Pleeeease God, just let him get on the park!!
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http://collingwoodfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=243630
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Richards ready to roll
8:31:54 AM Thu 26 January, 2006
Angus Morgan
Sportal for afl.com.au
Fourteen senior appearances are all that ruckman Guy Richards has to show for five injury-riddled years at Collingwood and, by his own admission, it's not a great return.
A debilitating kidney complaint followed by ankle, knee, groin and hip injuries have tested Richards' - and the club's - resolve in ways they never imagined when he was drafted as a 17 year-old 200cm beanpole weighing a mere 78kg from Eastern Ranges back in 2000.
Now fitter, stronger and - at 98kg - heavier than ever, and coming off a solid pre-season, Richards is looking forward to living up to his potential and imposing himself in elite company on a consistent basis.
"I don't want to just play the game, I want to get out there and have a fair impact on the game which I'm capable of doing. That's my main goal for the year - to get out and have a crack," Richards said.
"Fitness-wise I'm probably a little bit underdone - I've been carrying an achilles injury - but I'm over that now and in full training. I've been training since we got back from the break.
"But compared to what I've had, I'm pretty well-placed and I'm just looking forward to a big year."
The football world got a glimpse of Richards' potential back in 2004 when he assumed the mantle of first ruck at Collingwood, allowing Josh Fraser to be shifted forward.
Over the course of 12 matches he improved with every outing, proving to be mobile, aggressive, fond of a grab and highly adept at directing play at the stoppages.
Then he was struck down by a case of the dreaded osteitis pubis which ended his season there and then and reverberated into 2005 through a hip complaint which kept him sidelined for all but two matches.
"The osteitis pubis triggered-off my hips - probably made my hips pretty weak. You can't run or do much - you've just got to wait for it to heal," he said.
"My hip was probably related to the osteitis pubis - there was a lot of weakness around the hip - but I've done a lot of core work this year to strengthen my core and hopefully the hip doesn't come back.
"It feels great at the moment and I don’t think it's going to come back but I've just got to stay on top of it."
In Richards' absence last season, the Magpies turned to David Fanning and Brent Hall to share the ruck load and the young pair showed plenty of promise.
With the likes of Cameron Cloke and Fraser also in the big man mix Richards, who turns 23 in March, knows it will be a battle to re-establish his place at the top of the pecking order.
"There's always a bit of competition and you like the competition - you don't want it to be easy. I'm quite happy to take on the challenge," he said.
"I would prefer to have the competition than no competition. It will be an interesting year but I believe that competition brings out the best in me so I'm looking forward to it."
While Collingwood supporters have been talking up the club's 2006 prospects with the return to action of Anthony Rocca, Chris Tarrant, Josh Fraser, Rhyce Shaw and Alan Didak - all of whom were either sidelined for extended periods or failed to see out the season last year - there's not been much said about Richards.
And that's exactly how he likes it.
"I'm more than happy to sneak in under the radar; the pressure doesn’t come on that way. When there's not much said it's even better. I'm just looking forward to getting out there to hit some bodies."
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http://collingwoodfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=243630
------------------------
Richards ready to roll
8:31:54 AM Thu 26 January, 2006
Angus Morgan
Sportal for afl.com.au
Fourteen senior appearances are all that ruckman Guy Richards has to show for five injury-riddled years at Collingwood and, by his own admission, it's not a great return.
A debilitating kidney complaint followed by ankle, knee, groin and hip injuries have tested Richards' - and the club's - resolve in ways they never imagined when he was drafted as a 17 year-old 200cm beanpole weighing a mere 78kg from Eastern Ranges back in 2000.
Now fitter, stronger and - at 98kg - heavier than ever, and coming off a solid pre-season, Richards is looking forward to living up to his potential and imposing himself in elite company on a consistent basis.
"I don't want to just play the game, I want to get out there and have a fair impact on the game which I'm capable of doing. That's my main goal for the year - to get out and have a crack," Richards said.
"Fitness-wise I'm probably a little bit underdone - I've been carrying an achilles injury - but I'm over that now and in full training. I've been training since we got back from the break.
"But compared to what I've had, I'm pretty well-placed and I'm just looking forward to a big year."
The football world got a glimpse of Richards' potential back in 2004 when he assumed the mantle of first ruck at Collingwood, allowing Josh Fraser to be shifted forward.
Over the course of 12 matches he improved with every outing, proving to be mobile, aggressive, fond of a grab and highly adept at directing play at the stoppages.
Then he was struck down by a case of the dreaded osteitis pubis which ended his season there and then and reverberated into 2005 through a hip complaint which kept him sidelined for all but two matches.
"The osteitis pubis triggered-off my hips - probably made my hips pretty weak. You can't run or do much - you've just got to wait for it to heal," he said.
"My hip was probably related to the osteitis pubis - there was a lot of weakness around the hip - but I've done a lot of core work this year to strengthen my core and hopefully the hip doesn't come back.
"It feels great at the moment and I don’t think it's going to come back but I've just got to stay on top of it."
In Richards' absence last season, the Magpies turned to David Fanning and Brent Hall to share the ruck load and the young pair showed plenty of promise.
With the likes of Cameron Cloke and Fraser also in the big man mix Richards, who turns 23 in March, knows it will be a battle to re-establish his place at the top of the pecking order.
"There's always a bit of competition and you like the competition - you don't want it to be easy. I'm quite happy to take on the challenge," he said.
"I would prefer to have the competition than no competition. It will be an interesting year but I believe that competition brings out the best in me so I'm looking forward to it."
While Collingwood supporters have been talking up the club's 2006 prospects with the return to action of Anthony Rocca, Chris Tarrant, Josh Fraser, Rhyce Shaw and Alan Didak - all of whom were either sidelined for extended periods or failed to see out the season last year - there's not been much said about Richards.
And that's exactly how he likes it.
"I'm more than happy to sneak in under the radar; the pressure doesn’t come on that way. When there's not much said it's even better. I'm just looking forward to getting out there to hit some bodies."
