We've come a long way: Wallace
5:39:18 PM Tue 23 August, 2005
Jen Witham
Sportal for afl.com.au
As the home-and-away season draws to a close, Richmond coach Terry Wallace has assessed his first year at Punt Road as a positive experience.
After round nine this year, the Tigers were looking dangerous on seven wins and two losses, before dropping away to lose nine out of their next 12 encounters.
It's a quantum leap from the club's bottom of the ladder finish in 2004.
"We're not dissatisfied with our lot, we've come a long way in 12 months," Wallace said, at his final Tuesday media conference for the year.
"Although we would have loved to have played finals and be a part of it, it would have been a great opportunity for some of our younger boys to do so, I think we're quite satisfied and quite comfortable with where we're at in these 12 months."
While Wallace remains upbeat going into the end-of-season review process, he admitted the Richmond coaching staff have a tough task ahead during the off-season.
On the shopping list for the Tigers this year are players with "maturity" and "speed", and while Wallace said the balance of the side was acceptable, the club was on the lookout for defenders.
"We've actually got a difficult lot this year, because over the last two years there's been a huge turnover of the footy club and a lot of the blokes who were running around at VFL level who were perhaps 26, 27 years of age are now not there," Wallace said.
"So we've now got very young guys or pretty senior blokes who are playing a senior role within the side. So it's the whole movement of the list this year and it will be far more difficult.
"I think it will be our most difficult season."
A shining light of Wallace's debut year as Richmond coach has been the development of Shane Tuck.
While Wallace named three players as the real improvers of 2005, he agreed that Tuck was the biggest mover.
"I think so. I think we've had some good improvement this year. I would have thought with what we've been able to get out of Kayne Pettifer, out of Chris Newman, those two guys along with Tucky, they're the three that have been the real genuine improvements over the season," Wallace said.
"But Tucky's is just such a fantastic story, how far back he was and how far he's advanced, I suppose that's where the real story lies with him. I've been really pleased with the other two boys as well."
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=224462
