Five day break no problem: Frawley
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
12:25:52 PM Fri 25 April, 2003
Richmond coach Danny Frawley believes his team has handled its five-day break well and is set to consolidate its strong start to the season when it meets Hawthorn on Saturday.
After beating St Kilda in round four, the Tigers' third straight win, the squad has managed the quick turnaround by completing modified training over the last few days.
“The boys have been really professional about it. Our conditioning staff have been (too). We’ve known about this since October 5 when the draw came out. Brisbane were able to do it last week, so that gives us a lot of confidence,” Frawley said before his side’s final run on Friday morning.
“We’re really looking forward to tomorrow’s game, and the boys will have a session today and we’ve made one change, one forced change. It’s great to see Andy Krakouer back. He’ll add a bit of freshness around the packs.”
Krakouer injured his knee in a Richmond intra-club match, and has played for VFL side Coburg for the last three weeks.
After winning three consecutive matches, Frawley said he had attempted to manage the team’s enthusiasm by encouraging his players to maintain their intensity, and approach this week’s match as a new beginning.
“It’s a new ball game. The intensity levels will have to be there, like they have been for three and a half weeks. We’ve played three and half (games) of pretty good football. We played an ordinary half of football out of four (games),” Frawley said.
“We know what makes us a good team. And that’s when we’re in and under and really making the opposition earn every kick and I think that’s been a real positive of our group, to know that we want to force the opposition to compete.”
Frawley forecast a big match for star spearhead Matthew Richardson, who returned to the side last week after having surgery to repair a fractured cheekbone.
“I can smell a pretty big game from the big fella tomorrow,” Frawley said.
“I thought he was terrific for us last week. He led our leads and really worked hard. He had a hand in five or six goals. If he can do that tomorrow it’s all we want a forward to do – to create or be a hand in five or six goals as he did last week. That’s all we ask for, some more of the same tomorrow.”
Richardson played with the injury in round two, but was a late withdrawal the following week.
“His ability to play with injury is probably second to none,” Frawley said.
“He’s been doing that since he was 18. He’s had his fair share of injuries and he knows better than anyone else how to get over them. I think he’s a credit to himself.”
Samantha Lane
afl.com.au
12:25:52 PM Fri 25 April, 2003
Richmond coach Danny Frawley believes his team has handled its five-day break well and is set to consolidate its strong start to the season when it meets Hawthorn on Saturday.
After beating St Kilda in round four, the Tigers' third straight win, the squad has managed the quick turnaround by completing modified training over the last few days.
“The boys have been really professional about it. Our conditioning staff have been (too). We’ve known about this since October 5 when the draw came out. Brisbane were able to do it last week, so that gives us a lot of confidence,” Frawley said before his side’s final run on Friday morning.
“We’re really looking forward to tomorrow’s game, and the boys will have a session today and we’ve made one change, one forced change. It’s great to see Andy Krakouer back. He’ll add a bit of freshness around the packs.”
Krakouer injured his knee in a Richmond intra-club match, and has played for VFL side Coburg for the last three weeks.
After winning three consecutive matches, Frawley said he had attempted to manage the team’s enthusiasm by encouraging his players to maintain their intensity, and approach this week’s match as a new beginning.
“It’s a new ball game. The intensity levels will have to be there, like they have been for three and a half weeks. We’ve played three and half (games) of pretty good football. We played an ordinary half of football out of four (games),” Frawley said.
“We know what makes us a good team. And that’s when we’re in and under and really making the opposition earn every kick and I think that’s been a real positive of our group, to know that we want to force the opposition to compete.”
Frawley forecast a big match for star spearhead Matthew Richardson, who returned to the side last week after having surgery to repair a fractured cheekbone.
“I can smell a pretty big game from the big fella tomorrow,” Frawley said.
“I thought he was terrific for us last week. He led our leads and really worked hard. He had a hand in five or six goals. If he can do that tomorrow it’s all we want a forward to do – to create or be a hand in five or six goals as he did last week. That’s all we ask for, some more of the same tomorrow.”
Richardson played with the injury in round two, but was a late withdrawal the following week.
“His ability to play with injury is probably second to none,” Frawley said.
“He’s been doing that since he was 18. He’s had his fair share of injuries and he knows better than anyone else how to get over them. I think he’s a credit to himself.”
