02 August 2003 AFL
By VIVIENNE OAKLEY
Herald-Sun website
RICHMOND coach Danny Frawley refuses to rule out the chance of his team making the top eight.
The Tigers ended an eight-game losing streak with a convincing win over the Western Bulldogs last weekend.
And Frawley says they can carry that form into today's clash with Fremantle at Subiaco.
He said yesterday he believed his team could do what no interstate visitor has done this year – win at Subiaco.
Frawley refused to concede Richmond was completely out of the running for the final eight, despite sitting 11th, 10 points behind the eighth-placed Kangaroos.
"I'm not completely confident, the chances are pretty slim," he said. "But there's a glimmer of hope there.
"We have to try and keep on with the form we showed last week – that's all we can focus on," he said.
"We realise it's a tough assignment this week against Fremantle."
But, he said, the task was not beyond the Tigers.
"If you have a look at the match-ups, they are very even across the board," Frawley said.
"It's the first time in the year we've gone in with an unchanged, in-form team.
"We'll try to stop their run nice and early if we can.
"If we can play somewhere near our best form, we're going to be a chance at some stage to hopefully snatch the game."
As Frawley made his predictions, members of the Western Australian police bomb squad completed a security check of the ground before a visit by Prime Minister John Howard, who will be at the game.
Coming off a week of intense media scrutiny following the leaking of an embarrassing in-club memo, Frawley joked that the security measures might have been for him.
"I'm sick of looking over my shoulder," he said.
Included in the Richmond team for today's clash are three WA recruits – Mark Coughlan (recruited from Perth), Martin McGrath and Andrew Krakouer (both from South Fremantle).
"Those boys are really keen to play in front of their families," Frawley said.
By VIVIENNE OAKLEY
Herald-Sun website
RICHMOND coach Danny Frawley refuses to rule out the chance of his team making the top eight.
The Tigers ended an eight-game losing streak with a convincing win over the Western Bulldogs last weekend.
And Frawley says they can carry that form into today's clash with Fremantle at Subiaco.
He said yesterday he believed his team could do what no interstate visitor has done this year – win at Subiaco.
Frawley refused to concede Richmond was completely out of the running for the final eight, despite sitting 11th, 10 points behind the eighth-placed Kangaroos.
"I'm not completely confident, the chances are pretty slim," he said. "But there's a glimmer of hope there.
"We have to try and keep on with the form we showed last week – that's all we can focus on," he said.
"We realise it's a tough assignment this week against Fremantle."
But, he said, the task was not beyond the Tigers.
"If you have a look at the match-ups, they are very even across the board," Frawley said.
"It's the first time in the year we've gone in with an unchanged, in-form team.
"We'll try to stop their run nice and early if we can.
"If we can play somewhere near our best form, we're going to be a chance at some stage to hopefully snatch the game."
As Frawley made his predictions, members of the Western Australian police bomb squad completed a security check of the ground before a visit by Prime Minister John Howard, who will be at the game.
Coming off a week of intense media scrutiny following the leaking of an embarrassing in-club memo, Frawley joked that the security measures might have been for him.
"I'm sick of looking over my shoulder," he said.
Included in the Richmond team for today's clash are three WA recruits – Mark Coughlan (recruited from Perth), Martin McGrath and Andrew Krakouer (both from South Fremantle).
"Those boys are really keen to play in front of their families," Frawley said.
