Caddy buckles up for Tiger rideLAUREN WOOD,
Herald Sun
Feb 26, 2017RICHMOND is riding high but isn’t letting Friday night’s win go to its head, recruit Josh Caddy says.
The Tigers opened their pre-season campaign with a victory over Adelaide and has left the on and off-field drama of last season behind and is feeling positive heading into a new season.
Caddy might not have been there for the rollercoaster 2016 — still living his now-former life as a Cat — but said all reports are that things have changed considerably.
But he knows it all counts for little until premiership points are on the line.
“It’s hard for me to talk about the past, because obviously I haven’t been there experiencing it and all I can judge on is my time here,” he said.
“A lot of the guys have said that things are a lot different and there’s a whole range of new people around the club. It’s been a really positive pre-season but until that translates to wins in the home and away season and out on the field, it means nothing.”
Josh Caddy had 21 disposals in The Tigers’ win over Adelaide. Picture: Michael Klein
Caddy starred in the 19-point defeat of the Crows, gathering 21 disposals and kicking a goal.
It was “rusty”, he said, despite the adulation for him and his fellow new Tigers Toby Nankervis and Dion Prestia from coach Damien Hardwick, who said it “really excited us” to see the trio hitting their straps.
And sharing his first appearance in yellow and black with his fellow recruits was an added bonus for the ex-Cat and Sun.
“I felt like I was sucking them (the breaths) in at times, especially in the first half and then I found a bit of a second wind,” he said.
“I didn't set the world on fire, but it is only the first practice match. It was good to have a run around and be out there with my teammates for the first time.
“For us three, it was just exciting to get out there and play with everyone for the first time. It was a good game and a good hitout and it was good to see and it was good that we could put into practice the things that we’ve trained all summer.
“We’ve got a lot of improvement — we’ve got to keep training and working on things so come Round 1 and the rest of the season we’ve got to keep improving and keep getting better because at the end of the day, a practice match stands for nothing.
“There were some good signs.”
Caddy recently told the Sunday Herald Sun of his fondness for the Richmond theme song, and the taste he got of a 7262-strong crowd singing the famous tune at Etihad Stadium on Friday night has only whetted his appetite for a full-blown rendition.
“The ‘yellow and black’ (line) ... they were still belting it out so I can only imagine when there’s 70,000 supporters and how good that’ll be,” he said.
“Can’t wait for that.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/richmond-recruit-josh-caddy-says-the-signs-are-positive-for-the-tigers/news-story/28a6c89b329578aaddf30659af807ebc
