More zip in Tuck Michael Horan
Herald Sun
June 03, 2010 NO PLAYER appreciated Richmond's breakthrough win last weekend more than club stalwart Shane Tuck.
That Tuck was out there was tribute to his willingness to work to succeed.
That he was voted best-on-ground by both coaches, Richmond's Damien Hardwick and Port Adelaide's Mark Williams, was even more significant.
The 28-year-old, touted as trade bait in the off-season and overlooked for the opening two rounds this year, has won his battle to succeed as well as Hardwick's approval.
Since being recalled in Round 3, Tuck has averaged 27.1 possessions a game, leads his side in hard-ball gets and is back to the form that earned him second place in the 2008 best-and-fairest and third in 2005 and 2007.
That's satisfying stuff, given his start under the new coach.
But where one might suspect a negative reaction to Hardwick, given the circumstances, it's precisely the opposite.
"Since he's been there he's really given me a fair go," said Tuck, accepting responsibility for his own fall from favour.
"The last six weeks of last year, my performances weren't up to scratch, I let myself down really.
"I guess that was the new coach's impression of me.
"That's what it was in the first practice matches and it took a little (while) for him to realise that wasn't me, that I actually can play footy.
"It was up to me to prove to him I could play."
Against Port last weekend, Tuck amassed a game-high 31 possessions and was awarded the maximum five votes from both Hardwick and Williams in the league's coaches' award.
But Tuck is just happy he has been given the past eight weeks to vindicate himself.
"I'm really happy he gave me the opportunity. I've been playing on the back stuff and every now and then he puts me on the ball," Tuck said of Hardwick.
"(Initially) I didn't know what would happen, whether I would get a game at all.
"But he really is a fair bloke - he gives you an opportunity. If you do the right things, he gives you a chance. You can't ask for any more in a coach."
Tuck's second coming began after he had surgery to repair a perforated ear drum he had been playing with for two years. From there it was back to work.
"I still tried to put in a big pre-season. Get the running right," Tuck said.
"The way Damien wanted us to play, we practised that all pre-season and I just really wanted to get the way he wanted to play in my game - where the ball was to be moved, the set-ups around the stoppages, I just really wanted to get that right.
"I really concentrated on that and tried to get myself as fit as possible to give myself an opportunity.
"I've been around long enough to realise I had to try and bounce back from what happened last year and the only way to do that is through hard work."
A team with a similar attitude had its work pay off in Adelaide on Saturday when the Tigers, in appalling conditions, laid a record 142 tackles to engineer an astonishing 47-point win.
"I thought the whole team set it up," Tuck said, dismissing his best-afield status.
"The young blokes (Ben) Nason and (Robbie) Nahas kicking some goals, Jack Riewoldt in great form, Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin on the ball and our backline was fantastic - Chris Newman, Brett Deledio and Kel Moore. Everybody played well.
"That was the most pleasing thing. It was a really hard-fought win. We were hungry for a victory and just at it from the word go."
One shouldn't be surprised at the Tiger utility's durability. His father Michael is the league's games record-holder with 426 and played at the top level until he was 38.
Shane has not missed through injury since Round 7, 2003, and sports the same hard and wiry frame as his father.
"Yeah, the old man played 140 straight, so there must be something in the genes," he joked.
Has he got his father's longevity in the big league?
"Hope so. I'll be telling the coach that, anyhow."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-zip-in-tuck/story-e6frf9io-1225874741851
