Eagles great Peter Sumich backs Richmond’s Sydney Stack to bounce back from latest indiscretionBy Michael Warner
HeraldSun
December 21, 2020 5pmWest Coast Eagles great Peter Sumich has urged Richmond to stick with troubled Tiger Sydney Stack.
Sumich, who coached Stack for two seasons in the West Australian under-18 team, said the Richmond hard-nut was “a kid who’s done it tough” and deserved another chance.
“I really rate the kid as a person,” Sumich said.
“He’s not a kid that lies and cheats. He makes mistakes because he’s still learning.”
Stack, 20, was arrested in Perth on the weekend for an alleged second COVID breach after being involved in a Northbridge punch-up.
He is already serving a 10-week AFL suspension over a drunken night out on the Gold Coast in September.
“Personally, I think Richmond has done an outstanding job so far,” Sumich said.
“Sydney has mucked up a couple of times, but along the line there are a lot of players in the history of the game that have mucked up who have got second and third chances and have done it well.
“This kid is just needing more guidance.
“He’s still a young kid at heart and he was always going to make some mistakes – I’ve said that all along – but eventually clicking and learning and maturing.”
Sumich believed Stack could still emerge as a genuine star of the game.
“He was with me for two years and he didn’t shy away from saying ‘I’ve made a blue’,” he said.
“He never lied and that to me is a really good trait.
“And I think that is where Richmond is at.
“They are working through issues with him and I’ve got no doubt he doesn’t lie to Richmond. “He’s upfront but he’s making a few blues at the moment.
“I’d love Richmond to do that (to stand by him).
“If they can hold sway and just persist – the kid can play. We’ve all seen that.
“If he got AFL fit, I rate him very highly. He could be a very good player. He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve seen for a long time and he’s got skills on top of that.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/eagles-great-peter-sumich-backs-richmonds-sydney-stack-to-bounce-back-from-latest-indiscretion/news-story/6ea19b068751698345c4a63205d6f5c7