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I want a flag: Campbell
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
2:01:29 PM Tue 1 October, 2002
Richmond skipper Wayne Campbell admits he would be willing to swap his four Jack Dyer Medals for the chance to be part of an AFL premiership team after another disappointing season ended in more individual accolades for the durable midfielder.
Campbell etched his name in Richmond history on Monday night by claiming his fourth best and fairest award with only dual Brownlow Medalist Roy Wright, Tigers’ games’ record holder Kevin Bartlett and the great Dyer himself having won as many club champion awards.
But echoing the thoughts of Collingwood skipper Nathan Buckley after he was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for best player in a losing grand final – Campbell said he was now desperate for some team success.
Despite his four best and fairest awards as well as finishing runner-up on three other occasions – Campbell has played in just two winning finals matches in his 12 year career and is still yet to even play in a grand final let alone win one.
“Obviously it (the best and fairest award) is something you’re really proud of,” Campbell told afl.com.au immediately after his win.
“But I came second in the best and fairest in my second year (in 1992) and we didn’t have any success then and I thought that’s okay because the success will come later over time but it hasn’t.”
“At this stage of my career it’s about team success and I would swap the four best and fairests for a premiership any day.”
Campbell polled 275 votes to easily win the Jack Dyer Medal from Matthew Richardson who finished second on 229 votes despite playing only 13 games for the season.
And in a major surprise 20-year-old Mark Coughlan, in only his second AFL season, finished third with 226 votes despite playing only 16 games for the season.
And it was Coughlan’s great effort that gives Campbell hope for a brighter future for the Tigers.
“He (Coughlan) has been the player we’ve needed for a couple of years - a real hard in and under player,” Campbell said.
“At the start of the year we sort of identified him as that player and to see him come through and the way he went about it was pretty exciting.”
And Campbell would love nothing more than to see Coughlan win the Jack Dyer Medal next year because it would mean the Tigers would probably improve as a side as a result.
“I think it’s time one of the younger guys won it,” Campbell said. “We just need those young guys to step up and put their stamp on the club.”
Campbell admitted he felt “humbled” to have won the same amount of club champion awards as Roy Wright and only one fewer than Bartlett and two less than the immortal Dyer.
In fact the Tigers’ skipper said he was embarrassed to be in such company.
“I’m humbled and very, very uncomfortable to be in that sort of company,” he said.
“Roy Wright is a dual Brownlow Medalist and one of the more revered characters at Tigerland and obviously the other two are Richmond.”
“So I’m certainly not in their league.”
However Richmond coach Danny Frawley was one of the first to re-assure the modest Campbell that he fully deserved the status that comes with being a four-time club champion.
“He is going to go down as one of the greats of the Richmond footy club,” Frawley said.
“There’s only so much you can do and he does it every week so you have to take your hat off to him.”
Paul Gough
afl.com.au
2:01:29 PM Tue 1 October, 2002
Richmond skipper Wayne Campbell admits he would be willing to swap his four Jack Dyer Medals for the chance to be part of an AFL premiership team after another disappointing season ended in more individual accolades for the durable midfielder.
Campbell etched his name in Richmond history on Monday night by claiming his fourth best and fairest award with only dual Brownlow Medalist Roy Wright, Tigers’ games’ record holder Kevin Bartlett and the great Dyer himself having won as many club champion awards.
But echoing the thoughts of Collingwood skipper Nathan Buckley after he was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for best player in a losing grand final – Campbell said he was now desperate for some team success.
Despite his four best and fairest awards as well as finishing runner-up on three other occasions – Campbell has played in just two winning finals matches in his 12 year career and is still yet to even play in a grand final let alone win one.
“Obviously it (the best and fairest award) is something you’re really proud of,” Campbell told afl.com.au immediately after his win.
“But I came second in the best and fairest in my second year (in 1992) and we didn’t have any success then and I thought that’s okay because the success will come later over time but it hasn’t.”
“At this stage of my career it’s about team success and I would swap the four best and fairests for a premiership any day.”
Campbell polled 275 votes to easily win the Jack Dyer Medal from Matthew Richardson who finished second on 229 votes despite playing only 13 games for the season.
And in a major surprise 20-year-old Mark Coughlan, in only his second AFL season, finished third with 226 votes despite playing only 16 games for the season.
And it was Coughlan’s great effort that gives Campbell hope for a brighter future for the Tigers.
“He (Coughlan) has been the player we’ve needed for a couple of years - a real hard in and under player,” Campbell said.
“At the start of the year we sort of identified him as that player and to see him come through and the way he went about it was pretty exciting.”
And Campbell would love nothing more than to see Coughlan win the Jack Dyer Medal next year because it would mean the Tigers would probably improve as a side as a result.
“I think it’s time one of the younger guys won it,” Campbell said. “We just need those young guys to step up and put their stamp on the club.”
Campbell admitted he felt “humbled” to have won the same amount of club champion awards as Roy Wright and only one fewer than Bartlett and two less than the immortal Dyer.
In fact the Tigers’ skipper said he was embarrassed to be in such company.
“I’m humbled and very, very uncomfortable to be in that sort of company,” he said.
“Roy Wright is a dual Brownlow Medalist and one of the more revered characters at Tigerland and obviously the other two are Richmond.”
“So I’m certainly not in their league.”
However Richmond coach Danny Frawley was one of the first to re-assure the modest Campbell that he fully deserved the status that comes with being a four-time club champion.
“He is going to go down as one of the greats of the Richmond footy club,” Frawley said.
“There’s only so much you can do and he does it every week so you have to take your hat off to him.”
