Tuck hungry for success
12:32:05 PM Thu 29 June, 2006
Mark Rasmussen
Exclusive to afl.com.au
Richmond onballer Shane Tuck, is fast carving out a name for himself. When you considerhis father is Hawthorn legend and AFL games record holder Michael Tuck, that's some feat.
While reluctant to talk too much about it, Tuck was incredibly candid throughout the interview, even if he was distracted as he cooked himself a steak.
"I've got you on speakerphone, I'm cooking tea," Tuck said from his kitchen this week.
"I haven't had a chance to eat anything all day. I've been flat out all day."
Tuck has found himself becoming a lot busier these days. With football commitments taking up most of his time from training, interviews and games, but it's exactly how he likes it.
"I'm pretty busy these days. We had training today, team meetings all day, so it's been pretty hectic.
"I'm coping ok," Tuck said in an exclusive interview.
Recognised as a real up and comer, Tuck has been targeted a lot more heavily by opposition coaches and players this year. This comes after a stellar year in 2005, where he consistently racked up numerous possessions and finished third in the club's best and fairest.
"I suppose it was a lot easier last year as I wasn't getting anywhere near as much attention. But this year I'm just finding a little tougher to get a kick around the stoppages.
"Obviously you take that as a compliment but every footballer just wants to play his natural game. It's not frustrating but no one likes people hanging off them," he said with a touch of frustration.
It was hard not to bring up the ties with his father, and while he'd like everyone to forget that his father was such a star, he does call on Michael Tuck's experience to help him out from time to time.
"Mainly when I have a bad game I talk to him. But whenever everything's going well, everything's going well," Tuck said.
"Definitely when I struggle to get a kick I'll give him a call or he'll come down for tea and we'll have a chat.
"I might have a little chat with one or two of the older blokes but there's no one in particular I talk with.
"Maybe my mentor Andy Goodwin, I might ring him every now and again but generally I just get on with it," he said.
While Tuck admits he gives everything he can during a game and likes to leave it all out on the ground, sometimes a few things play on his mind a bit.
"Some things play on my mind a fair bit.
"I try to relax a bit, especially this year, but I can't really. A few of us relaxed before the Hawthorn game and it sort of blew up in our faces."
"As for myself, I try to forget about it but it's hard sometimes," he admits.
With finals a very real prospect for Richmond, as they sit just outside the eight on percentage only, on six wins, six losses. Playing in finals, is a goal Tuck desperately wants to achieve - and soon.
"I do think about it a lot. Finals are what you really want to do. It's just so much better.
"I want to be a part of that. I just want to play finals as soon as I can," a buoyant Tuck said before he tucked into his steak.
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=277005
