Tigers set to bring in Schulz
By Peter Blucher
Brisbane
The Age
May 21, 2005
Jay Schulz, the man at the centre of Richmond's early-season Transport Accident Commission sponsorship furore, is in line for his first AFL game of the season against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba tonight.
The Tigers yesterday lost ruckman Greg Stafford to injury and will replace him with Schulz, whose drink-driving conviction in March cost the Tigers their TAC major sponsorship, or utility player Daniel Jackson. Both flew to Brisbane yesterday after Stafford, sidelined by ankle problems last week, failed to convince medical staff yesterday morning that he was right to play.
Coach Terry Wallace said he would not make a decision between the taller, more robust Schulz or the versatile Jackson until he had a chance to monitor Brisbane's recently fickle weather. "There are two trains of thought - obviously the Bulldogs used a running brigade up here a few weeks ago, so do we go down that path, or structure-wise, we've played with that extra tall. We'll toss that up within ourselves," said Wallace.
Schulz, who kicked a career-best six goals against the Lions at the Gabba last year, is favoured to get the nod unless it is very wet after doing much of the training this week in the Richmond forward line.
With regular centre half-back Ray Hall missing through suspension, the 193-centimetre Schulz also provides an extra defensive option against a Brisbane forward line boasting key pair Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw together for the first time this year.
Schulz was being groomed for the key role at centre half-back this year until he broke his ankle in a Wizard Cup game against Collingwood. He has played three comeback games over the past month, broken by a one-week lay-off due to problems with his other ankle, and has played mainly in the forward line.
Wallace, interstate with his new side for the first time, was not interested in talk of the Tigers' poor travel record, in which they've won only one of their past 16 games outside Melbourne in the last four years.
"That's a history lesson - we're not interested," he said. "The biggest thing we have to do is bring our Melbourne game to Brisbane. If we play the style and brand of football we've been playing, then we believe we'll be in the game.
"Statistically, we're in better form, but it's bringing our game here in the hostile environment. It's a very difficult place to win when they've got backs to the wall, and the position Brisbane are in at the moment, it's a very important game for them."
Wallace conceded the Tigers would need to start better than they did against Collingwood last week, and was wary of the once-mighty Lions.
"I always fear them - you don't get to the top without doing something right along the way. They're big-game performers," he said.
"I've seen a lot of games here done and dusted by quarter-time, so the ability for us to go with them early is going to be a real key focus for us."
Wallace denied the Tigers had a leg-speed advantage against the Lions. "We're not the Bulldogs - they are a super quick side - but we are moving the ball pretty well," he said.
"It will be a lot about their ability to shut us down and not allow us to play that overlap style of play that my sides have always played that will be one of the determining factors."
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