Jackson Pulling Out All Stops
By Russell Holmesby
Inside Football, March 4, 2009
Richmond's talented midfield has been boosted by the acquisition of Ben Cousins, but all successful midfields have someone who can take on the less glamorous run-with roles.
Daniel Jackson is more than pleased to get his hands dirty, but admits that playing a run-with role these days is becoming harder because the number of stoppages is decreasing.
"I really like the run-with roles and the club I wants me to play them," Jackson said.
"You always need someone to take on the best opposition player otherwise they are going to be racking up 30 touches.
"At. the same time I'm working on raising my damage points. My priority is negating that opposition player that I've been given.
"It's something I need to work on because we have such an elite midfield I need to have another string to my bow," he said.
"Cameron Ling does it and so does Kane Cornes, who has made a career out of it.
"He gets lots of touches, but he also does a job and I'd like to think that one day I could be as valuable as those two."
In last Thursday night's game, Jackson won a lot of the ball himself while also trying to shut down Dane Swan, Shane O'Bree and others.
"I was trying to run with Swan, but being such an up-and-down game with not too many stoppages it was hard to have a lock-down tag," Jackson said.
"It was a very fast game --- like a game of basketball --- up and back, up and back. In a game like that you have got to be clean because if you turn it over it just goes straight back."
Jackson was as disappointed as every other Tiger with last Thursday's performance, but quickly pointed out there was a long way to go.
"We weren't clean enough with some pretty easy set shots in the third quarter when the momentum was going our way," he said. "We were doing all the hard work, but there were too many turnovers."
There were suggestions after the game that Tigers coach Terry Wallace's post-match address had peeled the paint off the walls, but Jackson said it was all constructive.
"It was more an education type of talk," he said.
"It's still only February so it was about learning, and changing the things we weren't doing right."
While all the media focus has been on the expectation generated by Ben Cousins arrival, Jackson said the expectations from within were more apparent.
"On ourselves we have more expectation because the group is maturing and finishing like we did last year, we want to win more games," he said.
Jackson said the mix of experience on the Tigers' list was just about right.
"Andrew Raines, Nathan Foley and myself are coming into our sixth seasons, Kel Moore came of age last year and he's coming into his seventh," he said.
"Then there's the guys who are doing their second, third and fourth years. They are getting games under their belts and starting to shine."
Raines, in particular, was a huge bonus on Thursday night after an injury-ravaged 2008 campaign, dashing out of the backline.
