Cubs a worry for Wallace

[one-eyed]

Cubs a worry for Wallace
4:36:13 PM Tue 8 August, 2006
Mark Rasmussen
Sportal for afl.com.au

Are we playing the young kids too soon? That's what Richmond coach Terry Wallace is asking after Tiger cubs Danny Meyer and Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls were ruled out for the season through injury.

Speaking at Punt Road on Tuesday, Wallace said something needs to be done to protect young players from being exposed too early to the rigors of modern football.

"I think more than ever, we're playing young kids quicker and earlier into senior football and the game's got faster, harder and stronger and we seem to be losing a few of those younger boys," Wallace said.

"Are we doing the right thing by these young players, playing them so early?

"At times you wonder whether their body structure and shape is ready for it."

Full article at: http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=287540

[mightytiges]

Just plain bad luck for us. I've never seen so many Tigers suffer fractures in one year  . We've also lost at the same time guys who all play in the same position. McGuane only got a game because he was the only tall defender left. Now we've lost alot of smalls so that's why JON played on Saturday. Nothing we could do about it unless we play a mature body like Humm even if we don't think he's up to AFL level. Having a another mature rookie would help.

What do people think of the old VFA idea of having only 16 per side or even 14? Remove all pocket positions say to leave the forward lines with more space. Less players would make flooding harder, the standard would potentially be higher and the players in reserve on your list would be greater without the expense of extending the lists. This would give the skinnier kids more time to develop at VFL level. I'd rather have less players on the field and more on the bench than changing and fiddling with the rules every year and turning footy into a completely different game to what it was.

Thoughts?   

[Fishfinger]

A lot more running would need to be done by the players with the style nowadays.
On the bright side, there'd be 2 less players bagged each week by feral supporters. 

You couldn't revert to stuff from the VFA without bringing back the biff (inside the fence and outside).

[mightytiges]

A lot more running would need to be done by the players with the style nowadays.

That's true FF so then have 6 guys on the bench to allow for more rests and 14 per side on the field say. The more open space would also hopefully encourage more direct footy to 1-on-1s so players wouldn't need to always run the length of the ground and back. Maybe something they could try in the NAB Cup to trial it.

On the bright side, there'd be 2 less players bagged each week by feral supporters. 

You couldn't revert to stuff from the VFA without bringing back the biff (inside the fence and outside).

  

[Ox]

Timmy Watson played when he was 16.
The kids today know how its changed.
Stop protecting the little babies.
This is war ffs.

[Moi]

Timmy Watson played when he was 16.

Debuted at 15 years and 305 days to be precise.
He was a solid lad though

[Gracie]

I'd rather have less players on the field and more on the bench than changing and fiddling with the rules every year and turning footy into a completely different game to what it was.

Thoughts?   

Interesting thought MT. But wouldn't you be chamging the game into something completely different anyway?

[letsgetiton!]

bit precious i think

lids started playing at 17 iirc, he has had no issues, every player is different, and terry ffs cant blame meyers injury on the game, the kids has hardly really had a decent run.

look at cooney and griffin, no injuries there.

if terry thinks the kids are not ready to play , fine, dont waste time and money by drafting them and just draft 21-25 yo players who are already a bit more developed.

these injuries are just bad luck, and if we stopped playing this ridiculous style of modern day football and just focused on banging long to a contest we would be better off

kb players 400+ games, was a skinny runt, weak as pee, played in an era 100 times more physical than now but he never copped these injuries

terry stop sooking

[Ox]

war war war - it's gotta be warfare.

[julzqld]

these injuries are just bad luck, and if we stopped playing this ridiculous style of modern day football and just focused on banging long to a contest we would be better off

For once I agree with X.  How many times do we have to yell at the tv "kick it long"?  None of this short kick, handball Frawley rubbish.

[one-eyed]

Let's save our kids, says Wallace
09 August 2006   Herald-Sun
Michael Stevens

RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says the AFL has an obligation to the game to monitor whether youngsters are being played too early.

His call comes in the face of another spate of collision injuries involving top national draftees at the weekend.

At the Tigers, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls' season ended with a broken collarbone, while Magpie Dale Thomas' year is also in doubt with a similar injury.

Carlton's No. 1 draft pick, Marc Murphy, has not played since Round 13 after damaging his shoulder, while the Blues' second pick, Josh Kennedy, suffered a partially collapsed lung while playing in the VFL on Sunday.

"Are we protecting our kids well enough?" Wallace asked.

"It was fairly interesting at the weekend that we had two of our younger players go down with collarbone injuries, and we've lost our No. 1 draft pick with a shoulder injury.

"Probably more than ever we're playing kids quicker and earlier into senior football, and the game's got faster, harder and stronger."

Wallace said Richmond had virtually played all its young players this season in the 39 selected so far, more than any other club in the competition.

"It's great for their exposure into AFL football, but at times you wonder whether their body structure and shape is ready for it," he said.

"The other factor is, we had a debut player, Cam Howat, who is 21 and actually stepped in and handled the progression fairly easily.

"What seems to happen is the clubs down the ladder have to throw their boys into the mix earlier and quicker than those at the top.

"Adelaide, for example, only has eight players on their list who are under 50 games; we've got 20 players."

Wallace said he would never select a player on body shape as opposed to skill and ability.

"I've always been inclined to go for natural talent rather than body shape and the body shape will change," he said. "Brad Johnson was a skinny little kid when he first started.

"But they are in more jeopardy of getting knocked around, particularly with the pace of the game.

"You've got 95kg athletes charging around at a rate of knots and kids are more likely to get knocked around in this day and age than any other time, I think."

Wallace said the AFL had an obligation to look at the issue, in the same light as it did with knee injuries at centre bounces, because of the spate of injuries this year.

"I'll be very interested in the injury figures that come out next year," Wallace said.

"It's the worst 12 months I've ever had, and it's been more collision-type injuries."

Meanwhile, the Tigers will continue to try to win games to shore up their position on the ladder, now 10th.

Wallace said Nathan Brown, Andrew Kellaway and Daniel Jackson, who have hamstring strains, were likely to play before the end of the season.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20067530%255E20322,00.html

[Moi]

Dave Butterford (sp.) conditioning coach from Collingwood said on SEN a draftee’s peseason is not as comprehensive as other players because they don’t go to clubs till around December.  Have to manage them well for the first two years.  They are vulnerable and susceptible to injury because of their short period in the game.

[mightytiges]

Dave Butterford (sp.) conditioning coach from Collingwood said on SEN a draftee’s peseason is not as comprehensive as other players because they don’t go to clubs till around December.  Have to manage them well for the first two years.  They are vulnerable and susceptible to injury because of their short period in the game.

Not too much care taken when Pendlebury had the Raines train go right through him lol .

[mightytiges]

I'd rather have less players on the field and more on the bench than changing and fiddling with the rules every year and turning footy into a completely different game to what it was.

Thoughts?   

Interesting thought MT. But wouldn't you be chamging the game into something completely different anyway?

Not really IMO Gracie because the VFA had 16 per side (no wingmen) and it was still footy when they weren't going the biff as FF said lol. Better to have 28 blokes following the traditional rules of footy than 36 playing some hybrid game because the AFL won't leave the rules alone in a futile quest to open the game up.

[one-eyed]

Tigers fed up
11 August 2006   
Herald-Sun
Mark Stevens

DON'T dare use the phrase "them's the breaks" at Punt Rd.

The Tigers are tired of being reminded how unlucky they are. It cuts too close to the bone -- literally.

There is no denying the Brisbane Lions and the Bulldogs have been cruelled by injury this year, but no one can match Richmond's staggering run of broken bones.

The club has suffered 24 fractures of different kinds in coach Terry Wallace's two-year reign .

"This is my 30th year in the game and I've never seen anything like it," Wallace said yesterday.

The Tigers already have had 15 injuries involving broken or cracked bones this season.

Last year, they had nine.

The injuries range from a broken toe to Nathan Foley, to a broken skull for Chris Hyde.

Just about every area of the body in between has been affected -- legs, a knee, a rib, backs, shoulders, wrist, hand and a finger.

Wallace said the alarming number was proof football was more combative than ever.

"People say the game has gone soft. Too soft? Well, I've never seen breaks like this," Wallace said.

"Players are like missiles going 100 miles an hour in a straight line.

"You're going to get damage."

Wallace said the toll was obviously related to bigger bodies colliding at higher speeds.

"The game is significantly quicker, and I don't believe it's because of the rules," Wallace said.

"It's because of the athletes and the bigger bodies in the game.

"Once upon a time we had heavy grounds and speed wasn't so much of a factor. They weren't colliding with this much ferocity."

Wallace said players of all sizes possessed the ability to inflict significant damage.

"Now you have these mini-torpedoes running around," he said.

"It doesn't matter if it's a small bloke -- they're still in the mid-80kg.

"Look at the collision between Daniel Giansiracusa and Justin Koschitzke."

Wallace can't see a solution. At the moment, he is hoping the run of breaks is purely bad luck.

But the Tigers will review all fitness and conditioning processes before next season.

They will investigate whether teenagers should be held back longer to allow their bodies to grow into the rigours of AFL football.

Then again, Wallace said there was unlikely to be major changes to the way the club tackled next season.

Last season's injury report was released just last week, but Wallace would like to see some data on this season as soon as possible.

"We'd love to hear from somebody now if the injury numbers this year are unusual," he said.

"You would think the AFL would be able to give you a graph letting you now where 2006 sits in relation to last year."

What the Tigers do know is that injuries have cost their players 121 games this year. The total last season was 114.

When it comes to breaks, 22 players have been involved.

Just one -- Jay Schulz -- has had to live with separate breaks during Wallace's reign.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20087775%255E19742,00.html