napsyd
Club Legend
- Joined
- May 17, 2002
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Mark Ricciuto thoughts....
matthew robran
afc.com.au
12:43:12 PM Wed 23 April, 2003
Were you happy with the side’s effort last weekend?
It was a good effort. West Coast are an improving side and a team that I think will take part in this year’s finals so a five goal win was a pleasing result.
The first half was very tight. What was the pressure like on the ground?
Both sides put plenty of pressure on each other and as a result the skill level of both sides was probably down a bit. Both teams turned the ball over on a few occasions in the first half because of the pressure, and the closeness of the contest was indicated on the scoreboard (one point lead to west Coast at half time).
Where did you see the improvement in the second half (scoring ten goals to four)?
We certainly tidied up our skill level and started using the ball a lot better and our big blokes started to dominate the ruck, which meant we were able to take control of the stoppages. The side lifted its intensity and continually pressured West Coast into making errors. Some individual brilliance by ‘Macca’ in the third quarter helped our cause as well.
The depth of the midfield seems to give the side more flexibility, as demonstrated on the weekend with ‘Macca’ and yourself playing up forward and kicking goals.
Having several players who can rotate through the midfield is a great advantage to the side. This year Chris Ladhams, Brent Reilly and Jason Torney have shown that they are capable of playing on-ball and these players have added more depth to our midfield stocks. As these players have shown their capabilities, it relieves some pressure on the likes of Goodwin, McLeod, Bickley and Edwards.
Showdown XIII is this Saturday. What is it like to be involved in Crows-Power clash?
Playing in a Showdown is probably the closest match you could get to an AFL Final. Both sides play with tremendous passion and it really is ‘last man standing’ at the final siren. The pressure and intensity which both sides play with is enormous and all players give their all to make sure their side has a win. We haven’t won a Showdown for a couple of years, so the players are determined to win back the ‘bragging rights’.
What areas will the side need to improve on from last week’s match?
If we minimize our ball handling errors we won’t turn the footy over and give Port easy possessions which will assist our guys in the back half and I think our entries into the forward line need to be cleaner which will give our forwards a better opportunity to take marks and kick goals.
Where do you see Port’s strengths?
Port are a very balanced side all over the ground and even without some of their key players (Primus, Francou and Dew) they will still be a formidable opponent. The Burgoyne brothers up forward are in good form as is Nick Stevens who has started the season well. They have a stable defence and a strong midfield. It will be a tremendous challenge for the side, however I feel we have prepared well and are confident of a good showing.
What do think is required from the team to come away with a win?
We’ve got to play as well as we possibly can and we will need to minimise the turnovers and the errors that crept into our game at times last week. We will need to be as efficient as possible at the stoppages and be cleaner with entries into the forward 50.
Your last thoughts on Showdown XIII.
Every Showdown I have played in has been very physical with heaps of pressure and I expect that this game will be no different. We have won our last two matches and will looking to keep our momentum going forward.
matthew robran
afc.com.au
12:43:12 PM Wed 23 April, 2003
Were you happy with the side’s effort last weekend?
It was a good effort. West Coast are an improving side and a team that I think will take part in this year’s finals so a five goal win was a pleasing result.
The first half was very tight. What was the pressure like on the ground?
Both sides put plenty of pressure on each other and as a result the skill level of both sides was probably down a bit. Both teams turned the ball over on a few occasions in the first half because of the pressure, and the closeness of the contest was indicated on the scoreboard (one point lead to west Coast at half time).
Where did you see the improvement in the second half (scoring ten goals to four)?
We certainly tidied up our skill level and started using the ball a lot better and our big blokes started to dominate the ruck, which meant we were able to take control of the stoppages. The side lifted its intensity and continually pressured West Coast into making errors. Some individual brilliance by ‘Macca’ in the third quarter helped our cause as well.
The depth of the midfield seems to give the side more flexibility, as demonstrated on the weekend with ‘Macca’ and yourself playing up forward and kicking goals.
Having several players who can rotate through the midfield is a great advantage to the side. This year Chris Ladhams, Brent Reilly and Jason Torney have shown that they are capable of playing on-ball and these players have added more depth to our midfield stocks. As these players have shown their capabilities, it relieves some pressure on the likes of Goodwin, McLeod, Bickley and Edwards.
Showdown XIII is this Saturday. What is it like to be involved in Crows-Power clash?
Playing in a Showdown is probably the closest match you could get to an AFL Final. Both sides play with tremendous passion and it really is ‘last man standing’ at the final siren. The pressure and intensity which both sides play with is enormous and all players give their all to make sure their side has a win. We haven’t won a Showdown for a couple of years, so the players are determined to win back the ‘bragging rights’.
What areas will the side need to improve on from last week’s match?
If we minimize our ball handling errors we won’t turn the footy over and give Port easy possessions which will assist our guys in the back half and I think our entries into the forward line need to be cleaner which will give our forwards a better opportunity to take marks and kick goals.
Where do you see Port’s strengths?
Port are a very balanced side all over the ground and even without some of their key players (Primus, Francou and Dew) they will still be a formidable opponent. The Burgoyne brothers up forward are in good form as is Nick Stevens who has started the season well. They have a stable defence and a strong midfield. It will be a tremendous challenge for the side, however I feel we have prepared well and are confident of a good showing.
What do think is required from the team to come away with a win?
We’ve got to play as well as we possibly can and we will need to minimise the turnovers and the errors that crept into our game at times last week. We will need to be as efficient as possible at the stoppages and be cleaner with entries into the forward 50.
Your last thoughts on Showdown XIII.
Every Showdown I have played in has been very physical with heaps of pressure and I expect that this game will be no different. We have won our last two matches and will looking to keep our momentum going forward.
