We will keep improving: Wallace
9:26 PM Sun 10 June, 2007 | Back
By Chris Pike
for richmondfc.com.au
RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace knows his young side will keep improving after the Tigers missed out on recording their first win of the season after leading Fremantle by as much as 26 points at Subiaco Oval.
The Tigers kicked six of the first eight goals, but missed chances cost Richmond a bigger lead.
They only trailed by one point at three-quarter time, and got back in front when Cameron Howat goaled, but it was the last lead the Tigers saw.
Experience was the difference in the end, with Greg Tivendale not travelling to Perth due to family reasons, 100-gamer Chris Newman injuring his ribs and Matt White being concussed.
“We had kids with one or two pre-seasons under their belt flailing on the biggest ground in the competition against a side with experienced bodies who were able to rotate three or four players at a time. It caught up with us in the end,” Wallace said.
Richmond has been a realistic chance of winning eight of its matches and Wallace sees the positives, given that 11 players have played less than three season of AFL football.
He understands why the supporters might find that tough, though.
“It’s hard to go home and tell your supporters that the signs are encouraging when they go and look at the ladder and see where we are,” he said.
“Shane Edwards finished with eight possessions and two goals. That will become 14 possessions next year and 18 the year after, and if he can continue to fight out games like he did, our team will mature and keep getting better.”
Wallace said the spirit was still high among his players.
“A few times when opposition people have come to our training sessions they were surprised with how buoyant and up our guys have been. With our young players, they just want to play and love getting out there,” he said.
“They would love to be winning, but they still are involved in the game and it’s a thrill for some of them to be out there playing on Peter Bell, or to even run past Matthew Pavlich for the ones that are really young.
“It is difficult with the senior group. They are the ones that believe we can have some success here while we are still around the place and we have to work with those a bit more to make sure they don’t get dejected about it, because a few of them have been there before.”
The Tigers now have the week’s break before facing Melbourne in a Friday night game on June 22.
The players will remain in Perth before training on Wednesday while the coaching staff will be split between watching Melbourne play Collingwood at the MCG and Coburg’s VFL clash on Monday.
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