Anything but finals is a failure: Wallace
6:26 PM Fri 2 November, 2007
richmondfc.com.au
By Ben Broad
RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says his side will have no excuses next season as it pushes for a return to finals football after a forgettable 2007.
Speaking on another big day for the Tigers – when the club announced Australian retail giant Dick Smith Electronics as a co-major partner for the next two years – Wallace said 2008 was coming together nicely for the club that struggled to win just three matches this year.
Wallace said after battling for “continuity” in 2007, a healthier list heading into the summer months would put the Tigers on a more even footing with their rivals.
“We didn’t have our rucks in place for any stage of the year, we had Nathan Brown who struggled with injury right throughout the year … we’re absolutely 100 per cent fit and well now,” Wallace said.
“I just think going into a new year, this time around, we’ll have Mark Coughlan back at 100 per cent fitness, [so] there isn’t any excuses for us. We’re right to go.”
Wallace said players such as Will Thursfield and Chris Newman, who have battled injury in the past 12 months, will be all the better for another pre-season under their belt and injury-free miles in their legs.
At a time when fans are buoyed by trade outcomes and draft selections, Wallace was hesitant to put any burden of expectation on his club but said the Tigers – like all AFL clubs – were striving for the ultimate success.
“Every side in this competition should be wanting to play finals,” he said.
“There shouldn’t be a side in the competition that says at any stage they’re going through a re-building phase.
“You should always be aiming for a premiership at the same time as you’re re-building - the whole time.
“So we will be like every other side in the competition. Anything less than playing finals will be a failure. So if you’re not putting that as your aim then I think you’re lowering the bar.”
In a wide-ranging press conference, Wallace was also quizzed on his own playing list and whether the Tigers would be interested in any of the currently-homeless big names, including Lance Whitnall, Ashley Sampi and Ben Cousins.
The Richmond coach said his club was most interested in players “24 years or under” although he didn’t completely dismiss any player out of hand.
When asked on Cousins, he replied:
“Is he available, I thought he was on an opposition list?”
He later added, “I’m not into ifs, buts or maybes”.
As for the NAB AFL National Draft later this month, Wallace said Richmond would consider drafting Western Australian youngster Cale Morton – which would reunite the three brothers in Tigers colours – however not at the expense of getting the best talent on offer.
“We’ve got selection two, we don’t know what Carlton will do … we’ll sit back, let them make their decision and take the next-best player available,” he said.
“I think, always when you’re talking about your first selection, you can’t be position-specific.
“If the right bloke’s there that you want for a certain position, well we’ll go after him, but if the best player in the nation is there and you’re after something else, then I don’t think you’re going to go for the 10th-best player.”
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