Will Thursfield [merged]

[one-eyed]

Good luck to Will in his AFL comeback game  

RICHMOND will tonight use its 31st senior footballer this season....

The new boy is key defender Will Thursfield, who will play for the first time since round two last year when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The 21-year-old has been named on the interchange bench for his eighth senior game.

Thursfield has been highly rated at Punt Road since his debut against Sydney at the MCG in round 14, 2005, when the Tigers held on to win by a point. Thursfield kept Michael O'Loughlin relatively quiet with 12 possessions.

His only appearance in 2006 was at Telstra Dome and it lasted just over three quarters before he wrecked his knee, when he was clearly having the better of Riewoldt in a match against the Saints.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21750823-2722,00.html

[mightytiges]

Will was rusty especially early on in the game but for him to make it through the game was great to see after what happened to his knee.

[Bulluss]

Will will get better with every game.

He looked a little down tonight, which shows he is setting high standards.

[julzqld]

I thought Thursfield did quite well.  Maybe a little rusty but wait till he hits his straps!

[wayne]

Good spoiler, clean hands when the ball is loose and looks to make good decisions.

[JohnF]

This kid will come good if he remains injury free. For the first time in I don't know how long we have a key backman with some co-ordination. When was the last time we had one? Turner? Even he was a bit of a clutz.

[mightytiges]

I thought Thursty did a terrific job on diving boy last night. Lloyd got away from him a couple of times in the first half although there wasn't much Thursty could do about laceout passes and the softest of frees  . However in the second half Thursty had Lloyd's measure. He really limited Lloyd to just 2 goals. That 3rd goal of Lloyd's after the siren should have been disallowed as the ump called play-on right in front of us before the final siren sounded because Lloyd was pretending to do his shoelaces up to waste time . 

[bluey_21]

Thought thirsty was reasonable, but MT you do have to consider that Polak was playing loose for a fair bit of the night.

[Fishfinger]

If a Richmond player had bothered to wander back to the goal line that last kick wouldn't have been a score.

I can understand them being on their haunches in disappointment. That said, you don't leave the goals open for a free shot after the siren. Ever.

[mightytiges]

Another quality scalp for Thursty. What was most pleasing is it doesn't appear that his knee reco has affected his closing speed. He was right with Robertson for the whole game and got under Robbo's skin.

[julzqld]

Fantastic job

[bluey_21]

Thursty is a gem.

Hope he does a number on Riewoldt like he did last time 

[cub]

Not bad at all for a young fella with not much expeience coming back from the injury he is 

[{X}]

will become the best full back in the country 

[bluey_21]

will become the best full back in the country 

I'll hold it to you X