Tigers let their cubs off the leash

[mightytiges]

Tigers let their cubs off the leash
18 February 2005   
Herald Sun
Jordan Chong

RICHMOND is expected to give its draft stars every opportunity to shine in tonight's Wizard Cup opener against Collingwood at Telstra Dome.

Brett Deledio, Richard Tambling, Danny Meyer and Adam Pattison – picks one, four, 12 and 16 in last year's national draft – will make their first appearance in the black and yellow tonight.

Deledio has been earmarked for a midfield role, while the hard-running, long-kicking Tambling will alternate between wing and half-forward.

The 198cm Pattison will be used in key positions at both ends of the ground.

The lightly framed, pacy Meyer was a late addition to the Tigers' squad and is likely to be used close to goal.

Despite the excitement the Tigers' off-season arrivals have generated among their long-suffering fans, the club is trying to keep expectations low.

"I think they are excited about playing. They've shown that they are good enough to play at the level," Tigers football manager Paul Armstrong said yesterday.

"All through the summer they've done everything that's been asked of them so it's great they've got an opportunity."

Armstrong said despite the encouraging early signs, Deledio and Tambling would take time to make the step up to the AFL.

"We don't expect them to come out and dominate footy, we know it's a different standard to what they've been playing. People are expecting them to, but we're not," he said.

"It's still very exciting, though."

Also playing their first games for Richmond are Troy Simmonds (ex-Fremantle), former Saint Trent Knobel and Mark Graham, who played 223 games for Hawthorn.

Simmonds will split his time between the ruck and joining Knobel and Matthew Richardson inside the attacking 50, while Graham is likely to play both in defence and up forward.

With so many new faces, Simmonds said the players would need time to get used to playing alongside each other.

"We certainly want to win the game and go through to the next week. It's a young team and we want to build a lot of chemistry together," he said.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,12289835%255E19771,00.html

[mightytiges]

Tigers first to unleash roar youth
Scott Coghlan
The Australian
February 18, 2005

ON the eve of the 2005 season the jungle drums, somewhat fittingly, are pounding out the famous "yellow and black" anthem of Richmond.

For so long the league's under-achievers, the Tigers have the highly-rated Terry Wallace at the helm and appear to have secured some of the most exciting young talent going around.

Word around the football traps is that the Tigers have a quintet of brilliant cubs all genuinely capable of becoming this year's Wizard Cup "discovery".

Last year, it was unheralded Melbourne defender Jared Rivers who used the pre-season competition to announce his arrival.

Virtually unknown at the start of the season, Rivers was one of the competition's most accomplished defenders by the end of it and capped a stellar year by picking up the Rising Star award.

If Richmond can get a similarly meteoric rise from one of Thomas Roach, Andrew Raines, Brett Deledio, Richard Tambling or Danny Meyer then the success-starved club might claim its first individual award since Roach's famous father, Michael, led the VFL goalkicking back in 1981.

Richmond open their pre-season against Collingwood tonight and all five of the youngsters were named in the provisional 29-man squad for the match. Speaking this week, Tigers utility Joel Bowden said he almost couldn't believe the young talent that had landed at Punt Road.

"We have got five of the best kids in the land," Bowden said. "This is my 10th year and I've never seen young players come in and be so equipped to play AFL footy.

"Their selection (for tonight's game) in my eyes warrants their training performance and their dedication already."

While all the attention has been on Deledio and Tambling, hopes are every bit as high for the two sons of former Tigers guns - Raines and Roach.

Raines, the son of premiership centreman Geoff, made his debut in the final round last year and slotted into the tempo of AFL with aplomb.

The lightly-built Roach is a very different player from his goalkicking father, but showed plenty of promise in his eight games last season.

While there is plenty of cause for renewed optimism at Richmond, it is the time of the year when every club has high hopes for its young stars.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12286925%255E2722,00.html

[froars]

For so long the league's under-achievers

I know what Mr Coghlan's getting at, but what have the Swans, Saints, Cats, Dogs, Melbourne been doing the last 40 years.  Going up and down on the ladder, and just because you might make the 8 a few times or a grand final, doesn't mean you've achieved anything.  We've won 5 since any of that lot have "achieved" a bloody thing. 

Sick of this label being directed to us solely - premierships are all that matter!

[Harry]

Go get em boys.

With the introduction of the four new kids in Bling, Lids, Banjo and Meyer, along with last years kids in Harto, Jacko, Roach and Raines, and a new ruck division in Simmonds and Knobel, and the new coach and new game plan and new jumpers etc, it really is the dawn of a new beginning.  I know we've had new beginnings before but this really is something different and proper.

Let's Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

C'moooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon !!!

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall !!

[WilliamPowell]

For so long the league's under-achievers,

To under achieve you need to be rated highly I would think. Perhaps the media need to get their collective heads out of the sand and acknowledge they have over rated us for years and perhaps we have achieved what we deserved because we were crap . I know I am guilty of over-rating our list for the last few years - at about round 10 in season 2004 it was all bought home for me.

With the introduction of the four new kids in Bling, Lids, Banjo and Meyer, along with last years kids in Harto, Jacko, Roach and Raines, and a new ruck division in Simmonds and Knobel, and the new coach and new game plan and new jumpers etc, it really is the dawn of a new beginning.  I know we've had new beginnings before but this really is something different and proper.

Let's Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well said HarryH

Yep it certainly is different this time round and I for 1 cannot wait. And if we beat the Pies in the process - well as the say in the classics "How sweet it is"


GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!