Onus is on Tigers players: Jackson
Roger Vaughan
May 12, 2009 - 2:39PM
Speculation rages about his coach, his star team-mate is out for three months and Richmond is wallowing with a 1-6 start to the AFL season.
But midfielder Daniel Jackson remains upbeat about this year and he insists confidence is what the Tigers are lacking.
As one media report on Tuesday said Terry Wallace could leave Punt Rd by the end of this month and another insisted he must stay until the end of the season, Jackson admitted the team felt some guilt about their coach's plight.
While being careful not to outline what "successful" might mean for Richmond this year, he remains buoyant about what is possible.
"As a collective, maybe we ... feel some guilt, but it's on us to go out there and perform," Jackson said.
"We've got the talent, we've done the summer, despite some of our issues on the ground we have got the skills, we train really well, we've just got to have that confidence and use it.
"The season is still on the line, we're only (seven) games in, last year we won eight of 11 on the way home.
"Obviously we don't want to wait until it's too late again, but it's all there for us.
"Without pin-pointing any exact goals, we just want to have a successful year and that's obviously going to have to be turned around in the next few weeks."
Compounding Richmond's problems is the long-term absence of veteran utility Matthew Richardson with a hamstring injury.
Jackson said the team "wholeheartedly" supported Wallace and said it was up to them to play more consistently.
He admitted it would be good to escape the scrutiny in Melbourne this weekend, with the Tigers playing Port Adelaide on Sunday at AAMI Stadium.
The Power have four wins, but also wildly-fluctuating form and some injury concerns of their own.
The Tigers could regain Trent Cotchin, Nathan Brown and Andrew Raines.
Jackson will play after needing six stitches to a gash in his head during Saturday's loss to Brisbane.
Blood covered his face as he left the field, but it looked much worse than it was.
Jackson had to call his mother and grandmother post-match to ease their concerns.
"I had a few missed calls from my mum and when I gave her a call, she was in a bit of a state," he said.
The midfielder is also inspired by the courage of team-mate Alex Rance, who was knocked senseless by a clash of heads with Lion Troy Selwood.
Rance is out for up to three weeks after needing surgery on three facial fractures.
Asked if the accident might make him think twice about going for the hard ball, Jackson replied: "It probably goes more the other way, you think `what's good for him must be good for me as well'.
"It always sets a scene - unfortunately we didn't win the game, we could have claimed it was him, but I guess you see that and you think `well, if he can do it, I can do it'.
"If everyone else does that, it's going to make us a better side."
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-sport/onus-is-on-tigers-players-jackson-20090512-b1el.html
