Richmond move hits right chord for Polak
Courtney Walsh
The Australian
October 14, 2006
A FRAMED album of Melbourne band The Cat Empire lies on the floor of discarded Docker Graham Polak's north Fremantle flat.
It will be among the first items packed by Polak, who believes a more regular gig with Richmond will help propel him to a place among football's elite.
Polak does not know much about Melbourne, although he said yesterday he was keen to check out the live music scene. Nor does he know the words to the Tigers' famed team song, but that is another thing he will soon rectify.
What he does know, and has since September, was that a move was necessary to lift a career that once promised plenty, despite Fremantle coach Chris Connolly's pledge that Polak would be a 10-year player for the club. The versatile key position player was unable to move from the fringe to centre stage with the Dockers as they made their historic run in the latter part of the season.
"I would have liked another crack during the finals, but I didn't get one, and that annoyed me a little bit," Polak said. "A lot of the time Chris said I was close to playing, but then I never got picked.
"Obviously I was jumping out of my skin to play. He knew that, but I just didn't get the opportunity."
It seems that will not be a problem at Punt Road, with Polak believing new coach Terry Wallace will give him every chance to succeed with the Tigers.
"Richmond was really keen to get me over and was pretty much guaranteeing to play me in round one and during the season, so I'm happy to go," Polak said.
Expectations about Polak's prowess have been high after he was selected fourth in the stellar national draft of 2001. His form since has fluctuated, with Polak having the misfortune of being constantly compared to the three men selected above him.
After all, players like Hawthorn sensation Luke Hodge, St Kilda captain Luke Ball and Chris Judd, who has done it all for the Eagles, are hard men to follow.
Polak, who finished runner-up to Hawk Sam Mitchell in the 2003 NAB Rising Star award, denies feeling pressured by the deeds of those three. But he said he made an effort to avoid watching their progress.
"I was just trying to concentrate on my footy and no one else's," he said. That may not be as easy now, with Richmond pursuing Polak with a view to him holding down a key position.
"'There's no doubting Graham's ability and, at just 22, we're excited about what he has to offer us over the next decade," Wallace said.
"As a young, key-position player, we feel he'll fit really well into our youthful group, who are all coming through together."
Although Polak played only 11 games for the season, he showed he could compete with the very best. In round four against Adelaide, he kicked three goals, standing out in what was an ordinary effort by the Dockers. He followed that with an 11-mark effort against the Eagles two weeks later but was unable to maintain consistent form.
The 22-year-old, whose partner Alyce will also move to Victoria, acknowledged off-field disciplinary problems were partly to blame for that but said he believed the shift would help him overcome that.
"Yeah, that has actually got a bit to do with it," he said. "(It will be good to) just get away for a start."
Encouragingly for the Tigers, Polak believes a fresh start, and an uninterrupted run at senior level, will allow him to reach the high notes achieved by his three star peers.
"I knew the three above me were obviously quality players and knew they would be superstars in the AFL obviously at some stage, but that is the way I look at myself as well now that I will be playing with Richmond," Polak said.
"I haven't reached it yet, but obviously my best years are to come, and they'll be with Richmond."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20577076-36035,00.html
