Author Topic: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee  (Read 1723 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« on: June 04, 2005, 03:38:24 AM »
Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
By Michael Gleeson
The Age
June 4, 2005

The good news for Richmond yesterday was that as training wound up Matthew Richardson floated high, hit the crash mat on David King's back, lingered and took a neat, clean grab the likes of which he will need to take regularly today to beat the top-of-the-ladder Eagles.

The bad news was he hit the ground in pain and hobbled gingerly from the field.

The club says he is fine and will play. And there is little doubt that he will, but whether he can carry a troublesome knee and carry the forward line against the top side in the competition is another matter.

Richardson has been troubled for six weeks by minor damage to his knee.

Yesterday it reminded him it was not 100 per cent, but did not do anything more serious.

"No problems at all. I spoke to him just before he went off and he just jumped into the bag and jarred his knee," Richmond coach Terry Wallace said.

"Anyone that comes along and watches our training sessions will see Richo hobbling around a bit. He has had a sore knee for six weeks, so no problems at all."

A fit and in-form Richardson will be crucial to the Tigers' chances of beating West Coast, particularly given the loss of Nathan Brown who, while he was released from hospital a few days early yesterday, will be missing for nearly 12 months with his broken leg.

West Coast assistant coach Peter Sumich was expecting Richardson to respond to Brown's absence by picking up the slack.

"Richo will probably just up the ante marginally now. He knows he probably has to, not saying he wasn't before, but I think he'll go a bit harder. So he will be the key focus," Sumich said.

In Richmond's favour is the weak record of West Coast at the MCG, where the Eagles have lost 13 of their past 17 games.

Most notably they had their only loss of the season there in their first and last outing this season at the ground, when the then unbeaten side was humbled by the then bottom team Collingwood.

Before that match, Magpies coach Mick Malthouse declared it pointless for his team to try to shut down the Eagles, so he would attempt to out-gun them. Amazingly it worked.

For Wallace, endeavouring to do similarly would not require a departure from the Tigers' regular approach.

"When you have a look at the two sides, they have got the No. 1 midfield side for stoppages in the competition and I think we are No. 2, so from that aspect why wouldn't we back our boys to take them on?" Wallace said.

Today's clash will mark the return of Rory Hilton after almost 12 months out with a knee reconstruction.

The flighty flanker will be playing for his career at Richmond in the next three months.

"We have made no bones with Rory. From the day I walked into the club I sort of said that realistically the first half of his season was like a pre-season . . . and the second half we would be making decisions on his future and he is pretty much right on track," Wallace said.

"He knows exactly where he stands and it is no different to any senior player on an AFL list who is out of contract at the end of the season."

For Sumich the Eagles' miserable MCG record was a fact to be overcome. "That is where the grand final is played so you've got to (win there) if you want to win one, we understand that," Sumich said.

He added that while the Eagles did lose to Collingwood, the team actually played well that day and he expected that eventually the side's game plan would triumph.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2005/06/03/1117568374926.html

Offline one-eyed

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Richo in, despite mishap
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2005, 03:44:18 AM »
Richo in, despite mishap
04 June 2005   
Herald Sun
Jordan Chong

RICHMOND insists key forward Matthew Richardson will play against West Coast today, despite hurting his knee at training yesterday.
 
Richardson was forced from the training track at Punt Rd yesterday morning after hurting his knee attempting a mark.

But Tigers football manager Paul Armstrong said the injury was not serious and Richardson would play at the MCG today.

"At the end of training he was doing (some work) on a jumping bag and went up to take a speccy and hurt his knee," Armstrong said.

"He's been having a bit of a problem with a tight knee for five or six weeks now, and it just got caught awkwardly on the ruck bag, but nothing that will keep him out."

A serious injury to Richardson would have been a major blow to the Tigers, already without leading goalscorer Nathan Brown after he shattered his leg last Friday night.

Brown was released from hospital yesterday.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace said today's clash with the Eagles would test his players' character after the loss of Brown.

"It ought to be a challenge to them about where they sit as individuals," Wallace said yesterday.

"It's a terrific challenge for us, playing the best side in the country at this point in time.

"It will show a fair bit about our character after a disappointing week."

Utility Rory Hilton returns for the Tigers today after recovering from a knee reconstruction.

Wallace said Hilton, who damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in Round 15 last year, was playing for his future.

"We've made no bones with Rory," he said.

"I said from the day I walked into the club that realistically the first half of the season was like a pre-season (for him) and the second half we'd be making decisions on his future."

The Tigers also welcome back ruck-forward Greg Stafford (ankle) and defender Ray Hall (suspension).

The top-placed Eagles will be without ruckman Michael Gardiner (knee), Ashley Sampi (ankle) and Tyson Stenglein (suspended), with Wallace suggesting the visitors could be vulnerable.

"Certainly they've got some really classy players missing out of their line-up, finishers and very skilled players," Wallace said.

"They've got the No. 1 midfield side for stoppages and we're No. 2, so from that aspect why wouldn't we back our boys to take them on?"
 
 http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,15499998%255E19771,00.html

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2005, 04:03:47 AM »
The club says he is fine and will play. And there is little doubt that he will, but whether he can carry a troublesome knee and carry the forward line against the top side in the competition is another matter.

Richardson has been troubled for six weeks by minor damage to his knee.

Yesterday it reminded him it was not 100 per cent, but did not do anything more serious.

The poor big fella needs a rest. Problem is the mid-season break is still 3 weeks way  :-\.
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Offline julzqld

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2005, 07:26:57 AM »
Lots of  :-* :-* :-* for Richo's knee.  Please don't let the team become all Richo conscious.  May some of the others (Kraks  and Pettifer to name a few) step up to the plate today.

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2005, 09:32:15 AM »
Quote
The poor big fella needs a rest. Problem is the mid-season break is still 3 weeks way  .
Agree MT - but he should be rested now, not before greater damage is done.

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2005, 09:10:40 PM »
Brave effort from Richo today with his knee. Looked proppy in the first half but never gave up and got a well deserved 5 goals (no thanks to the umps until after half time).

In the first half he was borderline on cracking it because of the delivery lol. I forgot who had the footy but Richo was on a HFF running 20m away alongside demanding the ball then gave the stare and raised his arms in the air when he was ignored and the pass forward went straight to an Eagles player.
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Offline bg25

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2005, 10:03:16 PM »
Brave effort from Richo today with his knee. Looked proppy in the first half but never gave up and got a well deserved 5 goals (no thanks to the umps until after half time).

In the first half he was borderline on cracking it because of the delivery lol. I forgot who had the footy but Richo was on a HFF running 20m away alongside demanding the ball then gave the stare and raised his arms in the air when he was ignored and the pass forward went straight to an Eagles player.

"I forgot who had the footy" ...that would have been Tiv...and a handpass to Richo would have been a much safer option. Tiv was a very good player today...for the Weagles.

Offline WilliamPowell

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2005, 12:44:17 PM »

"I forgot who had the footy" ...that would have been Tiv...and a handpass to Richo would have been a much safer option. Tiv was a very good player today...for the Weagles.

 :lol :lol - you are so harsh bg25 ;)

Actually I am going to give Tiv a bit of praise - his efforts in the third quarter were very good - especially when he took on that twirp Kerr on the AFL members wing and beat him - set up a goal for us  - that happened right in front of me ;). I thought his taking on the opposition in the 3rd was good - exactly what was needed to get us going ;)

It's a very different view sitting in AFL members reserve on the wing  ;) :shh . I am used to sitting up in level 1 down near the Punt road goals
« Last Edit: June 05, 2005, 12:48:24 PM by WilliamPowell »
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Offline mightytiges

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Re: Richo to carry Tigers on hurt knee
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2005, 04:26:46 PM »
Brave effort from Richo today with his knee. Looked proppy in the first half but never gave up and got a well deserved 5 goals (no thanks to the umps until after half time).

In the first half he was borderline on cracking it because of the delivery lol. I forgot who had the footy but Richo was on a HFF running 20m away alongside demanding the ball then gave the stare and raised his arms in the air when he was ignored and the pass forward went straight to an Eagles player.

"I forgot who had the footy" ...that would have been Tiv...and a handpass to Richo would have been a much safer option. Tiv was a very good player today...for the Weagles.

LOL

Tivs better not walk done any dark alleys near bg's place  :rollin
All you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be - Pink Floyd