Go east, young man
7:26 PM Wed 15 August, 2007
By Greg Lange
for richmondfc.com.au
NO ONE enjoyed the victory over Collingwood last weekend more than Graham Polak.
The former Fremantle player, who has played mostly down back this season, literally kick-started the Richmond rampage by booting the first two goals of the match.
After playing his part in a full-strength and fully-firing Tigers forward line, the Sandgroper says he’s not allergic to the idea of spending more time there in the future.
“It was great to get the opportunity up forward and I would love to keep that continuing later on down the track,” Polak told richmondfc.com.au.
“I had Matty Richardson, Nathan Brown, Kayne Pettifer and Brett Deledio floating around there – all great players who I have a lot of respect for.”
“To get to play alongside the great Matthew Richardson was one of the highlights of my career so far.”
After being drafted from to the Dockers from WAFL club East Fremantle, Polak was expected to play a key role in Freo’s forward line. But after a five-year, 73-game stint at the club, and just 11 games in his final season, he asked to be traded.
“The opinions of me when I was at Fremantle were that I didn’t live up to expectations. So I came here to have a fresh start and prove to the people who said those things that I still have a lot to offer the game,” he said.
“It was a big thing for me to try and do that.”
Luckily for Polak, Richmond just happened to need a key position player. After 19 consecutive games for the Tigers, with his 100th game on the horizon, the move east has paid off from both an individual and team perspective.
“Plough (coach Terry Wallace) has given me some great opportunities since arriving and it has probably been my best year,” he said.
“It is a great team around here and, considering the amount of wins we have had, the morale is excellent. I can see this side going a long way in the future.”
IF I WANTED TO BE GRAHAM POLAK …
How much would I be bench-pressing?I am bench-pressing 120kg at the moment. By next pre-season I would like to be up to around 135 or 140.
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