Wallace's secret recipe
27 May 2005
Wayne Schwass
Herald Sun
IT was in this section of the Herald Sun last year that Terry Wallace used his role as a columnist to explain some of the problems facing the Tigers. He had two major concerns:
RICHMOND lacked goalscoring options and was too Richo-dimensional up forward.
MIDFIELDERS were playing safe and not bravely charging forward that meant their inside-50 count was too low to win games.
Things can change quickly in football. Wallace is now their leader, the Tigers are 7-2, their forward line is functioning and their midfield is winning respect.
If they win tonight, they'll be thinking top four, not bad for a club that won just four games last year and claimed the spoon.
So how has Terry done it?
A MULTI-PRONGED ATTACKWhen Wallace arrived at Punt Rd one of the first things he said was that he wanted his side to kick 100 points or more each match.
So far this season the Tigers are averaging 102.4 points a game.
One of the stumbling blocks for the Tigers in recent years was that they were one-dimensional.
At times it seemed the only player who existed in the forward 50 was Matthew Richardson. But with the recruitment of Troy Simmonds and Trent Knobel to complement Richardson and Greg Stafford, they now have options up forward.
Until Stafford was injured, the Tigers' forward structure was similar to a triangular basketball offence with Richo, Simmonds and Stafford rotating through the three key posts.
In the absence of Stafford, the triangle has made way for Nathan Brown to operate from the goalsquare and it has worked well.
Whether it is tall or small or a combination of the two, Wallace's Tigers are not solely dependent on Richardson kicking a bag.
As a result, players further up the ground have adopted a more direct style with quick movement of the ball, confident that they can kick long into a forward zone full of options.
The Tigers have improved their entries inside 50 from 14th in 2004 with an average of 46.1 a game, to second in 2005 (average of 55.3).
HARDER IN THE MIDDLEAllan Jeans used to say there's three phases of a footy match – "when we've got it, when the opposition's got it and when the ball's in dispute".
Richmond struggled to win contested possessions last year. After Round 7, its midfielders had more clearances than its opponents in just four of 15 games. If you're not winning enough ball you certainly won't be giving your forwards the required supply to kick a winning score.
This year the Tigers have turned it around, winning the clearance count in eight of nine games. Wallace has gone with a new Tiger onball brigade.
Shane Tuck is not the prettiest footballer you've seen, but boy does he have a crack and he knows how to find the footy, averaging 22 disposals a game.
Mark Coughlan's comeback from a career-threatening groin injury has also bolstered Richmond's engine room.
He won the best-and-fairest award in 2003 and he'd be high up there again – he's had 38, 28 and 28 disposals in the past three weeks.
Chris Hyde's reputation has also grown with Wallace favouring him as the No. 1 tagger before his sickening collision against the Saints.
The fourth member of the unit, Knobel, was dumped by the Saints because they felt he didn't do enough around the ground.
But what a difference a new environment can make. He's sixth in the AFL in hitouts and he's even started to find the footy.
Only twice did he have more than 10 disposals in 2004, but he's already done that three times this year.
Another significant change under Wallace has been his use of Wayne Campbell, Joel Bowden, Greg Tivendale and Brown in cameo, rather than lengthy, roles on the ball.
And the addition of Brett Deledio and Richard Tambling, although the latter tore a hamstring against Brisbane, has given the Tigers game-breaking leg speed, something they haven't had for quite some time.
With a multi-faceted attack, the Tigers are now more confident kicking long. They average 73 long kicks a game, up from 67.1 in 2004.
They still lead the league in clanger kicks with 16.2 a game, but there's a definite desire to use the corridor.
A GASPAR-LED DEFENCELast year the Tigers were forced to play Darren Gaspar who hadn't fully recovered from knee surgery.
Many thought Gaspar's best days were behind him, but with a full pre-season and a healthy body he's now getting back to his best.
The Tigers' defensive structure largely depends on Gaspar taking the opposition's best forward.
Their defence has jumped from 16th in points conceded to fifth.
So far this year not one key forward has kicked more than four goals against Gaspar, Ray Hall, Andrew Kellaway or another Wallace recruit in Mark Graham. Last year this happened nine times.
Tonight their defence will take on David Neitz, who led the way with 15 goals in two games last year.
The Tigers' only weakness in 2005 has been containing small forwards. Stephen Milne, Matthew Lappin and Ashley McGrath have all kicked five goals against the Tigers.
THE LITTLE-KNOWN RECRUITONE of the first tasks for any coach is to assemble a team of assistants that will help reinforce his message.
Most of Wallace's team – Brian Royal, Paul Armstrong, David Wheadon and Gordon Casey – are experienced. The one rookie was David King, who retired last year after a successful career with the Kangaroos that included two flags.
King played with confidence; he was bold, brash, and at times arrogant, and he loved to carry the ball. Who better to assist with developing this style of play at the Tigers?
Another reason for getting King to Punt Rd was that Wallace had taken over a quiet, more insular group of players.
He wanted King to help instil some confidence into the group as well as being the conduit between the older coaching staff and the players.
And the confidence has shown as the club has eked out wins against the Pies and the Lions with gutsy final quarters.
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