We're in it to win it: Wallace
5:10 PM Tue 21 August, 2007
By Catherine Murphy,
for richmondfc.com.au
RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says this weekend’s emotionally charged game with Essendon, which could be Kevin Sheedy and James Hird’s last hurrah with the Bombers in Melbourne, will provide invaluable experience for Richmond’s younger players.
“There’s no other way to learn what big time pressure’s about other than to go out there and be a part of it,” Wallace says.
“Keeping your cool, keeping your eye on the footy when it’s buzzing around and the adrenalin’s rushing … we talk about it, but experiencing it is what’s important.
“It’s a great opportunity to be involved in that sort of game. We knew a long time ago that we weren’t going to be involved in finals but this game will have a finals type atmosphere about it and I think for a lot of our younger players, it’ll be a good experience for them.”
Wallace says regardless of the hype that surrounds the encounter, his charges have to concentrate on the task at hand.
“It’s going to be a very memorable occasion for them with regards to Sheeds and Hirdy. It’s maybe their last game at the ‘G, it may not be there last game at the ‘G, who knows … we’ve got to worry about ourselves.
“We’ll honour them at the end of the game and be a part of anything that’s happening, but we’ve got a game of footy to play and a couple of hours to entertain our own footy supporters.”
The Tigers’ coach used the analogy of basketball minnows the Washington Generals when referring to the public’s perception of his team and their chances of claiming a victory.
“The Washington Generals used to play against the Harlem Globetrotters and were just there as part of the show.
“They weren’t allowed to win, weren’t expected to win, but we don’t see ourselves as the Washington Generals, we see ourselves as going into the game to have a real crack.”
In fact Wallace is confident that it will be a close battle.
“Our games over the past couple of years have been magnificent games. They’ve been neck and neck… so we’re playing to win -we’re not the Washington Generals.”
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