Midfield beckons after 50 games
5:16 PM Wed 25 July, 2007
By Greg Lange,
for richmondfc.com.au
IF ALL goes to plan, Andrew Raines will run on to the MCG in round 22 against St Kilda relieved at not having to answer the question that has dogged him since he started playing for the Tigers: "When are you going to start playing in the midfield?"
"Terry said to me he wanted 50 games under my belt," Raines explained.
"I am approaching 50 games and, hopefully, if everything goes right by the end of the year I can step into the midfield and get some good experience there in the next few years."
Raines’ apprenticeship in defence this year has taken him into an area neither he nor his coach, ideally, thought it would go. The 21-year-old was asked to “fight above his height” on opponents such as Nick Riewoldt and Chris Tarrant due to injuries and retirements to key defenders.
“It has been pretty tough at times,” Raines said about his adjusted role in defence in 2007.
“It has been hard to get more of my natural attacking game going. But it has definitely been a good experience and I have learned a lot this year.”
Normally you would assume such height mismatches would earn Raines his fair share of sledging, but the 45-gamer acknowledges only one verbal blow. The culprit, off-field friend and fellow Queenslander Nick Riewoldt, called him a “midget” when Raines lined up on him in round 13.
“The next day I talked to him about that,” Raines laughed.
However, it is not just Raines who has been asked to take on more responsibility in defence. He says the retirement of a few key-position players down back has forced the younger players to also step up.
“When we have been going well in games it definitely comes from the backline attacking out of there. But, obviously, there are a lot of areas we need to improve on.”
“However, it is a learning thing. Our future is a lot brighter because the experience only helps you for the future,” he said.
“So, we are hoping the likes of Will Thursfield, Luke McGuane and Graham Polak, who has done a pretty good job this year, can earmark themselves as key-position players in the future.”
http://richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=47976
