Tigers ready for Geelong challenge
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 1:30 PM Tue 31 March, 2009
RICHMOND stalwart Joel Bowden says the Tigers have picked themselves up and are ready for the ultimate challenge against Geelong at Skilled Stadium this week.
“The mood’s okay, we just need to make sure we’re competitive this week – it’s a great challenge for us against Geelong,” he said from Victoria Park on Tuesday.
“We did the review on Friday and went through areas to improve on, and areas that we thought we did okay – and there weren’t too many where we did okay, unfortunately.
“The players know that they have to play well – it’s our job.
“We’re employed by to football club to put in a good performance, and last week wasn’t a good performance by any stretch of the imagination.”
There was some semi-good news on the training track with Ben Cousins running (gentle) laps and Trent Cotchin kicking the ball (gently).
And Bowden said the side had come back this week seeking redemption.
“We’re training hard, we had the weekend off to reflect, and everyone’s come back to say we want to do better,” he said.
“We want to be as competitive as we possibly can, and put in a much better performance this weekend.”
Bowden said this week’s game against Geelong – which has lost just three games since North Melbourne beat them in round five 2007 – could be a positive for the Tigers.
“Geelong are a very good side, and they’ve shown that over the last few years,” he said.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for us, and in some ways, that’s probably a good thing for us, make sure we get back on the horse, and make sure that we’re ready to go.
“Drive down to Skilled Stadium and put in our best possible performance.”
Bowden also stressed that in a team game like football, everyone needed to do their bit.
“This week against Geelong, we need to go in with a very very strong mindset, that we’re going to go hard at the ball, and play our role.
“Everyone has to play their role from the most senior to the most junior player, they’re going to have to do better, myself included.
“We all have to play our part. Unlike basketball, where one really dominant player can get the side up, in footy there’s 22 of us, we all need to do our job, play our part, set it up and make sure that we’re competitive this weekend, because last weekend we weren’t.”
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