Author Topic: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)  (Read 2079 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« on: October 04, 2007, 09:04:15 PM »
Miller looks to bolster backline
5:58 PM Thu 4 October, 2007
By Jason Phelan
for richmondfc.com.au

THE NAB AFL Draft Camp is in full swing at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and the Richmond delegation is right in the thick of things trying to identify the next big star to rise at Tigerland.

The camp has become one of the most important facets of the young talent identification process with approximately 78 eligible players poked, prodded, measured, tested and put through their paces for the benefit of AFL talent scouts.

As holders of the second overall pick in November’s draft, Richmond director of football Greg Miller and the recruiting team are leaving no stone unturned as they pore over test results and talk to prospective draftees.

“It’s a great three days to see the very best kids at their trade,” Miller said between player interviews on Thursday.

“It’s a busy three days, but a very enjoyable three days.

“This is an opportunity to see the athletic and personality types of the guys that we’ve viewed during the year.

“We’ve picked about 25 players to interview, we’ll get all the physical testing results, all the psychological results, all the medical tests – everything – and it’s all just extra information to add to the armoury of the things we’ve seen during the year.”

Clubs are notoriously coy about the individuals that they covet in the annual talent parade and Richmond is no different, but Miller did paint a broad picture of some areas the club will look to address, both through the draft and the trade period.

“We recognise that we need, perhaps, some more size on our backline,” he says.

“We recognise that we need, probably, some more defensive pressure and you can never get enough midfielders. The media tells us we need more ruckmen and I guess there’s probably 12 clubs in the competition who would like a bit more depth in that area.

“We had a bad run of injuries in that area this year, but the way Adam Pattison stood up, the way Angus Graham played and, of course, having Troy Simmonds back next year are all advantages in that area.”

The camp also offers a rare opportunity for all the decision makers across the 16 clubs to be in the same place and begin informal talks ahead of the trade period that starts on October 8.

While some clubs are wary of the player exchange process, Miller believes the trade period is a valuable tool, if used wisely, and can add quality to the club’s list. 

“Richmond has always been a player in that,” he said, “we’ve picked up Graham Polak, Nathan Brown, Troy Simmonds and Kane Johnson in the last four years, and they are all very good players for our footy club.

“This year will be no different; we’re looking for some quality to add to our list. We are also seeing what the fallout is from the Chris Judd deal; we don’t know that yet but we don’t expect there to be any fallout.

“We’re at the least, I guess, a party to listening to what’s happening at the moment.

“We’re not expecting anything to materialise, we’re just an interested bystander in some ways and yet in another way, I guess, both Carlton and West Coast will be interested in where we stand.”

The silly season of rumoured trade proposals and player movements is well and truly upon us but, apart from a stated interest in the Judd negotiations, Miller isn’t about to fan the flames by naming any of the experienced AFL players that are on his radar.

“We’re out talking to uncontracted players,” is all he said when asked about possible targets.

“The indignity of being on the bottom of the ladder and what you suffer from that through the year, the one … payback is that you get first choice in the pre-season draft.

“So we can be out talking to clubs about players now knowing that we’ve got that leverage of getting a very good uncontracted player.

“Also we’ve got some draft choices that we will consider our options with, particularly our second-round choices, and we’ll weigh up see what’s on offer there as well.”

The Tigers are up and about as the annual hunt for the brightest and best talent kicks into high gear with the draft camp and trade week over the next two weeks, but despite all the different people involved and all the work put in, it all boils down to a pretty simple philosophy for Miller.

“We’re on the lookout for quality players,” he said.

“We’ll add quality to our list and with the experience [our young guys] are gradually getting each year, we’re only going to get better.”

http://richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=52151

Tigermonk

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2007, 11:01:04 PM »
oh l like this heading Bolster the Backline

How many years we been hearing this line fair dinkum do these Officails down at Richmond think we are all retards
They will do nothing to bolster the backline
Polak was recruited for the backline yet hardly played there
l give up

Offline tiga

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2007, 11:21:21 PM »
oh l like this heading Bolster the Backline

Polak was recruited for the backline yet hardly played there
l give up
Huh?? Do we have a second Polak I don't know about? IIRC, he played most of the year in the backline. It was only late in the season that they experimented with him going forward.

Offline Francois Jackson

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #3 on: October 05, 2007, 08:49:51 AM »
oh l like this heading Bolster the Backline

How many years we been hearing this line fair dinkum do these Officails down at Richmond think we are all fools
They will do nothing to bolster the backline
Polak was recruited for the backline yet hardly played there
l give up

i just like the line we r in the hunt for quality midfielders..
our current crop wont get us into the 8 unless they improve their disposal which hasnt changed in the last 20 years
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Offline tigersalive

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #4 on: October 05, 2007, 10:01:44 AM »
I know Alex Rance wont but my god I hope Tayte Pears slips to 18.  :pray
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Offline mightytiges

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #5 on: October 05, 2007, 11:40:06 PM »
Millers view of modern footy is teams are made up of 18 mids and 4 talls. Hence his "you can't have enough mids" comment. You would presume those 4 talls are made up of 2 rucks and two bookend KPPs. The mids though need to be quality as well as quantity. We are neither on both counts with Foley our only quality mid at this stage. They also need to be true onballers who can rotate through the guts and stoppages; not a majority of flankers/receivers.
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Offline crackertiger

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2007, 11:46:52 PM »
I think that Miller meant 4 tall KPP plus the Ruckmen x2

The days of 3 tall forwards is just about gone.

We have 3 of the 4 spine players already.

FF Richo
CHF Polak

CHB ??? (my choice is Riewoldt to CHB)
FB Thursfield

Offline tigersalive

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #7 on: October 06, 2007, 12:07:21 AM »
I think that Miller meant 4 tall KPP plus the Ruckmen x2

The days of 3 tall forwards is just about gone.

We have 3 of the 4 spine players already.

FF Richo
CHF Polak

CHB ??? (my choice is Riewoldt to CHB)
FB Thursfield

wtf, the guy cant kick.

He IS a CHB.

He'll be mega frustrating as  CHF, mark it down and humiliate me later if it turns the other way.   ;)

Looks to be a super CHB next year, he should be close to holding the Gorillas by then.
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Offline mightytiges

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2007, 12:37:10 AM »
Polak once he gets another decent preseason should be able to play at either end (and not as a loose man either). You want versatile players so if something isn't working you can change things up. Our talls shouldn't be any different. Jack has shown at Coburg he can play both ends due to his footy smarts. He needs to get his fitness up over the next couple of seasons so he can translate that to the AFL level. 

I think that Miller meant 4 tall KPP plus the Ruckmen x2
Yeah that could be true too CT if the ruckmen are mobile agile follower types like Cox who play basically as tall mids. Miller definitely said 18 mids.
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Offline crackertiger

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2007, 09:50:50 AM »
MT don't be surprised if Polak lines up at CHF or FF round 1.

I heard Wallace say recently that the long term plans for Polly is a Key forward. He has the best hands in the comp and his kicking isn't as bad as you think. He does have a bad case of the nerves though which is fixable. 

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2007, 10:03:35 AM »
MT don't be surprised if Polak lines up at CHF or FF round 1.

I heard Wallace say recently that the long term plans for Polly is a Key forward. He has the best hands in the comp and his kicking isn't as bad as you think. He does have a bad case of the nerves though which is fixable. 

heard similar things

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #11 on: October 06, 2007, 06:34:10 PM »
MT don't be surprised if Polak lines up at CHF or FF round 1.

I heard Wallace say recently that the long term plans for Polly is a Key forward. He has the best hands in the comp and his kicking isn't as bad as you think. He does have a bad case of the nerves though which is fixable. 
I won't be CT. As I said I believe Polak can play at both ends of the ground and will be pushed forward or back during games next year. I didn't bag his kicking either ;) although he does need to work on improving his goal conversion as do a number of Tigers.
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Offline one-eyed

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2007, 09:38:24 PM »
Royal says we want Polak to settle as a key forward or defender:

Graham was outstanding, particularly early on in the season. From our point of view, what we have to do with Graham is settle him down into a position. This year he played centre half-back, centre half-forward, full-forward and, later on in the season, played ruck. For Graham’s benefit we need to play him in either a key forward or key back position to try and settle him down.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=52550

Offline tigersalive

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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2007, 06:10:57 AM »
Royal says we want Polak to settle as a key forward or defender:

Graham was outstanding, particularly early on in the season. From our point of view, what we have to do with Graham is settle him down into a position. This year he played centre half-back, centre half-forward, full-forward and, later on in the season, played ruck. For Graham’s benefit we need to play him in either a key forward or key back position to try and settle him down.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=52550


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Re: Miller looks to bolster backline (RFC)
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2007, 07:03:35 AM »
lets hope ben rutton fails to come to terms with adelaide and goes to the psd