just one game since his debut – round 14 against St Kilda, with a bruised shin forcing him out.
He tried hard to prove his fitness but couldn't really run throughout the week. The day before the game, he strode out at training and the pain flared again.
He was due for a rest anyway, with the fitness staff keen to look after his young body as the season wore on.
As the only first-year player getting a senior game at the moment, Vlastuin's training program has changed slightly in recent weeks to allow him more time to recover.
He is doing fewer drills and shorter sessions than some of his teammates, with preservation and maintenance the main focus.
"It's more about management than not doing it. I wouldn't miss a full session," he said.
"In the main training, if we have eight drills, I might only do six of them. And I'm feeling good - still holding together."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-08-12/finals-fever
