We’re ‘sticking fat’: Wallace
By Geoff Dodd
richmondfc.com.au
Saturday, May 18, 2007
TIGERS coach Terry Wallace says his players are “sticking fat” through the most challenging start to a season he’s ever experienced in his 200 games of senior coaching.
And it’s a start that is about to become more challenging following a facial injury to key forward Matthew Richardson, which will keep him out for up to eight weeks.
“We all want to win. You want to win every time you go out there, you don’t accept anything less and the guys are disappointed,” Wallace said after his side’s nine-point loss to the Crows.
“I got them in after the game and said we’ve just got to keep persevering and working. We can’t get down on ourselves.
“That’s the thing I’ve been most pleased with … I thought the spirit within the footy club has been at its very, very best this week. I know that the Adelaide Crows had sensed that there was a real spirit about our training throughout the week.
“And that’s what we’ve got to do … when you’re going through hardships and hard times in anything you’re dealing with within your life you ‘stick fat’, and that’s what I’m hoping all Richmond people will do with us. We’ve just got to stick fat together and the playing group couldn’t be doing any more to do that.”
Wallace was particularly pleased with the way the players stuck at it tonight, with the risk of a ‘Geelong flashback’ for his young team after being jumped at the start of the game yet again.
“Look, I was really pleased with the endeavour of the guys,” Wallace said. “The thing I was particularly pleased with was that we got off to a horrific start and they didn’t lose their nerve and they were prepared to play out the game and take it on its merits.
“And I thought we were right in the game in the last quarter up to our ears and unfortunately a few things didn’t go the way we wanted. Obviously Matthew going down hurt us and had a fairly big impact, and credit to them they were able to steady and win the game.”
Richardson is believed to have copped a fractured eye socket in an accidental clash with teammate Andrew Krakouer, robbing the side of yet another ruck option.
“It’s another tall (lost), and another senior player, and that’s been our lot this year,” said Wallace.
“We’ve got to come up with about ‘Plan E’ now.”
“The only thing from that is that we are losing senior players but it’s allowing us to play other players within the structure of the side.
“Cam (Howat’s) been in over the couple of weeks and played some pretty good football for us; I thought Shane Edwards was terrific tonight; and Jacob King early in the match in particular was a really solid player for us.
“So, you’re finding blokes and hopefully, eventually at some stage – whether it’s this year or whether it’s preseason next year, you’ll eventually get them all back in together.”
Wallace said the Richardson injury changed the momentum of the game, which had been swinging back Richmond’s way in a frenetic final quarter.
“Our structure changed and I thought that changed the flow of the game, to a degree” Wallace said. But Wallace said in the end the Crows just had too many senior experienced players.
“Blokes like Welsh, strong body, stands up and just does the right sort of thing; a couple of guys around the stoppages who are really strong bodied players. It makes a difference, and that was probably the difference tonight.”
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