Injured Tiger on front foot to tackle big year at clubDate February 7, 2014
Peter Hanlon
Senior sports writer for The Age
Reece Conca is in familiar territory, much as he'd rather not be. ''At the moment I'm just trying to get my body right, which has been a bit of a story of my career.''
Playing catch-up has been a regular feature of the 21-year-old's three years as a Tiger, so when he finally stepped up to full training this week, he had an acute sense of where he was at and what it would take to earn his place in Richmond's midfield against Gold Coast in the opening round on March 15.
''I don't think I'm too far behind fitness wise, it's just match fitness, being able to train under fatigue, little game plan execution things that we've changed,'' Conca said.
''It's a lot more mental than physical as well. I'll be able to catch up and hopefully be 100 per cent come round one.''
Advertisement His latest summer of frustration had its genesis soon after the start of what he reflects upon as the hardest two hours of his life. Richmond's long-awaited return to the finals had made his head spin - the build-up, the fans, the buzz.
''Running out on the ground in front of almost 100,000 people, I had goosebumps the whole warm-up, it was pretty surreal.''
His left hamstring felt tight, but he stretched and prepared as normal, passed it off as a nagging pointer to how long the season had been. Twelve minutes into the first quarter, it gave way with such alarming force he thought he had been shot.
''It was pretty devastating, one of the worst moments I've had to experience so far,'' Conca said. ''Not only personally, but to know that I'd not deliberately let down my teammates, but it had impacted the game. You can't really come back from that.''
His first two free weekends in months were spent on an operating table as his hamstring tendon was repaired, then a bone called the os trigonum - which in athletes can become painful baggage - was removed from his right heel. As he convalesced the football rumour mill canvassed a trade that would return him home to Perth, but Conca says he was always going to stay a Tiger.
''I had no intentions of going. The lure to go home's always there, but I'm happy at Richmond. I just love the club … the club as a whole is going in the right direction. I've been lucky enough to be here the last three years, and we're going to progress into a great club, there's some great things to be had here.''
Only himself, Jake Batchelor and Brad Helbig remain from the 2010 draft in which Conca went at pick six, and coach Damien Hardwick has highlighted this group as the bedrock of an improvement across the list that can help the Tigers not just make it to September again, but make an impact. He welcomes the challenge.
''There's always expectations, they just want to get the best out of everyone,'' Conca said of whether he felt any pressure.
''It's not the progression of one player or two players, it's everyone. From the core group to the last person on your team list to your captain, you've all got to be playing well, pushing hard for your spot. I think that's going to make us better as a team.''
He had planned to be back in full harness just after Christmas but suffered a minor setback with his cleaned up foot.
Back in action now, he is embracing the noticeable step-up in training intensity - and the ever-present expectation.
''Yeah, I'm pumped. It's gunna be a big year for the club, I'm very excited.
''There's been a lot of expectations on Richmond for a long period of time, and I think everyone's starting to see the quality and talent of people we've got. I think it's going to be a very special next couple of years. Hopefully it starts this year.''
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