Hughes gives away round ball for Sherrin
06 May 2007 Sunday Herald Sun
Ken Piesse
INSTEAD of lining up for Richmond today, Cleve Hughes could easily be a part of South Australia's cricket squad honing his fast bowling skills for a tilt at the big time.
The 20-year-old loves cricket almost as much as football and spent hours with housemate Luke McGuane watching Australia's World Cup triumph, taking particular interest in Shaun Tait, from nearby Nairne in the Adelaide Hills.
So rapid was his advance as a teenager from Lobethal that he was named among South Australia's elite under-17 players and made an Australian development squad.
"Cricket and footy were always my main ambitions," Hughes said.
"But, like so many, I've had to choose. A few (football) clubs were talking to me. I felt there was more of an opportunity to get paid as a professional sportsman.
"There aren't as many opportunities in cricket. To get paid you have to play at least for the Redbacks or be in their squad. There's no money at club level.
"My parents let me make up my own mind. And I'm happy with my choice so far anyway!"
In his mid-teens he took 7-16 for Kensington under-16s in a District Reds game and was considered capable of higher honours.
"I played for the South Australian under-17s. Marc Murphy (from Victoria) was also in that carnival. He, too, has gone with footy," Hughes said.
Last summer was the first he didn't play cricket competitively, instead concentrating on what he hopes will be a long-term career at Punt Road.
Taken with pick 24 in the 2005 draft, Hughes played three games last year, quite an achievement for a key position player still short of the muscle and maturity coach Terry Wallace believes can make him a 10-year player at Tigerland.
Asked to name the youngsters he believes have the ability to make a Grand Final side, Wallace put Hughes in his top three or four, saying his athleticism and football smarts could carry him a long way.
Richmond assistant coach Jade Rawlings is another who says the kid has what it takes to mature into a genuine frontliner.
Rawlings takes regular one-on-one marking sessions with Hughes and says his improvement in a few months has been massive.
At 192cm, Hughes has impressive height and only needs to add to his frame to become a Richmond regular.
Last week in his first senior game for the year, he had some fine moments against West Coast, kicking three goals among his 12 possessions.
"It was good to get a few kicks and take my opportunity," he said.
"It was a pity we couldn't hold our good early form. That's been our problem, playing out the whole game. We looked good and then shut up shop in a few areas.
"It all seemed to change a bit when they started to get a few goals back.
"We fell back to a kick-to-kick-type game rather than doing it all at a nice fast pace.
"We're working hard and we've been close. Hopefully a win isn't too far away.
"Hopefully we can use our pace all match and expose them (Geelong) with their lack of mobility.
"That's where we think they're gettable. But we have to put four quarters together which is something we haven't done so far."
With a 0-5 record leading into today's Telstra Dome clash, Richmond is aware it is the underdog, but coach Wallace insists Richmond's A game is better than many and that Hughes and others are as promising as many of the Cats tyros, including Tom Hawkins.
Having added almost 8kg to his frame over summer, Hughes was impressive for Coburg in the VFL and carried his good form into the match against West Coast.
"I'd been an emergency in Round 3, so it was good to get a game," he said.
"It was in Round 5, too, last year that I played my first game, against Carlton. It was a a Friday night game and we got up by nine or 10 points so it was pretty sweet.
"I started on the ground but it was so fast it was a bit of a shock. I initially wondered what I'd got myself into!"
He played rounds 5, 6 and 7 before returning to Coburg and playing in the 2006 VFL finals series.
During pre-season Wallace experimented with him in key defensive roles before returning him to the forward line for the start of the new VFL season.
Hughes said the Tigers had a young group but once they started winning, they could get on a roll.
"Hopefully we can all keep improving together, and if we do, we're going to be a reasonable side for a long period of time," he said.
Asked his immediate goals, he said he would like to take a hanger to rival McGuane's beauty last weekend and he'd also like to get more game experience to make him one of the first chosen.
"I want to get as many games at the level as I can," he said.
"Hopefully as I get more experience and my body keeps developing I can then really see what I need to do."
He said he was a confidence player, especially with his marking but that the duelling with Rawlings was lifting his confidence and improving his technique to allow him to stay in more contests.
"I've always relied on my marks. I want to be able to get more balls and get some goals or goal-assists, too, at ground level."
As a kid Hughes was a Crows and Tony Modra supporter and said he'd love to sample some of the success of his idol.
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