We should have won: Wallace

[one-eyed]

We should have won: Wallace
11:33 PM Sat 2 June, 2007
By Tom Nightingale
richmondfc.com.au

RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says the Tigers should have beaten the Brisbane Lions in their draw on Saturday night.

 “We had enough footy in the last quarter certainly to kick more than two goals. But we turned the ball over, and didn’t make the most of our opportunities,” Wallace said.

The final piece of play, when Kane Johnson’s kick forward was marked by Lion Scott Drummond, was not what cost them the game, Wallace said.

 “We had a player on, we just didn’t hit our target. That’s one, and there were another 26 in the final quarter,” Wallace said.

 “Kane had ran out most of the final quarter and the kick just struggled to have that penetration,” he said.

Wallace described the first half of the match as “one of the worst games I’ve seen”.

 “We were really disappointed with the way the game was played in the first half,” he said.

“We had blokes just standing there minding grass and they were meant to be on wings. That wasn’t the way we wanted to play,” Wallace said.

Wallace said he took little solace in the tied result.

“We came here to win, and we didn’t get the win, so we’re disappointed with that,” he said.

 “I’ve never been a great one for draws, I think everyone feels lousy about them,” he said.

On another note, Wallace said he was pleased with star forward Nathan Brown’s return from injury in the VFL earlier in the day.

 “He was competitive, whereas in his first game back last year he didn’t want contact,” Wallace said.

 “He put himself in positions where he was going to get tackled, and he wanted to tackle other players, kicked a couple. For a first up hit-out, that was pretty good,” he said.

Wallace said Brown would not be considered for selection in next week’s match against Fremantle, while ruckmen Trent Knobel and Troy Simmonds were both a chance to make their returns from injury.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=44444

[one-eyed]

Give us extra time, says Wallace
03 June 2007   Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph

 RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace said last night his players would take no solace from an agonising Telstra Dome draw against Brisbane, and called for extra time to decide future encounters.

In a game of terrible quality, the Tigers levelled the match with just over two minutes on the clock, then failed to capitalise on several chances to snatch the lead.

With only seconds left, captain Kane Johnson tried to reach a free Kayne Pettifer 25m from goal, but his speared kick fell short and was intercepted by Brisbane's loose defender Josh Drummond.

The two premiership points were Richmond's first since its August 26 win over Essendon last year, but the Tigers are still on the bottom of the ladder and playing poor football.

Wallace admitted as much in a game littered with clangers and horrific turnovers and said his team's disposal had to improve.

"We came here to win and we didn't get the win so as far as we are concerned we are disappointed with that," he said.

"It was one of the worst games I have ever seen at half-time. We were really disappointed with the way the game was played in the first half.

"I have never been a great one for draws. I think everyone feels lousy about them. I don't know what the solution is -- whether you want to play five minutes each way or something like that and get a result. I think that would be better.

"I think both crowds went away . . . and were they meant to be happy, were they meant to be sad? I still like a result in a game of footy."

Captain Johnson threw up his hands in celebration as the siren sounded and was being criticised by talk-back listeners post-match after saying on radio he was at least happy with two premiership points.

Wallace was satisfied his captain had attempted to find the right option as the clock ticked down.

"He had Shane Edwards in front as the first option and Kayne Pettifer over the back and Kayne was loose," he said.

"With the energy to take the mark and from getting up and going, it was Kayne he was looking for, but the kick didn't have the depth and penetration. He had run most of the last quarter and couldn't get it over the top."

Brisbane set up Drummond as a loose man in defence most of the game, and fittingly he was in perfect position for the last play of the game.

"When it happened I kicked it out the other side to Timmy Notting and I thought we were away, but the siren went so it was a bit disappointing," he said.

"I just tried to get into a dangerous space and he drilled the pass and I wasn't sure who it was for and I just went after it."

Brisbane lost Chris Johnson early after his foot injury worsened, and coach Leigh Matthews is unsure whether he will need surgery.

"He has done some damage to that. What that means in terms of time frame I don't know," he said.

Matthews conceded his team continued to run out of legs in the last 15 minutes, and said the loss of mature players still hurt.

"When you are in front with five minutes to go and you lose you feel a bit more aggrieved that you blew it," he said.

"We were actually in front and they kicked the last score to draw it.

"It wasn't good. I am not really looking at their turnovers, I am looking at ours and the ability to think with the ball in your hands is what this game is all about and we as a group didn't do that well enough."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21840412%255E19771,00.html