Wait-and-see on Brown
10:56:43 PM Fri 21 April, 2006
Andrew Browne
Sportal for afl.com.au
Nathan Brown appeared to have successfully completed Richmond's light training run at the Gabba, but a final decision on whether he plays against the Brisbane Lions will be made on Saturday morning, according to coach Terry Wallace.
"It is a matter of how pulls up after the training session," Wallace said prior to the Tigers' brief 45-minute hit out on Friday evening.
"We probably thought early in the week it was less likely to play than more likely, but as the week went he had his best training session on Wednesday, but we will see how he pulls up."
Brown spent most of the time having shots at goal before he took his turn in the goal-square and kicked out to his teammates as he continues his gradual comeback from last season's broken leg.
Team officials had expressed concern that Brown was struggling with 'lateral movement' on the firm surfaces with the rod in his leg causing some discomfort.
Richmond's feeder team in the VFL - the Coburg Tigers - do not play until Tuesday so a squad of 24 flew into Brisbane with ruckman Greg Stafford and mid-sized Nathan Foley on standby in case Brown does not make it.
Wallace did not want to focus too much on the Lions but conceded the selection of veteran ruckman Clark Keating together with young forward Daniel Merrett had the Tigers coaching panel thinking particularly after losing defender Darren Gaspar with a hamstring injury last week at Subiaco.
"We will watch with interest to see if all their 'talls' are playing," contemplated a thoughtful Wallace.
"From a selection point of view I though they brought in a particularly tall side so we will have to wait and see if everyone comes up.
"We have lost three of our taller defenders over the last three weeks, but if they are not there they are not there. We haven't got replacements for those guys so you have to ask the guys that are available to do the job."
Last year the Tigers narrowly recorded their first win at the Gabba in four years and even though Wallace remains confident, he views the circumstances surrounding the 2006 contest a little differently.
"The last time we came up here the Lions had lost their last three (at home), but they only have played the one here this year and have won it," he observed.
"We have played three of the better sides in the competition up to this stage so it is difficult to get a line on where we are in comparison to perhaps those in the mid-range of the competition.
"You go in with confidence every time you walk out to play a game - I've never gone into a game thinking it can't be done."
The Tigers coach admitted his team looked a 'little flat' at Wednesday's training session, but believed the arduous back-to-back task of crossing the continent from west to east had been managed well.
"We have rested them up over the past few days, had an easy time of it and re-charged the batteries," said Wallace.
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