Tigers confident defence can hold 'Roos
July 6, 2007 - 6:17PM
The Age
Richmond assistant coach Jade Rawlings is confident the club has the defence to counter the Kangaroos' tall forwards at Telstra Dome on Sunday, despite struggling to do so against St Kilda last weekend.
The key defensive posts have been an issue for the Tigers at times this season, with Saints' stars Fraser Gehrig booting five goals and Nick Riewoldt four against them in match-winning performances last round.
With `Roos big man Drew Petrie coming off a seven-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs and 201cm David Hale also in good form, they face another big challenge on Sunday.
But Rawlings was confident 21-year-old full-back Will Thursfield, working his way back into form after returning from a serious knee injury in round eight, ex-Fremantle recruit Graham Polak and veteran Joel Bowden could handle them.
"Thursfield we've been really pleased with, admittedly Gehrig got five on him last week, but we see him as a long-term full-back, he's quick and he's competitive," Rawlings said.
"Bowden's been able to do the job on big players and Polak when he's played on taller players, he's done the job as well, so we've got a lot of options.
"It could be Hale and Petrie, he kicked seven last week ... but we've got plenty of tall options to cover everything."
He said the form of Polak, who trails only Matthew Richardson in marks taken by Richmond players this season, was a major positive.
"We've been rapt, he's been terrific in his ability to embrace the culture of the footy club and the way he's played," Rawlings said.
"He'd be well up in our best and fairest so far, we couldn't have been happier with the acquisition to our footy club in Graham."
First-year key position player Jack Riewoldt is another option in defence, after being recalled for what will be his second AFL match.
Having been recruited as a forward, the 18-year-old has excelled in defence for VFL side Coburg in recent weeks.
"He's played forward pretty much his whole career and when he came into the seniors he played forward and it didn't work out for him," Rawlings said.
"We've sent him down back for a couple of weeks, but he finds the ball well, he can defend really well ... he gives us versatility."
Meanwhile, Rawlings said star forward Nathan Brown had made a significant difference to the way the forward line functioned since making his comeback two weeks ago.
"The talk was before he came back in that it would just make everyone walk a bit taller," he said.
"It's hard to physically be able to measure that, but there's no doubt that everyone's felt more comfortable with him in the side.
"I think we're a better side when he's got the ball in his hands, because he uses it so well, or when he kicks goals.
"His attitude towards blending in with what we've tried to establish in the forward line this year has been first-rate."
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