Will Thursfield [merged]

[Judge Roughneck]

I want to see Thursty, Moore, McGaune, Rance in the same side.

Drop Bowden

[TigerTime]

bowden wont get dropped , he played a very good game and did many great thinks defensively

thursty was serviceable at times but looked lost, he needs to find form at coburg first, which he hasnt yet,

post and rance must come in for thursty and petts

[one-eyed]

Thursfield puts hopes in selection axe
Adam Cooper
July 25, 2009 - 4:34PM

Richmond's Will Thursfield admits he is a better player for being dropped this AFL season, and is hopeful the Tigers' tough selection policy has a similar impact on his teammates.

Caretaker coach Jade Rawlings has not been afraid of axing high-profile players in his short time in charge, having already dumped best-and-fairest winners Joel Bowden and Mark Coughlan.

Shane Tuck, another fan favourite, was dropped during the week for Sunday's game against Essendon at the MCG.

Thursfield began the season as Richmond's established stuff, but was dropped - albeit by then-coach Terry Wallace - after the round-one capitulation to Carlton and spent the next two months in the VFL.

Thursfield felt the spell in the reserves worked in his favour in the long run, and said Rawlings had made it clear reputations counted for little when it came to keeping standards towards the end of the season.

"Jade made it clear from day one that everyone's got to live by certain criteria and no one's safe," Thursfield said.

"It's been good and we've been training that way, and it's become really clear, so it's been good.

"Everyone knows no one's above getting dropped."

Thursfield has enjoyed a strong return in the backline despite the Tigers' lean run of results recently, and said while his omission hurt at the time, it had helped him improve.

"I thought at the time it was a bit tough after being solid for a couple of years, but it was good to work on a couple of things and a I think I've come back a better player," he said.

"After getting extended time down there (in the VFL), which was longer than I would have hoped for, you realise you don't want to be playing your footy down there and it makes you pretty hungry to stay on track and improve and stay playing in the AFL.

"Since I've been back I've been pretty happy with my form and I'm just keen now to finish the year off well."

Rawlings' ruthless selection policy is bound to stir the tanking debate given the Tigers (three wins, 12 losses, one draw) can still qualify for a priority pick provided they do not earn any more points.

But Thursfield said the Tigers were desperate to win again for Rawlings, who is in the running to be appointed the club's next full-time coach.

"He's putting so much time and effort in we'd like to win a few games for him," he said.

"We won the first one under him, against West Coast, and we haven't got a result since, but we'd like to win a few games for Jade and also for the group because we're putting in a lot of hard work and we'd like to get some reward."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/thursfield-puts-hopes-in-selection-axe-20090725-dwqs.html

[one-eyed]

Next up is Will. Entering his sixth season with 53 games under his belt.

What are our expectations for Thursty in 2010 and what would be a good year for him?


           Games    Disp.   Marks   Tackles
2005:      6         9.5       2.5       0.8
2006:      1         2.0       0.0       3.0
2007:     15        9.3       3.3       1.3
2008:     18        9.6       3.3       1.2
2009:     13        7.4       2.3       1.2

http://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=1594&SeasonID=ALL

[jackstar is back again]

I would expect Will to stop being seen in public with Jordy in 2010. Not good for the image Will

[MADTIGER2010]

I'm just hoping he's spending alot of time in the gym. He seemed to look a bit bigger when I went to training 2 weeks ago. He has to aim to reach 90kg+ for Round 1 this year. If he wants to improve as a player he'd be locking himself in the gym

[WilliamPowell]

I for one was extremely disappointed in Will's 2009 season.

Thought he struggled and at times seemed to be a "spectator" out on the ground. IMVHO at times didn't chase enough or go in for the tackle to help out his mate. Also thought on a number of occassions against the top line forwards he gave them too much of a start on the lead....

So my expectation is simple, play more team orientated footy (the Hardwick mantra  ) and the rest will take care of itself. Clearly he is our best option at FB and I just want to see him focus on the basics and as I said the rest will take care of itself

 

[Gigantor]

sometimes Will has  a darren gasper look about him...seems disinterested in the proceedings out in the middle...i know this is probably not true,just the body language he has

[WA Tiger]

I have a lot of time for this guy and I believe he has a lot to offer, unfortunately and apparently last year he was suffering off field and hence that transpired on field. Will needs to get on the park regularly and stay there, he was playing some very good football a couple of years ago and I would expect him to return to that form this year, provided he can get over what ever niggle he has at the moment.

[Coach]

I expect 22 games from Will. Hopefully he has a consistent year for us.

[Smokey]

I said it 12 months ago and I'll say it again - if he doesn't add more strings to his bow than just closing and spoiling then he will not make it.  He provides little run out of defence, is not strong in the air (except when spoiling), is not physically strong enough to battle the 'gorillas', and has no obvious potential to play anywhere else except stuff.  I'd love him to prove me wrong but I think he has a real challenge in front of him to add these skills and become a valuable team member.

[MADTIGER2010]

I said it 12 months ago and I'll say it again - if he doesn't add more strings to his bow than just closing and spoiling then he will not make it.  He provides little run out of defence, is not strong in the air (except when spoiling), is not physically strong enough to battle the 'gorillas', and has no obvious potential to play anywhere else except stuff.  I'd love him to prove me wrong but I think he has a real challenge in front of him to add these skills and become a valuable team member.

Full backs don't have to provide run usually. As long as you have other defenders who run the ball out then the full back just has to stop his opponent. Thursty just needs to stay in the gym

[Smokey]

Full backs don't have to provide run usually. As long as you have other defenders who run the ball out then the full back just has to stop his opponent. Thursty just needs to stay in the gym

I strongly disagree.  In the modern game every defender must have the propensity and talent to run the ball, and those that don't are reducing the attacking impact of their defensive unit.  All the good current fullbacks provide significant link-up running.  Thursfield is average in so many areas that if he is also average in this critical area then he becomes a liability to the team.  I want him to succeed but I'm very worried about his ability to do so.

[one-eyed]

Backs back to basics: Thursfield
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen
Thu 06 May, 2010


RICHMOND defender Will Thursfield says the new coaching regime at the Tigers is teaching the backline to defend.

Not too radical, you might think, but with the Tigers having a percentage of less than 50 this season - they've kicked 52 goals and given up 110 in six rounds (the Saints have given up just 50) - and having had the leakiest defence in 2009, it's clearly an idea whose time has come.

The Tigers sacked Terry Wallace midway through 2009 and installed assistant Jade Rawlings to guide the team through the rest of the year, and then snapped up Hawthorn assistant coach Damien Hardwick to rebuild the team.

 Hardwick cleaned out both the playing and coaching ranks, and one of the new arrivals was defensive champion Justin Leppitsch, who was the cornerstone of the Brisbane Lions backline when they powered to a hat-trick of flags from 2001-03.

Thursfield said the arrival of the experienced redhead had been a boon for the club.

"Big Leppa - he knows a lot about defending, which is good for us, because in the past we've been taught more how to attack," he told richmondfc.com.au.

"He's teaching us a lot about spoiling, the positioning of the body and things like that.

"He's a good teacher, and he enjoys doing it as well, so he's a pretty valuable addition."

Thursfield said Leppitsch had a good approach for working with the group he had at the Tigers.

"He's pretty light-hearted and he likes getting out there with the boots on and being involved himself, which is good because he's a big, strong man.

"When playing on him you just have to get him moving because he's lost a bit of pace, but he's a big immovable object if you let him stand still.

"He doesn't like to run around too much, Leppa."

The senior coach, possibly not surprisingly, is cut from the same cloth, with a strong teaching directive.

"He's [Hardwick] going really well - we've got a clear message as to how we want to play and we train that way.

"Every time we go out there to train we do things the way we want to play.

"You would have seen it in patches, but it's just a matter of sustaining it over the course of a game."

The 24-year-old said the new coach's positive attitude helped a lot.

Hardwick promised to bring a simplified game style to the Tigers, and Thursfield said the side was getting their heads around the changes.

"It's becoming more natural now, but definitely at first we had a bit of trouble getting used to it, because we were used to the way we'd been trying to play the last four or five years.

"So at first it was tough, but now it's definitely becoming more natural.

"He's a very positive man, even in light of how we've been going.

"Every time we review a match he likes to point out a lot of positive stuff we're doing, but he is also very harsh when we go outside the game plan."

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/93711/default.aspx

[wayne]

It's a good idea. You'd think most defenders would know how to kill the ball, spoil it towards the boundary line or through the behinds, not our blokes.