Tigers to have a crack: Frawley
11:32:45 AM Thu 19 February, 2004
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
Richmond coach Danny Frawley believes the Tigers’ number one priority for the Wizard Home Loans Cup is for the players to have a genuine crack in the competition and anything else that comes their way is a bonus for the club.
Speaking at the Tigers’ morning training session at Punt Rd on Thursday, Frawley indicated that the players were eager for the season opener against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, after a dismal 2003 season.
“We just want to be competitive. We obviously didn’t play that well last year, so we just want to make sure that we’ve got 24 fit guys and a lot of young guys out there are going to relish the contest,” Frawley said.
“We’re probably more advanced in our preparation than what we were last year, so we’re keen to put our best foot forward. We think our preparation’s been spot on so we haven’t taken anyone into the game with any doubt of injury.”
“We’ve been training now for four months so the guys are keen to get out there and compete against the opposition.”
Frawley said gun recruit Nathan Brown would line up for the first time against his former club.
“He’s been a great player for the Bulldogs and he’s going to be a great player for us, so I think it’s a good opportunity to get that one out of the road nice and early,” Frawley said of Brown.
Along with Brown, Frawley said that several other new players would be included in the squad – Tom Roach, Shane Morrison, Luke Weller, Ben Marsh, Simon Fletcher and Shane Tuck, but superstar forward Matthew Richardson would be rested.
“He suffered a little bit of a knock to the knee last Friday. He trained really well this morning, so he’s on track to play next week,” Frawley said on Richardson.
Meanwhile, Frawley said he was ‘excited’ about the continuation and introduction of several new rules for the Wizard Cup, adding that the ‘five messages a quarter’ rule would allow the club’s leaders to take further responsibilities.
“It’s probably a good opportunity for our leaders to show the way out there and make some moves out on the ground because five messages in AFL football can get delivered very quickly – some quicker than others.”
“But look, that’s something all of the coaches have to be aware of and obviously when the sixth one comes out – and you want to get it out – there is a free kick given to the opposition, so it can be pretty costly.”
“The players are going to have to coach themselves a little bit out there and basically that’s what they do anyway.”
And when asked how Frawley would use his ‘five messages a quarter’, he said he had ‘no plan whatsoever’.
11:32:45 AM Thu 19 February, 2004
Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
Richmond coach Danny Frawley believes the Tigers’ number one priority for the Wizard Home Loans Cup is for the players to have a genuine crack in the competition and anything else that comes their way is a bonus for the club.
Speaking at the Tigers’ morning training session at Punt Rd on Thursday, Frawley indicated that the players were eager for the season opener against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, after a dismal 2003 season.
“We just want to be competitive. We obviously didn’t play that well last year, so we just want to make sure that we’ve got 24 fit guys and a lot of young guys out there are going to relish the contest,” Frawley said.
“We’re probably more advanced in our preparation than what we were last year, so we’re keen to put our best foot forward. We think our preparation’s been spot on so we haven’t taken anyone into the game with any doubt of injury.”
“We’ve been training now for four months so the guys are keen to get out there and compete against the opposition.”
Frawley said gun recruit Nathan Brown would line up for the first time against his former club.
“He’s been a great player for the Bulldogs and he’s going to be a great player for us, so I think it’s a good opportunity to get that one out of the road nice and early,” Frawley said of Brown.
Along with Brown, Frawley said that several other new players would be included in the squad – Tom Roach, Shane Morrison, Luke Weller, Ben Marsh, Simon Fletcher and Shane Tuck, but superstar forward Matthew Richardson would be rested.
“He suffered a little bit of a knock to the knee last Friday. He trained really well this morning, so he’s on track to play next week,” Frawley said on Richardson.
Meanwhile, Frawley said he was ‘excited’ about the continuation and introduction of several new rules for the Wizard Cup, adding that the ‘five messages a quarter’ rule would allow the club’s leaders to take further responsibilities.
“It’s probably a good opportunity for our leaders to show the way out there and make some moves out on the ground because five messages in AFL football can get delivered very quickly – some quicker than others.”
“But look, that’s something all of the coaches have to be aware of and obviously when the sixth one comes out – and you want to get it out – there is a free kick given to the opposition, so it can be pretty costly.”
“The players are going to have to coach themselves a little bit out there and basically that’s what they do anyway.”
And when asked how Frawley would use his ‘five messages a quarter’, he said he had ‘no plan whatsoever’.
