Flawless pre-season from Richmond recruit Shaun Hampson adds selection pressure Jon Ralph
Herald Sun
January 22, 2014 5:58PMRICHMOND is quietly optimistic about Shaun Hampson's prospects after a flawless pre-season from the injury-prone ruckman.
The Tigers traded pick 28 for the Blues tall last year, and while he has boundless talent he has played only 63 games in seven seasons.
Persistent knee injuries have held him back in the last three seasons, but he has barely missed a session in an encouraging pre-season for Richmond.
He is one of a raft of Tiger talls that the club believes will add selection pressure, with David Astbury, Ben Griffiths, and Liam McBean all pushing hard for spots this year.
Reece Conca (hamstring and ankle surgery) will be touch and go for Round 1, but there are few other injury worries.
Chris Knights (knee) has trained strongly after surgery in May last year, with most experienced players having completed the pre-season.
Dustin Martin, who was controversially shopped around by his management before signing a new deal, has had an untroubled and productive off-season.
Young forward McBean is also ramping up his training after a badly injured ankle and is hopeful for pushing for a senior spot early in the year.
Richmond football manager Dan Richardson said the Tigers were happy to keep a low profile during the pre-season slog.
"Most of the boys are going well. We are reasonably healthy at the moment. Like all clubs you are treading that fine line between working them hard and them breaking down, but we are reasonably happy with the state of our list.
""So far so good with (Hampson). He is pretty good, he has trained well, he's worked really hard and he's fitting in with the group really well, too."
Hampson, 25, is expecting his first child with model Megan Gale later this year.
Former top-10 draft pick Conca ruptured his hamstring tendon in the elimination final against Carlton, so has had a methodical build-up over the summer.
"We are not too sure about Round 1 or not, but he's not too far off getting back into the main group, so then it will just be a conditioning thing," Richardson said.
The club expects all of its 2013 national draft selections - forwards Ben Lennon, Sam Lloyd and Nathan Gordon - to be in the selection picture for Round 1.
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