Shaun Hampson’s return from injury can help Richmond reshape its forward line in 2018Chris Cavanagh,
Herald Sun
27 January 2018JACK Riewoldt and the mosquito fleet worked a treat last year but Richmond is looking to return to a more conventional forward set up in 2018.
Well aware no system is foolproof and “tweaks” will have to be made if they are to fly high again this season, the reigning premiers are hopeful Shaun Hampson will return to fitness and form to give them options in attack.
The forgotten ruckman missed all of last year with back injuries but a Hampson return to the No. 1 ruck role would allow Toby Nankervis to spend significant time forward, which had been the plan for the ex-Sydney big man last season.
Nankervis was instead forced to shoulder the bulk of the ruck duties, with Hampson and fellow tall Ben Griffiths — who has since departed Punt Rd to take up a College Football scholarship — playing only two games between them due to injury.
“Toby had been earmarked early to play a bit more forward and 50-50 in the ruck. With Hampson going down and then Ben after the Collingwood game, it left us short,” Richmond assistant coach Justin Leppitsch said.
“We thought Ben would come back in and play that second tall which we didn’t really have at the end of the season. Toby did most the ruck on his own and we used players like Shaun Grigg to supplement which still worked okay but I think we thought in the back of our minds we still needed another tall.”
Hampson remains on a modified training program but will ramp up his work in coming weeks and shapes as a potential game-changer for the Tigers should he get his body right.
Former Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara believes Hampson and Nankervis could create a similarly potent combination to that of Ben McEvoy and David Hale, who played together in the Hawks premierships in 2014 and 2015.
“You have to keep changing it around and that’s why Hampson could be really important. He’s another bonus in that tall man department,” Buckenara said.
“McEvoy was the No. 1 ruck who could go forward but predominantly he had a bit of a rest and they changed the structure of the forward line. I think Richmond probably can use Hampson in the same way.
“That will give them the luxury of pushing Nankervis forward for some periods of time.
“He did it okay in Sydney when he wasn’t that fit. He can take a mark and he’s a beautiful kick so I think it gives them some sort of structure. So much pressure goes onto Riewoldt to be that tall forward when he actually is a medium-tall forward.”
Leppitsch said “there’s a possibility” of such a set up but Hamspon, who turns 30 in March, had to first prove his fitness before coming into calculations.
“Shaun has missed so much footy,” he said.
“First of all he’s just got to build confidence in himself, his body and play some footy. That’s the first step and once we do that we can assess.”
Whatever the structure with the talls, Leppitsch said he expected the smalls — including Daniel Rioli, Daniel Butler and Jason Castagna — to only improve this year, adding Shai Bolton had “jumped another level” over pre-season after playing six games on debut last season.
“Every forward line is different but ours is built off a bit of grunt and tackling, nothing of which is talent based,” Leppitsch said.
“Although they’ve all got talent it’s all built off hard work and pressure and scoring off that so as long as the players’ minds are right and we can get the boys motivated again to do it I can’t see why we can’t continue on.”
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/richmond/shaun-hampsons-return-from-injury-can-help-richmond-reshape-its-forward-line-in-2018/news-story/b59fc0eb8300c76d6f6a7c34bfea840f
