Kingsley on SEN

[one-eyed]

Kingsley on SEN at 4.30pm

* Knew he was a chance otherwise he wouldn't have been asked to stay around.

* Hopes to play 4th forward at Richmond behind Richo, Browny and Pettifer. At Geelong he was often the focal point.

* We'll wear guernsey #18.

* Length of deal with Richmond hasn't been done. It didn't seem to bother him either. 

* Still has the passion and footy is still number 1 in his life otherwise he wouldn't be doing it.

* Plenty of problems at Geelong both on and off field as has been documented. Injury (hammy) interrupted his year and he fell out of favour.

* Joked about getting less boos playing for Richmond at Kardinia Park lol.

Wallace and Kingsley on SEN around 2pm (alot of this was paraphased by the reporter)

* In answer to criticism of recruiting a 28 year old (after dumping Chubba) Wallace said Kingsley has worked hard in his time training with us and has earnt his spot. He has a number of years still left in him.

* Kingsley said there's lots of pressure at Geelong. Since Ablett retired he's left a big whole and some people there try to compare any forward (mentioned Mooney and Bizzell) to one of the greatest of all time.

[one-eyed]

Kingsley to add value
3:25:20 PM Tue 12 December, 2006
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au

Kent Kingsley is confident his move to Richmond will re-ignite his AFL career on two counts as he looks forward to not only no longer being the number one focus in attack but being away from the fishbowl environment of his former club Geelong.

"If I left Geelong I wanted to go to a side that had a key forward like Matty Richardson so it's worked out well," he said of his move to Punt Road.

"I probably played undersized at Geelong for a while and it's good to come to a side where maybe I will play as the fourth or fifth forward."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace said he was confident Kingsley was still capable of having a major impact on games, despite his disappointing 2006 season, saying he would add some much-needed experience to the Tigers' attack.

"Whilst you are still able to impact games, age doesn't matter," he said of the decision to allocate the Tigers' last place on the list to a 28-year-old.

"Our other key forwards (besides Richardson) are still developing players who are not at the stage where they are ready to jump in now and we are always of the belief that you play for now as well as the future."

"At the start of the trade period we had 19 players aged 22 or under and then we got another 22-year-old in Graham Polak (from Fremantle) plus five (young) selections in the (national) draft so we thought adding another experienced player was the right way to go in this draft."

http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=309881

[Stephanie]

Welcome to Tigerland Kent
I'll be happy if/when he proves his critics wrong 

[one-eyed]

Kingsley on SEN at 4.30pm

Some more of the interview I'd forgotten:

* Plough called him the night before the PSD to tell him we'd draft him.

* Under Plough's forward line rotation he'll spend time in the goalsquare and further up the ground.

* It wasn't great at Geelong last year but he blames himself as much as anything.

* Feels Plough has already helped to reinstall some confidence back in himself.

* He hasn't changed clubs for the money or to stick it up Geelong. Wants to prove he can still perform well.

* Copping a hammy in the NAB Cup then redoing it in round 2 was frustrating as he had been relatively injury free. Rehab and all that was new to him. When he came back he wasn't in great form either.

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At 28, he's a Tiger of old: Kent Kingsley joined a larger and more dangerous feline group yesterday. Picture: Michael Klein

Kingsley to risk body again
13 December 2006   Herald-Sun
Michael Stevens

KENT Kingsley took the biggest punt of his AFL career when he quit Geelong at the end of the season after being made the scapegoat for the Cats' poor year.

However that decision was justified yesterday when Richmond offered him a lifeline via the pre-season draft.

Kingsley, 28, comes to Punt Rd with 237 goals from 122 games, second only at Tigerland to Matthew Richardson (690) and Nathan Brown (277).

With football his No. 1 priority despite a successful business career off the field, Kingsley is looking forward to carrying less of the goalkicking load than he had to at Geelong.

However he might have to endure more supporter backlash if talkback radio yesterday is any guide.

After facing the fishbowl atmosphere of Skilled Stadium, Kingsley says his hide is thick enough to withstand that sort of pressure.

And coach Terry Wallace said letting fans know reasons behind selections goes with the territory.

"I'd be disappointed if we had to sell anything from that point of view," Wallace said. "We make decisions that we believe are right for this football club, and one thing we've been pretty clear on is making sure our supporters understand why we make decisions one way or another."

Wallace says Kingsley will add to the Tigers' forward structure.

"I've always been of the belief if you can continue to add blokes to your line-up that can add to the scoreline it's only going to make you a more dangerous proposition," he said.

"While you're still able to impact games, I don't think the age factor matters.

"We believe other key forwards at our club are still developing and aren't at the stage where they're ready to jump straight in now."

After enduring horror back-to-back hamstring injuries earlier this season, Kingsley says he has never trained with the same intensity as the past month and his body was problem-free.

"I'm just happy to play a role," he said.

"I think the club has a very talented forward structure already and if I can just add another avenue to goal within that structure it would be great."

Although he fell out of favour at Geelong, Kingsley refused to take a swipe at his former club.

"There is no bitterness," he said.

"I've still got a lot of good friends down there and it's been an enjoyable six years. I'll still keep in touch with a few of my mates and I'll wish them all the best -- as long as they lose against us."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,20919530%255E19742,00.html

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Wallace upsets Tigers fans by taking Kingsley
The Australian
December 13, 2006

RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace yesterday defended the decision to draft 28-year-old Geelong discard Kent Kingsley, saying the Tigers could not afford to concentrate only on the long-term.

Wallace's main focus since being given a five-year deal at Punt Road before the 2005 season has been on building a team through the recruitment of young players.

Kingsley's selection in yesterday's pre-season draft appears to waver from that policy and prompted an immediate backlash from Richmond supporters via talkback radio and on websites.

A four-time leading goalkicker at Geelong from 2002-05, Kingsley managed only nine matches in 2006, for just 10 goals, to become a whipping boy of Cats supporters before he was axed.

But Wallace was confident he had the ability to boost Richmond and said his age was not an issue. "I've always had the opinion that whether you're 26, 27, 29, 31 ... while you're still able to (have an) impact (on) games, the age aspect of it doesn't matter so much," Wallace said.

He said it was unfair on Richmond's senior players, Matthew Richardson, Joel Bowden, Kane Johnson and Nathan Brown, to focus only on the long-term.

"I think every side in the competition ought to be playing for now and ought to be (building for) the future.

Wallace said he was also aware of a backlash from St Kilda supporters over Saints' decision to lure ex-Adelaide ruckman Matthew Clarke, 33, out of retirement.

"We all go for which one we believe is best suited to our club," he said. The reality of it is that no-one will know until one season, two seasons, three seasons down the track."

Kingsley said he had always maintained he was good enough to remain in the AFL.

"I probably played maybe undersized at Geelong for a while and it was good to come to a side where maybe I'll play fourth or fifth forward," Kingsley said.

He was also relieved to escape the glare of Geelong, a one-team city where he said supporters rated every key forward against Gary Ablett.

"You're ultimately compared to probably the greatest full-forward ever," he said.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20918261-2722,00.html

[one-eyed]

Former Geelong forward, Kent Kingsley spoke to Michael and Mick about his new club Richmond...
http://www.sport927.com.au/gateway/Daily_Audio/Sound%20Grabs/KK_131206.asx

[one-eyed]

Kingsley's interview yesterday on Sport 927:

* Rapted and over the moon to be at Richmond. Naturally had some doubts in himself but once he made to decision to change he felt fairly confident he'd be picked up.

* Spoke to Plough initially before Wallace headed off overseas in October. Just before Kingsley himself headed of overseas. His manager chose Richmond as he wanted to go to a side already with a key forward and you don't get much better than Richo. He also wanted to stay in Melbourne as he lives in Melbourne.

* Role - just be a role player within our forward structure. Said we have a great forward line already. Very talented. All clubs now work a rotation playing near goal through to up near the centre, so he's happy to play a role within that structure, do his bit and kick a couple of goals.

* On Richmond's culture - said every club is different (we're his third club after North and Geelong). He's never trained with the same intensity as he has over the past 5-6 weeks with the endurance running and all. Nothing like he has experienced before. A combo of his own survival and the different training schedules at each club. Geelong is a big country town which rides with the footy team. Richmond also has a passionate fan base so it'll be interesting to see what happens there once the season starts.