Send Campbell up forward
3:43:37 PM Mon 30 May, 2005
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au
As Richmond coach Terry Wallace begins to plan for life without Nathan Brown he could do a lot worse than to summon former skipper Wayne Campbell to the rescue.
While Brown's vast array of talents means he is virtually irreplaceable, Campbell would certainly be capable of playing as the Tigers' medium-sized forward alongside the giant trio of Matthew Richardson, Troy Simmonds and Greg Stafford.
The 32-year-old, who could be in the final season of his magnificent career at Punt Road, has been used off the bench this year as he no longer commands a starting place in a midfield led by the new generation of skipper Kane Johnson, Mark Coughlan, Shane Tuck and Brett Deledio.
So why not play Campbell as a permanent forward for the rest of the season to ensure the Tigers' impressive strikepower this season - they are the league's fifth heaviest scorers - does not drop off too markedly in Brown's absence.
While Campbell alone could not cover for Brown - whose 34 goals so far made him the second highest goalscorer in the competition before he sustained his shocking leg injury on Friday night - the former skipper is more than capable of kicking goals on a regular basis.
Although Campbell has booted only 165 goals in 285 games that is mainly because he has spent most of his career in midfield and often has had to drift backwards rather than forward to help out the Tigers' defence in what for most of his career has been a struggling team.
But the four-time best and fairest winner has a lot going for him in terms of playing as a forward.
While he is not capable of kicking the kind of freakish ground-level goals that Brown can - virtually no-one in the AFL can - Campbell is a strong mark on the lead and a great set shot for goal.
He is a player that just like Brown makes the most of his opportunities and he is also capable, just like Brown, of bringing other players into the game on the forward line because he rarely wastes a possession.
And Campbell's other great asset is just like Brown he is an on-field leader and stationing him alongside Richardson for the rest of the season could also have a positive effect on the Tigers' other proven match-winner, who will now carry even more responsibility with Brown sidelined.
Campbell and Richardson have been teammates for 12 years and the former skipper is so often a steadying influence on his close mate.
When Richardson has the occasional brain fade by thinking of playing on when within kicking distance for goal after marking, it has often been Campbell who has been alongside him urging him to take his time and have a shot and this is a role he could fulfil even better if he was playing in a forward pocket alongside Richardson.
While Campbell, whose greatest bag of goals in a game (four) came against this week's opponent West Coast at the MCG in 2002, can provide another marking target in attack - the Tigers will also need a lift from their small forwards if they are to cover Brown's absence for the rest of the season and maintain their current top four standing.
In particular Kayne Pettifer and Andrew Krakouer will have to kick more goals with Pettifer having already showed signs of big improvement this year.
Pettifer is third on the Tigers' goals tally this year with 14 - after having kicked just five last year when his place on the list was under threat - while Krakouer is next with 13.
But those two will need to kick at least three goals between them a week if the Tigers are to cope without a player who has not only scored the most goals for the club this year but has also had the equal most kicks, the third most marks and the fourth most disposals for Richmond so far in 2005.
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=206169
3:43:37 PM Mon 30 May, 2005
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au
As Richmond coach Terry Wallace begins to plan for life without Nathan Brown he could do a lot worse than to summon former skipper Wayne Campbell to the rescue.
While Brown's vast array of talents means he is virtually irreplaceable, Campbell would certainly be capable of playing as the Tigers' medium-sized forward alongside the giant trio of Matthew Richardson, Troy Simmonds and Greg Stafford.
The 32-year-old, who could be in the final season of his magnificent career at Punt Road, has been used off the bench this year as he no longer commands a starting place in a midfield led by the new generation of skipper Kane Johnson, Mark Coughlan, Shane Tuck and Brett Deledio.
So why not play Campbell as a permanent forward for the rest of the season to ensure the Tigers' impressive strikepower this season - they are the league's fifth heaviest scorers - does not drop off too markedly in Brown's absence.
While Campbell alone could not cover for Brown - whose 34 goals so far made him the second highest goalscorer in the competition before he sustained his shocking leg injury on Friday night - the former skipper is more than capable of kicking goals on a regular basis.
Although Campbell has booted only 165 goals in 285 games that is mainly because he has spent most of his career in midfield and often has had to drift backwards rather than forward to help out the Tigers' defence in what for most of his career has been a struggling team.
But the four-time best and fairest winner has a lot going for him in terms of playing as a forward.
While he is not capable of kicking the kind of freakish ground-level goals that Brown can - virtually no-one in the AFL can - Campbell is a strong mark on the lead and a great set shot for goal.
He is a player that just like Brown makes the most of his opportunities and he is also capable, just like Brown, of bringing other players into the game on the forward line because he rarely wastes a possession.
And Campbell's other great asset is just like Brown he is an on-field leader and stationing him alongside Richardson for the rest of the season could also have a positive effect on the Tigers' other proven match-winner, who will now carry even more responsibility with Brown sidelined.
Campbell and Richardson have been teammates for 12 years and the former skipper is so often a steadying influence on his close mate.
When Richardson has the occasional brain fade by thinking of playing on when within kicking distance for goal after marking, it has often been Campbell who has been alongside him urging him to take his time and have a shot and this is a role he could fulfil even better if he was playing in a forward pocket alongside Richardson.
While Campbell, whose greatest bag of goals in a game (four) came against this week's opponent West Coast at the MCG in 2002, can provide another marking target in attack - the Tigers will also need a lift from their small forwards if they are to cover Brown's absence for the rest of the season and maintain their current top four standing.
In particular Kayne Pettifer and Andrew Krakouer will have to kick more goals with Pettifer having already showed signs of big improvement this year.
Pettifer is third on the Tigers' goals tally this year with 14 - after having kicked just five last year when his place on the list was under threat - while Krakouer is next with 13.
But those two will need to kick at least three goals between them a week if the Tigers are to cope without a player who has not only scored the most goals for the club this year but has also had the equal most kicks, the third most marks and the fourth most disposals for Richmond so far in 2005.
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=206169
