Tigers give rookie defender his big chance
By Lyall Johnson
The Age
July 2, 2005
In its quest to end a four-game losing streak and get its finals hopes back on track, Richmond has had its "biggest week easily on match committee and selection", according to coach Terry Wallace.
While not in favour of wielding the axe too heavily despite his side's hefty loss to Adelaide a fortnight ago, Wallace has brought into the side 19-year-old rookie Will Thursfield, who only a month ago was running around with the Coburg reserves side.
The plan was to drop Greg Stafford to the VFL to give him an opportunity to find form, but he was promoted to the emergency list in place of Shane Morrison yesterday because ruckman Trent Knobel has been struck down with a virus.
Knobel did not train yesterday and will be given until this morning to be made available.
Wallace said after yesterday's training session at Punt Road that the inclusion of Thursfield was an exciting opportunity brought about by the fact that Adelaide had kicked a bag of goals against the Tigers' senior defenders.
"It's just an exciting opportunity to give a young player like that a chance. To think only about three or four weeks ago, he was running around playing at Coburg reserves, now to be stepping up to be playing at this level is terrific," Wallace said.
"(It's) all very well playing your older guys and your senior-age guys if they are doing a job, but when were getting beaten by 10 goals and we were getting beaten in those defensive positions, we had to look at some youth to come in. It might take him some time to be able to get up and play top-line roles, but he's only going to learn that if he plays at senior level."
An athletic defender with a good leap, who played for the Sandringham Dragons last year, Thursfield stands 190 centimetres and was first choice overall in the 2004 AFL rookie draft.
With its finals campaign on the line, the Tigers have had a tough week around the selection and match committee table, with strong debate on who should play and what tactics to take into the match.
"I think we've had our biggest week easily on match committee and selection. We've spent more time on it than any other time. We've still been at it this morning and arguing the point about certain positional moves and that sort of stuff," Wallace said.
Despite saying over the mid-season break that seven players should not feel safe in their spots in the team, the coach said he did not think it right to make wholesale changes.
"I don't think that to flip a side with seven changes at any stage is the right way to go, but I mean there was seven blokes in the side over the last couple of weeks with the way that we've been playing that legitimately shouldn't feel comfortable about their position. Well, some of them have made way for others," he said.
Wallace said he expected the wet conditions to suit both clubs, but admitted it would be important for the Tigers to be able to handle the way Sydney was able to graft out victories from low-scoring matches.
Ray Hall comes back into the side, as does Brent Hartigan.
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