Maric set to stand tall for Tigers, Jackson in doubtJennifer Phelan with AAP
May 29, 2014 11:12 AM
RICHMOND’S No.1 ruckman Ivan Maric is all but confirmed for his long-awaited comeback this weekend.
The only problem for the Tigers is whose spot he takes in the side for the Dreamtime At The 'G blockbuster against Essendon.
The Tigers will decide at match committee on Thursday afternoon if Maric plays this week against the Dons, after two VFL games and about 160 minutes of match time.
While it looks less likely Daniel Jackson will face the Bombers on Saturday night after the midfielder was kept to standing drills at training on Thursday morning, Maric trained fully and looks for his first AFL game for the year.
Coach Damien Hardwick said the ruckman was the type of player that would make his teammates stand taller.
"I think the mark of a player is you make people around you better and that's what Ivan does," Hardwick said before training.
"He instils belief in players and we've missed that over the course of his absence in the early parts of the year.
"We look forward to bringing that back in.
"He's definitely put his hand up for selection, he's an important player for us, we know what he brings to the table so it's going to be an interesting discussion at match committee this afternoon."
Hardwick said part of the debate about playing Maric would centre around whether the Tigers could also accommodate Tyrone Vickery, Shaun Hampson and Ben Griffiths.
"That's the question we'll be answering," he said.
"The good thing is we're in a good selection dilemma – Ty played really well, 'Griffo' played well and Hampson played well also last week.
"We've got to make sure we make the right decision and the best decision that helps us beat the Bombers."
While Hardwick said Jackson's recovery from the hip injury sustained during last week's 113-point win over Greater Western Sydney had been strong, he remains in doubt after being heavily limited at training.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-29/maric-set-to-stand-tall
