Wallace hails 'mid-range' Tigers
Breaking News - The Age
March 6, 2006 - 3:19PM
Richmond fans would be fools to expect boom youngster Brett Deledio or returning star forward Nathan Brown to spark a Tiger surge into the AFL finals in 2006.
That is the emphatic view of coach Terry Wallace.
The Richmond mentor is anxious to hose down expectations surrounding Deledio after his stellar debut season.
He is equally keen to dash hopes that Brown will recapture the form that made him the perfect foil to Matthew Richardson in attack last year, helping the Tigers to third position before he broke his leg in round 10.
"I think it will take 12 months," Wallace said.
"Browny probably won't agree with me ... but I think any Richmond supporter who expects Browny to come back and just take off from where he left off is just kidding themselves."
Instead, the man who guided Richmond to 10 wins and 12th position last season, says if the longed-for climb into the top eight is to eventuate, it will be up to some lesser lights to improve.
"If you're looking for a quantum leap, you're looking for it from blokes who have been in the system for six or seven years, who have not really taken the game yet by a stranglehold who may have the ability to do so," Wallace said.
He is referring to players such as Mark Coughlan, Shane Tuck, Chris Hyde, Chris Newman, Troy Simmonds, Kayne Pettifer, Ray Hall, David Rodan, Jay Schulz and Andy Krakouer.
He said young midfielders Coughlan, 23, and Tuck, 24, both good in 2005, should improve.
"Tuck's first full year in the system, week in, week out fronting up probably left him a bit tired by the end and 'Cogs' probably having an interrupted pre-season last year and his first full year back into it, the same can probably be said for him as well," Wallace said.
"You would think that those two guys as generators would be stronger, fitter and more capable."
Wallace said Newman, Hyde and Pettifer took important career steps last season, with Newman also benefitting from a standout performance in the International Rules series.
And he predicted former Fremantle ruck-forward Simmonds - whose recruitment on a five-year contract last season caused mixed feelings among supporters - would have a big impact.
He said Simmonds would be used more in the ruck in 2006 and had lost weight in the pre-season to increase his mobility.
Wallace forecast plenty of midfield time for nuggety cult figure Rodan and expressed confidence key position player Jay Schulz could tap his potential, after injury-ruined seasons last year left both with uncertain futures.
Rodan missed last season with a knee injury, and is yet to play a premiership season match under Wallace, while Schulz missed most of the season with two ankle injuries.
"I'm certainly confident enough in his ability to be able to get there," Wallace said of Schulz.
"I think he's got the skill level and the wherewithal to play at the level, he's just got to show that he wants it enough. That will be his challenge.
"And David Rodan is a very handy player to be getting back."
As for Deledio, Wallace said predictions the AFL Rising Star could have a similar early-career impact to West Coast star Chris Judd were very premature.
"I reckon our bloke's got a long way to go before he can put his hand up to any of that," Wallace said.
"He hasn't gone through the processes of being tagged or anything like that yet.
"It will be an interesting year for him, he'll get more attention and it will be interesting to see how he handles it.
"But as I said to you right from the start, I don't think really in his second year, I don't think it will be him or (Richard) Tambling, or (Adam) Pattison or any of those sort of guys that we picked up in the top 20 that will be the influence in where we go as a footy club.
"Hopefully they can be a little bit of cream on the cake."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Wallace-hails-midrange-Tigers/2006/03/06/1141493594172.html
