barracoutta
Team Captain
this thread has been started many times (i think NQTiger) but it is heartening everytime i read this! i like to see gws and gold coast try and pull this kid away from us! i think he found his niche now and the extra attention JR8 is recieving, andy collins is certainly starting to fill in the holes.
i had to repost this after seeing the mighty grin he had after kicking one of his goals and cuz giving him a bit of a giz!
Collins Class – Article from the Melbourne Tribunal
Not long ago the average AFL supporter hadn’t even heard of Andrew Collins, with 2 years on the Richmond list and a bout of injuries Dermott Brereton would be proud of it seemed Andy Collins was certain to end up back in the Bendigo League but know he is a household name. The only reason the club kept him on was because they witnessed his determination, passion for the game and his team mates and his over all drive to succeed.
How could a number 73 draftee that did not play one single game of football in his first year survive the dreaded end of year player cull AFL clubs must do at seasons end. Francis Jackson Richmonds recruiting manager takes up the story. “ Basically we wanted to flick him but we just couldn’t. He had OP in his first year, his groins were shot but like the great race horse Take Over Target there was just something about his pedigree we could not turn our backs on.”
After surviving the cull Andy went into 2008 desperate to play Seniors, a pretty big target considering he hadn’t even played for Coburg Seniors. He started the year in the Coburg ressies and it became apparent to the coaching staff that he would be promoted to Coburg Seniors sooner rather than later. Past player Ray Hall recalls how quickly Andy became a phenomenon at Richmond. “ To see the work this kid did in his first year was amazing he has the same work ethic as your Hirds and Buckley types. The amount of time he spent in the Gym working on those massive legs was unbelievable. Having OP is a timing and management thing, you simply have to put in the work or it will plague you for your entire career. Not only did Andy do the required recovery he did so much more. Just the little things he did garnered the respect of the whole playing group. Andy did and still does 500 handballs on each hand before training but at 3 different distances and 3 different stances. He will practise the short sharp ones in front of a passing player with his left foot in front and right foot out stretched backwards, the drill hand ball that goes from 3 to 7 metres and the long racking handball 15 to 30 metres in front of a running player. He basically does 1500 handballs on each hand no fewer than 5 times a week, around the club he is known as Diesel after Greg Williams. Quite simply his handballs always go to advantage”
Once Andy hit Coburg seniors the club had him firmly on the radar to make his debut. Past Coburg and Richmond Care taker coach Jade Rawlings had this to say about Andy. “ We new he had the skills but we just couldn’t predict just how good his football brain was until we gave him time on the ball for Coburg. His ability to think his way through situations in major traffic is his best skill. He was that good in the clinches and so quick with his hands that turn overs were at a premium because the other players just couldn’t get their heads around the fact that Andy could squeeze out a centre metre perfect pass on the ground with 3 players on him and only one arm in use. I guess you could say he has Pele like abilities.”
With Richmond on the charge to finals late in 2008 and all the senior players doing their bit it was very hard for Andy to break through for his debut. There were really only 3 young players on track in 08 to have a serious chance of playing senior football Trent Cotchin, Alex Rance and Andy Collins. Only Cotchin did playing 15 games while Rance and Collins were named emergencies 3 times each. Past Richmond Coach and Spin Doctor Terry Walllace gives his account of Collins. “ When I look back now in retrospect I should of played Andy earlier. Seeing what he has done in 2009 makes me think that I was behind the 8 ball with Andy’s development and I should of backed him from round 15 onwards in 08. The decision on Cotchin was easy , Rance had the body but not the foot skills in 2008 but Collins surprised me because of his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Although he will no doubt move on and become one of the competitions elite midfielders there is no doubt in my mind we would of played finals in 2008 had I played Andy in the forward line.
Just his ability to read the play and the little things he does at stoppages that keep propelling the ball to advantage are magnificent. Basically he one of the best front and centre crummers I have ever seen. His ability to rove a pack and pump out a hand ball is second to none. I think he’ll be the next Sam Mitchell with better foot skills “
With 2008 in the can and Richmond missing the finals by half a game Wallace and his team met to discuss and analyse how could the team improve for 2009. The name that kept coming up was Collins. David King ex Kangaroo great and former assistant coach reckons Andy was very unlucky not to be a part of that push for the finals and believes that Andy would of made a big difference to the out come of the Tigers season. When asked why Andy wasn’t played Kings response was this “ I think it came down to Andy’s size and the fact that he looks like a man child. In saying that if Andy was a higher draft pick and more highly rated as a junior I have no doubt the coaching staff would of promoted him earlier.” Greg Miller former operations manager and part time recruiter remembers the first time he saw Andy play. “ We were there to watch Conners and Joel Selwood but came away shaking our heads at the commitment we saw from Andy that day. While Selwood was at the bottom of every pack and Connors was taking marks all over the ground and kicking amazing goals Andy just seemed to glide through the packs. His ability to remain focused in tight situations and his hand and foot skills were very impressive. I can’t believe he made it to pick 73. I thought for sure he’d go around the 68 mark and we were so lucky to get him.”
Not considered to be a project player because Andy has always had the skills but it was just a matter of time to let Andy the man child grow into his hulking frame and build his engine. With a 14.6 beep test result at the Victorian screening session Andy started to pop up on other clubs radars and the Richmond footy club were scared they might not get their man. Miller tells the story of the first time they interviewed Collins out on the family farm at Sandhurst. “ Me and Tan ( Terry Wallace) jumped in the car one Sunday to go and meet Andy in person and find out if he had what it takes between the ears to become a professional footballer , what we found out that day was a huge surprise.
We rocked up and being old school I instantly handed Andy 2 business shirts and Richmond tracksuit while he introduced us to his parents. Upon walking into the house we noticed that all the walls were painted yellow and black. The Collins had the Richmond theme song on the door bell, and Mr Collins even had a yellow commodore vacationer and had just bought Andy a yellow Gemini. Andys bedroom had no less than 12 posters of Richo on the walls and a heap of old school ones of Maurice Rioli , Robert Wiley, Scotty Turner and a signed one of Trevor Poole.
Andys parents sat us down and asked us about living arrangements for Andy if we drafted him and what sort of extra study he could do in case he got injured. After we went through that we had plenty of questions to ask Andy. We soon realized how committed this kid was to playing AFL and to the Richmond Football Club. Andy made it clear to us that he wanted to play no less than 300 games of football and become a Richmond and AFL life member and Captain the club for the bulk of his career. He passed our suduko challenge in record time so we knew he could keep his head in the game for 4 quarters. He showed us the well out the backyard that his dad had made him pump water from manually every day after school for 12 years to build strength into those huge shoulders of his. He took us down to the barn to show us the gym he had built years ago to help him chase his AFL dream. When we looked around inside we just could not believe our eyes. Andy had been using old cordial bottles full of sand as weights. He had a boxing bag he found at the tip with a big picture of Barry Hall stuck to it hanging in the middle of the barn but what was most impressive was the vast array of 1970’s ab crunches , stretch machines and magnetic belts he had picked up at garage sales in the area. There were also a large pile of wet towels over in the corner which Andy used for resistance training. Quite simply Tan and I made the decision to draft the kid on the spot. “
2009 was the arrival of Andy Collins and he debuted in round 4 against Melbourne. Racking up 20 touches and kicking 2 goals the Tigers fans were in frenzy as the start of the season had been so ordinary. Collins gave the club something to look forward to as at the final siren the Tigers were 0 and 4. With Wallace persisting with older players well past their used by dates Collins was a breath of fresh air and his enthusiasm was wearing off on his team mates as they tried to turn their season around. The following round against North the Tigers broke the drought and Collins proved to be the catalyst for the win. Unfortunately the club went on to have the worst season ever and the performances of new comers Andy Collins, Ty Vickory and Robin Nahas have gone along way to prevent Richmond supporters slitting their wrists. Collins went on to average 19.1 possessions a game and nearly kick a goal a game (Daniel Rich 2009 Nab Rising Star averaged 17.7 desposals). His energy is infectious and the club might ad him to their leadership program this pre season. He has 290 more games to play for the Tigers before he retires and has his eye on breaking a few records along the way. It would be a guess that his resistance training with those wet towels has and will put him in good sted for the future.
i had to repost this after seeing the mighty grin he had after kicking one of his goals and cuz giving him a bit of a giz!
Collins Class – Article from the Melbourne Tribunal
Not long ago the average AFL supporter hadn’t even heard of Andrew Collins, with 2 years on the Richmond list and a bout of injuries Dermott Brereton would be proud of it seemed Andy Collins was certain to end up back in the Bendigo League but know he is a household name. The only reason the club kept him on was because they witnessed his determination, passion for the game and his team mates and his over all drive to succeed.
How could a number 73 draftee that did not play one single game of football in his first year survive the dreaded end of year player cull AFL clubs must do at seasons end. Francis Jackson Richmonds recruiting manager takes up the story. “ Basically we wanted to flick him but we just couldn’t. He had OP in his first year, his groins were shot but like the great race horse Take Over Target there was just something about his pedigree we could not turn our backs on.”
After surviving the cull Andy went into 2008 desperate to play Seniors, a pretty big target considering he hadn’t even played for Coburg Seniors. He started the year in the Coburg ressies and it became apparent to the coaching staff that he would be promoted to Coburg Seniors sooner rather than later. Past player Ray Hall recalls how quickly Andy became a phenomenon at Richmond. “ To see the work this kid did in his first year was amazing he has the same work ethic as your Hirds and Buckley types. The amount of time he spent in the Gym working on those massive legs was unbelievable. Having OP is a timing and management thing, you simply have to put in the work or it will plague you for your entire career. Not only did Andy do the required recovery he did so much more. Just the little things he did garnered the respect of the whole playing group. Andy did and still does 500 handballs on each hand before training but at 3 different distances and 3 different stances. He will practise the short sharp ones in front of a passing player with his left foot in front and right foot out stretched backwards, the drill hand ball that goes from 3 to 7 metres and the long racking handball 15 to 30 metres in front of a running player. He basically does 1500 handballs on each hand no fewer than 5 times a week, around the club he is known as Diesel after Greg Williams. Quite simply his handballs always go to advantage”
Once Andy hit Coburg seniors the club had him firmly on the radar to make his debut. Past Coburg and Richmond Care taker coach Jade Rawlings had this to say about Andy. “ We new he had the skills but we just couldn’t predict just how good his football brain was until we gave him time on the ball for Coburg. His ability to think his way through situations in major traffic is his best skill. He was that good in the clinches and so quick with his hands that turn overs were at a premium because the other players just couldn’t get their heads around the fact that Andy could squeeze out a centre metre perfect pass on the ground with 3 players on him and only one arm in use. I guess you could say he has Pele like abilities.”
With Richmond on the charge to finals late in 2008 and all the senior players doing their bit it was very hard for Andy to break through for his debut. There were really only 3 young players on track in 08 to have a serious chance of playing senior football Trent Cotchin, Alex Rance and Andy Collins. Only Cotchin did playing 15 games while Rance and Collins were named emergencies 3 times each. Past Richmond Coach and Spin Doctor Terry Walllace gives his account of Collins. “ When I look back now in retrospect I should of played Andy earlier. Seeing what he has done in 2009 makes me think that I was behind the 8 ball with Andy’s development and I should of backed him from round 15 onwards in 08. The decision on Cotchin was easy , Rance had the body but not the foot skills in 2008 but Collins surprised me because of his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Although he will no doubt move on and become one of the competitions elite midfielders there is no doubt in my mind we would of played finals in 2008 had I played Andy in the forward line.
Just his ability to read the play and the little things he does at stoppages that keep propelling the ball to advantage are magnificent. Basically he one of the best front and centre crummers I have ever seen. His ability to rove a pack and pump out a hand ball is second to none. I think he’ll be the next Sam Mitchell with better foot skills “
With 2008 in the can and Richmond missing the finals by half a game Wallace and his team met to discuss and analyse how could the team improve for 2009. The name that kept coming up was Collins. David King ex Kangaroo great and former assistant coach reckons Andy was very unlucky not to be a part of that push for the finals and believes that Andy would of made a big difference to the out come of the Tigers season. When asked why Andy wasn’t played Kings response was this “ I think it came down to Andy’s size and the fact that he looks like a man child. In saying that if Andy was a higher draft pick and more highly rated as a junior I have no doubt the coaching staff would of promoted him earlier.” Greg Miller former operations manager and part time recruiter remembers the first time he saw Andy play. “ We were there to watch Conners and Joel Selwood but came away shaking our heads at the commitment we saw from Andy that day. While Selwood was at the bottom of every pack and Connors was taking marks all over the ground and kicking amazing goals Andy just seemed to glide through the packs. His ability to remain focused in tight situations and his hand and foot skills were very impressive. I can’t believe he made it to pick 73. I thought for sure he’d go around the 68 mark and we were so lucky to get him.”
Not considered to be a project player because Andy has always had the skills but it was just a matter of time to let Andy the man child grow into his hulking frame and build his engine. With a 14.6 beep test result at the Victorian screening session Andy started to pop up on other clubs radars and the Richmond footy club were scared they might not get their man. Miller tells the story of the first time they interviewed Collins out on the family farm at Sandhurst. “ Me and Tan ( Terry Wallace) jumped in the car one Sunday to go and meet Andy in person and find out if he had what it takes between the ears to become a professional footballer , what we found out that day was a huge surprise.
We rocked up and being old school I instantly handed Andy 2 business shirts and Richmond tracksuit while he introduced us to his parents. Upon walking into the house we noticed that all the walls were painted yellow and black. The Collins had the Richmond theme song on the door bell, and Mr Collins even had a yellow commodore vacationer and had just bought Andy a yellow Gemini. Andys bedroom had no less than 12 posters of Richo on the walls and a heap of old school ones of Maurice Rioli , Robert Wiley, Scotty Turner and a signed one of Trevor Poole.
Andys parents sat us down and asked us about living arrangements for Andy if we drafted him and what sort of extra study he could do in case he got injured. After we went through that we had plenty of questions to ask Andy. We soon realized how committed this kid was to playing AFL and to the Richmond Football Club. Andy made it clear to us that he wanted to play no less than 300 games of football and become a Richmond and AFL life member and Captain the club for the bulk of his career. He passed our suduko challenge in record time so we knew he could keep his head in the game for 4 quarters. He showed us the well out the backyard that his dad had made him pump water from manually every day after school for 12 years to build strength into those huge shoulders of his. He took us down to the barn to show us the gym he had built years ago to help him chase his AFL dream. When we looked around inside we just could not believe our eyes. Andy had been using old cordial bottles full of sand as weights. He had a boxing bag he found at the tip with a big picture of Barry Hall stuck to it hanging in the middle of the barn but what was most impressive was the vast array of 1970’s ab crunches , stretch machines and magnetic belts he had picked up at garage sales in the area. There were also a large pile of wet towels over in the corner which Andy used for resistance training. Quite simply Tan and I made the decision to draft the kid on the spot. “
2009 was the arrival of Andy Collins and he debuted in round 4 against Melbourne. Racking up 20 touches and kicking 2 goals the Tigers fans were in frenzy as the start of the season had been so ordinary. Collins gave the club something to look forward to as at the final siren the Tigers were 0 and 4. With Wallace persisting with older players well past their used by dates Collins was a breath of fresh air and his enthusiasm was wearing off on his team mates as they tried to turn their season around. The following round against North the Tigers broke the drought and Collins proved to be the catalyst for the win. Unfortunately the club went on to have the worst season ever and the performances of new comers Andy Collins, Ty Vickory and Robin Nahas have gone along way to prevent Richmond supporters slitting their wrists. Collins went on to average 19.1 possessions a game and nearly kick a goal a game (Daniel Rich 2009 Nab Rising Star averaged 17.7 desposals). His energy is infectious and the club might ad him to their leadership program this pre season. He has 290 more games to play for the Tigers before he retires and has his eye on breaking a few records along the way. It would be a guess that his resistance training with those wet towels has and will put him in good sted for the future.
