Wallace wants to give fans reasons to dream
27 June 2007 Herald-Sun
Mike Sheahan
TERRY Wallace refused to tease supporters with the promise of x-number of Richmond wins from the final 10 rounds.
What he offered was a competitive approach every week and the prospect of steady improvement.
"What will be creditable is that we're damn competitive," Wallace said.
"(That) our people are actually driving to the game thinking that they've got a chance of going home with a victory under their belt, not driving to the games wondering whether they're going to get belted or not.
"If we're at Round 20 and our supporters are legitimately coming along for the right reasons, to see Will Thursfield develop his game, to see these two guys (Adam Pattison and Jake King) continuing to develop, to see (Brett) Deledio and (Richard) Tambling burning through the middle of the ground . . . that's about where I reckon we should be."
Wallace said if that attitude brought sufficient wins to push Richmond down the order in the national draft, so be it.
"We want to play some good footy; it's really important. People sit there going 'Do football sides tank?' and things like that," Wallace said.
"We just saw what Hawthorn did at the end of last year, having a good run in the run home, as being really important in setting them up for a good summer, a positive summer.
"We spoke at the halfway mark and we were disappointed about the results and wanted to do something about that.
"We're keen to have a buoyant finish to our season. If that means you miss out on a first-round pick, or a double pick, so be it.
"I think there's been a lot of sides that haven't necessarily had to absolutely bottom out (to improve).
"Have a look at Geelong. Geelong have never been right down to the depths of last place, but they've still managed to be able to grow and develop themselves along the way.
"I don't see that anything says that by doing that (dropping games) gets you results."
Richmond won its first game of the season on Friday night, against Melbourne, leaving it at the bottom but only half a win behind the Demons.
All of a sudden, it is the Tigers who are seen as the danger floater among the bottom four.
"There was a lot that's been mentioned over the last few days about our opposition, but we were really pleased with our attack on the footy and the way we went about playing the game," Wallace said.
"We pick what we believe is the right side for each and every game. I don't worry about what others are saying out in the marketplace.
"People are saying, 'Why aren't they playing Jack Riewoldt? He's been an emergency for four to five weeks'.
"I don't necessarily see anyone else playing their first-year key position players.
"What I don't like doing is, I don't like giving the guernsey, the Richmond jumper, to someone who really doesn't earn it."
Players had to earn their "rite of passage", not simply get a chance because they were were young and available.
Wallace rated Troy Simmonds a 50-50 chance to return this week for the Telstra Dome clash with St Kilda.
Unusually, he refused to offer an opinion on the Anthony Rocca case, but did suggest the Glenn Archer milestone would drive the Kangaroos against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
"Guys with that much respect, I think, it works. I remember back in my own time (at Hawthorn), I remember running out on to the Whitten Oval on Leigh Matthews' 300th game, and we weren't going to lose," Wallace said.
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