Richmond Tigers News

Mature-age rookie Graham Polak is elevated to Richmond's senior list along with indigenous forward Relton Roberts.

"I was really excited when I heard the news," Polak said.

"I am really grateful to the club and all the Richmond fans. I couldn't have got through this difficult time without my family, (fiancee) Alyce and my teammates."

Richmond midfielder Ben Cousins has been readmitted to hospital for further tests on continuing abdominal pain.

"Ben is under the care of a gastroenterologist and at this stage it looks as if he will stay overnight," Richmond club doctor Greg Hickey said.

"Unfortunately Ben's symptoms from last week have not yet fully resolved so we have asked for some more tests to be performed."

Richmond star Ben Cousins has been admitted to hospital after complaining of abdominal pains.

"Ben's condition does not appear serious but as a precautionary measure we would like some tests done to see what the problem is," Richmond's general manager of football Craig Cameron said.

Richmond defender Jake King will appear before the tribunal next Tuesday night to fight a striking charge based only on evidence given by Collingwood's Travis Cloke.

A spiteful NAB Challenge practice match between the Magpies and the Tigers results in allegations of biting and "dobbing".

Collingwood forward Travis Cloke has drawn the ire of Richmond after providing evidence that he was struck by Richmond's Jake King resulting in the latter being suspended and offered two weeks for his offence.

Tigers recruit Dylan Grimes was also involved after being allegedly bitten on the back by an unnamed Collingwood player.

Collingwood forward Travis Cloke provides evidence to the match review panel against Tiger Jake King for striking him.

King is subsequently suspended for two matches following Cloke's evidence.

Greg Miller, Richmond's director during Terry Wallace's tenure as head coach of Richmond, says that Wallace was doomed from the start due to under-funding of the football division.

"From year one, the biggest concern was (that) the board - and I was part of that board - made a decision not to finance the football division, and that was a mistake," Miller told the Herald Sun.

"We were under-resourced in recruiting and under-resourced in development. Completely.

"We had to pull our head in (as a club), but the footy division suffered and, in the end, so did Terry's reputation."

Richmond has won the signature of emerging midfielder Trent Cotchin, who has agreed to a three-year contract extension and warded off any potential advances from the Gold Coast.

"One of the things you want to be as an AFL footballer is a one-club player," Cotchin said.

"Another factor for me was seeing how much support the club has outside, from members, as well as from people inside the club ... it's just a good place to be.

Tigers star Ben Cousins has avoided a conviction in court for a traffic offence after an performing an unsafe U-turn from The Esplanade in Brighton in April last year.

Magistrate Graeme Keil said he was worthy of a diversion on the charge due to his recent good character.

The court was told Cousins had written a letter of apology to the victim.

Ben Cousins severs ties with his player manager Ricky Nixon after a 10-year relationship.

The fall-out is believed to be related to disputes surrounding Cousins' upcoming documentary and book deal.

Richmond will protect young midfielder Trent Cotchin by only playing him for 50 per cent of the opening NAB Cup game.

"We don't want to put him in a hole that he can't get out of, so we just have to be slow with Trent, and his body will catch up at some stage," Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said.

Brett Deledio says Dustin Martin has led an impressive pre-season by Richmond's brigade of younger players.

"He (Martin) has come in and played some good footy early on. He has put a few of us older blokes to shame," Deledio said.

"He's nearly bigger than most of us and he wins a bit of his own footy".

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale has copped an earful from the Tiger faithful about last year's disappointing season but says he admires their passion.

"We're a club with such a strong history of success that we define our success in terms of premierships. We haven't won one since 1980, so clearly we've been unsuccessful, but I think our people, their expectations remain high, they maintain the rage," Gale said.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the Tigers will continue their conservative approach with Trent Cotchin.

"He has done (everything) at a level we want him to. We could have pushed him, but we are prepared to wait. We have got to be patient with him because we expect him to be a player of the future for this club," Hardwick said.

"We're not prepared to rush him at any stage."

Damien Hardwick has some talented young talls at his disposal, but it will be veteran Troy Simmonds who will shoulder the ruck burden.

"Ruck is an important position, but it's also one where we've got a number of younger developing rucks", said Hardwick.

"It's too early to throw those guys into the rigours of AFL because it's a really hard position to play."

"Troy provides a mature, tough body that can carry the loads of AFL."

Richard Tambling says his improved form in 2009 was the result of a better mental approach towards football thanks to sessions with a hypnotist from outside the club.

"Last year was the turning point. I went and cleared all that stuff up from my head because there was a lot of pressure from the media and our own fans," he said.

"I put too much pressure on myself and didn't allow myself to play my natural footy."

Richmond draftee Troy Taylor has been charged with assault following an incident in Alice Springs on New Year's Eve and will face a Northern Territory court later this month.

"We knew Troy had a number of issues he was dealing with when we drafted him," Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said in a statement released by the club.

"The Richmond Football Club has a professional network of support helping Troy address his issues but we have also advised Troy that he needs to take personal responsibility for the decisions he makes."

Damien Hardwick is willing to give Troy Taylor a second chance despite the troubled recruit still being under police investigation for assault.

"As a kid we all made mistakes and Troy admits that and is willing to accept the consequences of his actions. He's a player we think we can have an enormous future with," Hardwick said.

Richmond's Nathan Foley has had minor ankle surgery and is doubt for the start of the 2010 season.

"Nathan had been progressing well with his rehabilitation program, but has experienced some soreness in the last week," Richmond elite performance manager Matt Hornsby said.

"The medical staff decided the best course of action was for him to have minor surgery.

"The surgery will prevent him from running for the next couple of weeks, and we will continue to take a cautious approach with his recovery."

Trent Cotchin says he is getting over his injuries with the help of the conditioning staff at Richmond.

"The conditioning staff have been terrific. They have written up an individual program that's been very well structured and one that my body is handling quite well," Cotchin said.

"I'm training twice a week with the main group and on Wednesday I do a triathlon at the club with the rehab group. I suppose there's less pressure to be out on the track and to just make sure you're right before going out there."

Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt says the players have seen new coach Damien Hardwick's intensity but he is not as tough as they first thought.

"He's not as hard as everyone thought he was going to be," Riewoldt told

"But he has got that mean streak about him that we've seen a bit of, that intensity.

"We've got a young coaching staff and a new vibrant game plan, which we're all looking forward to putting into place."

An alleged incident involving Richmond draftee Troy Taylor is being investigated by Northern Territory Police.

Taylor is alleged to have been involved in an assault during a scuffle at a New Year's Eve party.

"The Richmond Football Club takes any allegation of player misbehaviour very seriously," a statement from the Tigers read.

"Richmond has been in contact with the AFL and has informed it of the club's knowledge of the matter."

Robin Nahas credits his former VFL coach from Port Melbourne, Gary Ayres, for helping him break into the AFL.

"Gary Ayres was just fantastic. He put me in a position where I had a chance to get drafted. He told me what areas I needed to work on, what area of the ground I should play and what role I needed to play," Nahas said.

Matthew Richardson accepts a position in Richmond's commercial operations department.

"Brendon (Richmond CEO Brendon Gale) wanted me where I had a key role and where I had something to do, and I'm actually contributing and I've got goals that he wants me to achieve." Richardson said.

St Kilda recruit and ex-Richmond Tiger Adam Pattison says he is not bitter at his former club for delisting him.

"I don't want to be bitter towards Richmond. I had a few problems with my body last year that I needed surgery on and I played a little bit injured throughout the year," Pattison said.

"I had hip and ankle issues and had some post-season surgery, but now I'm feeling as fit and strong as I ever have and I'm 23 and I think my best footy is ahead of me.

"I'm just looking forward to the opportunity at St Kilda and starting a new chapter."

Ben Cousins undergoes surgery to fix injuries to his left hand and shoulder.

"Ben underwent surgery to his left hand during the week," football operations manager Ross Monaghan said.

"He had experienced some discomfort recently and the club thought it would be best to have this relatively minor surgery to correct the problem during the pre-season."

Richmond draftee Matt Dea, taken with pick No. 44 in the 2009 NAB AFL draft, has only recently made the switch from basketball to football.

"I played basketball, and made the switch to footy late this year, and I guess it's paid off," he said.

"I only played three TAC Cup games this year, but that was good experience - so not too many, not as many as the other boys, but hopefully it won't show.

"I just started playing with the school side and started really enjoying it, and then the guys at the (Ballarat) Rebels started saying I should have a real crack, and here we are."

The hard work can't come soon enough for Dustin Martin after being drafted by Richmond with pick No. 3.

"I've had a look around and it looks pretty good - I just can't wait," he said.

"I met the coach on Thursday night, and I've met a few of the other boys who got picked up, too. I just can't wait to get out and start training."

Hawthorn is considering drafting an experienced ruckmen, one of Chris Bryan, Cameron Cloke, John Meesen, Adam Pattison or Wayde Skipper on Thursday night.

Former Tiger and Bulldogs star Nathan Brown formally announces his retirement from AFL football.

"The final decision was made today, but probably since the the end of the season I knew that I was going to go down that path,'' Brown said.

''There was a bit of interest from St Kilda late, (but) we decided that my groin probably wasn't going to stand up to another year of football."

Matthew Richardson will assess his options after being offered several offers to work in the media.

"I'm not trying to overcook it, but it is fair to say that we have had a lot of offers from television and radio, and even footy clubs from the country just wondering if he wanted to play with them next year," Richardson's manager Richard Nixon said.

New Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says the competition will be the poorer for losing Matthew Richardson.

"There's no doubt that he was a giant of the game, and I reckon it'd be fair to say there'd be 15 other AFL coaches who are happy he's retired," Hardwick said.

"He's had a stellar career, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed watching from afar.

"It's disappointing from a selfish point of view - I would have loved to coach the great man - but it wasn't to be."

Matthew Richardson accepted on Monday that his body just wasn't up for an 18th AFL season.

""I had a pretty ordinary medical diagnosis on Monday which sort of confirmed the gut feeling that I already had, that my body was not going to be able to stand up to another year of AFL football," he said.

"I guess I couldn't look people around the club, and the supporters, in the eye by saying I was ready to go when deep down I knew that I wasn't."

Richmond forward Matthew Richardson has decided his body isn't up to another season of AFL football.

"I wanted to see how I pulled up after a few weeks of training before I made a final decision, but the hamstring is just not good," Richardson said.

"It hasn't felt right when I've been running and the medical prognosis with it isn't positive.

"So, weighing everything up, it is definitely the right time for me to retire.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says the club will try to fly under the radar this pre-season.

"It's a total revamp. We've turned the club into a really young club, and it certainly feels like that at this stage," he said.

"We're not going to make any bold statements, but we want to be able to set something up during summer and over time become a team that can mix it up with the best in the competition."

Richmond has delisted Graham Polak but still has the option of redrafting him as a mature-aged rookie.

"We will investigate the opportunity of offering Graham Polak a position on our rookie list through the 2009 Rookie Draft, but this will obviously not be confirmed until after the draft has taken place'', Richmond general manager of football Craig Cameron said.

Richmond has cut Graham Polak, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Cleve Hughes, Nathan Brown, Mark Coughlan, Kayne Pettifer, Adam Pattison, Dean Putt and Jarrod Silvester.

Jay Schulz says he is happy with the move from Richmond to his new club, Port Adelaide.

"It was probably the best decision for both Richmond and myself," Schulz said.

"This year was a rough one for everyone. I wasn't performing, which was fair enough, but I still think I've got a lot to give.

"I don't think I've achieved what my potential could allow me to achieve. Consistency has always been a thing for me. Hopefully, coming here, meeting the guys and having a set role will help me do that."

Richmond has offered Troy Simmonds a one-year deal as trade week draws to a close.

Richmond's Jay Schulz will head to Port Adelaide in exchange for Mitch Farmer.

Andrew Raines' AFL career will continue under Michael Voss after Richmond and the Brisbane Lions agreed to a trade on Monday.

The Tigers received Brisbane's third round pick at no. 44 in exchange for Raines.

Graham Polak is out of contract but says he is determined to continue with Richmond next year.

"I felt like I exceeded what I was expected to do and I can only build on that from now," Polak said.

"If I get the chance to stay, I'll be taking that with both hands and look forward to playing more good footy."

Justin Leppitsch becomes the next member of Damien Hardwick's new team at Richmond after being appointed assistant coach in charge of the Tigers' backline.

"I'm excited about the challenge, to join a group that is on the right path, and I'm really keen to work with a new group of coaches and players," Leppitsch said.

"I've never been involved in one of the bigger AFL clubs before, and I'm looking forward to learning about the history and tradition Richmond is famous for."

Midfielder Brett Deledio has beaten Daniel Jackson and skipper Chris Newman to win his second successive Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest.

Deledio becomes the youngest back-to-back winner at the club since Kevin Bartlett in 1967-68 and the youngest in the AFL since Michael Voss at Brisbane in 1995-96.

Ben Cousins has been re-signed by Richmond and will play with the club in the immediate future.

The announcement was made by club president Gary March at Richmond's best and fairest presentation.

Former Tiger Nathan Brown's manager says his client would benefit a club in the running for a premiership.

"The teams that may have interest in him are probably the ones that are still in the hunt, so as far as the level of interest in him playing on, it's still a little early to know," Brown's manager Dan Richardson said.

"At this stage he's focused on getting himself physically right. He had a little operation last week that was sort of similar to what Judd had and obviously recovered from."

Richmond midfielder Shane Tuck has agreed to be traded to another club despite being contracted at Punt Road for another year after falling out of favour with the club following the departure of previous coach Terry Wallace.

Former Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews reveals he tried to get Damien Hardwick as an assistant and says that Hardwick will succeed as the new head coach of Richmond.

"I offered Damien a job with the Brisbane Lions when he retired from Port so I have a great regard for his character and capabilities," Matthews said.

"I would think he should do very well."

Ben Cousins has unofficially come to terms with Richmond to play with the Tigers for at least one more season at an estimated $350,000 in 2010.

Richmond has told star forward Matthew Richardson it needs to know by December whether he intends to play on next year.

"They want him to play, there is a contract there, but it's a matter of whether he wants to play on or not," Richardon's manager Richard Nixon said.

"He wants some time to think about it. He wants to know in his own mind that his hamstrings are right and his mind is right. People keep coming up with deadlines.

"But there is no rush. The club says there is no rush. He can tell them in December because he's a veteran."

Andrew Raines's father, Geoff, yesterday said he was bewildered by his son's treatment at Richmond.

Reports revealed Andrew Raines had expressed a desire to be traded to Brisbane.

"They tried a lot of players in that time and Andrew wasn't one of them," Geoff Raines said.

"I think Brisbane and Michael Voss would be fantastic for his development, which would appear to have stalled at Richmond.

"I'm not a father who thinks he doesn't have areas he needs to improve, such as his decision making and ball use.

"Hopefully at Brisbane he will have people helping him in those areas."

Andrew Raines' manager says the Richmond defender is looking for a fresh start at another club after failing to break into the senior side in the second half of the year.

"We had a chat after he wasn't selected in the side for Round 22 and Coburg had a bye and he decided he wanted to move on no matter what (new coach) Damien Hardwick had to say," Raines' manager Ricky Olarenshaw told radio station SEN.

Richmond best and fairest winner Brett Deledio will stay a Tiger until the end of 2012.

"Brett is an integral part of the future of our club and we are excited that he has committed to Richmond through to the end of 2012," Richmond's general manager of football Craig Cameron said.

"Brett has developed both as a player and as a leader at Richmond in recent times and we look forward to seeing his potential grow over the coming years."

Richmond announce that Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan will not continue their careers with Richmond and will play their final games for the club against West Coast.

Ben Cousins writes about returning to Subiaco to play his old side, West Coast, in the final round of 2009.

"I'm not worked up about it, but it's a game I've been been looking forward to," Cousins wrote.

"I'm curious to see the reception I get. I've got great memories of Subiaco Oval and the Eagles and I have a great sense of the occasion.

"It's another test, and why I wanted to come back and play this year, to test myself.

"The scrutiny or spotlight will be evident, but that's not an issue because it's been a part of my life for so long. Actually, I will enjoy every part of it."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings says Ben Cousins' contribution to the club in his first season has been 'profound'.

"There are some people that have been involved in this club for 12, 13, 14 years that reckon what he's offered the club has been as profound as anyone," Rawlings said.

"His contribution to this footy club this year has been absolutely terrific.

"I rate Ben extremely highly. I've coached him over 11 games now, and my personal dealings with him have been absolutely terrific."

Richmond interim coach Jade Rawlings says he will work out where he is going after the season finishes after missing out on the head coaching gig at Richmond to Damien Hardwick.

"Naturally it was a disappointment, you don't put yourself in contention for a job like that unless you really want it," Rawlings said.

"My situation will be taken care of in the next month or so I would have thought."

Veteran Tiger Nathan Brown says he's prepared to move on if new coach Damien Hardwick decides hs is no longer required at the club.

"It's been a tough year, we're down the bottom and if they decide to move me on well and good, I'll accept that," Brown told the Nine Network.

"I love Richmond, I love the club and I'd love to be part of the rebuilding process.

"If I'm not then I'm not and I wish Damien well. Even if he does move me on, I think he's the right man for the job. He's a hard nut and he'll bring a very hard sort of focus to the football club and I hope the club gets back on its feet."

Former AFL players Doug Hawkins and Tony Shaw slam Lance Franklin's two-match ban for head-high contact with Ben Cousins.

"They've got to get it right because as a kid growing up that's what footy was about. People say, 'Oh, Buddy didn't tackle', well guess what? You don't have to tackle, you used to be able to bump," Hawkins said.

"Two weeks for that is just ludicrous. I'm disillusioned by the whole situation and I think the sooner the AFL work it out the better. "

Former Collingwood captain Tony Shaw concurred with Hawkins' assessment.

"It is so embarrassing at the moment. I'm all for protecting heads and spinal injuries and all that sort of thing, but you do have contact on the field and I've been involved in bumping bigger blokes where you will hit your head on their body and it's stiff cheddar," Shaw said.

New Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is expected to conduct a massive cleanout of the Tigers list with players such as Nathan Brown and Mark Coughlan in the firing line.

Damien Hardwick talks about his blueprint for success in his new role as coach of Richmond.

"Every club I've gone to has had a great team-first culture and that's something I believe very strongly in," Hardwick said.

"I know it's easy to say, it's not easy to deliver - I think I can deliver a blueprint for success that's going to take Richmond to their 11th premiership in the not-too-distant future."

New Richmond coach Damien Hardwick will look closely at the futures of Matthew Richardson and Ben Cousins in the coming weeks.

"I still probably think he's in the top two to three players at this club, and he's 34," Hardwick said of Richardson.

"We'll make decisions on that in the coming weeks, but he's still a very talented player."

The Tigers have announced that Damien Hardwick will take the reins at Punt Rd for the next three years.

The AFL tribunal found Hawthorn's Lance Franklin guilty of engaging in rough conduct against Ben Cousins on Tuesday night which means the star forward will not be available for an elimination final even if the Hawks beat Essendon this week.

"It didn't go our way so that's a very disappointing result for us," Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said.

"I find it a little distressing that in summing up we can regard someone's conduct as reasonable, but they can still miss two matches.

"It's very disappointing and we'll be following that up with Adrian tomorrow."

Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans says the club wil take Lance Franklin's sanction to the tribunal on Tuesday night to contest a two-match suspension for his hit on Ben Cousins.

"I can't really comment on the case before we get there other than to say we've looked at it quite a bit and we don't believe that any player should be suspended for this," Evans told SEN radio.

"I think the best case here is to keep it nice and simple and to allow the tribunal members - who have all played football - to make their assessment from that."

Lance Franklin can accept a one-match suspension for rough conduct due to a head-high bump on Richmond's Ben Cousins during the Hawks' win over Richmond.

Accepting the ban will mean that Franklin misses out on a match against the Bombers that could give the Hawks 8th spot on the ladder and a chance to play in an elimination final.

Richmond is optimistic Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins will recover from the concussion he sustained after a clash with Hawk Lance Franklin in time to travel to Perth next week to face his former side West Coast.

"He looked a bit groggy still after the game, but he sat through the meeting and seemed to be engaging reasonably well. I haven't had a full debrief on him yet," caretaker coach Jade Rawlings said.

"It was a pretty big hit and he looked like he was pretty keen to stay on, but with the way he walked, he was heading in a totally different direction to where the interchange bench was, which suggested he was in a bad way."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings believes it will be hard for him to remain at Punt Road next year after being told he has missed out on the senior coaching position.

"There's a fair bit of water to go under the bridge as far as who gets appointed," he said.

"I personally would think it would be hard for someone who gets appointed to have me around because of my passion for the job and my attachment to this group."

Richmond's Graham Polak can now afford to look back on his tram accident with some humour.

"I laugh about it now. I know it was a serious, but I can't sit there and let it get me down my whole life," Polak said.

"I have to get over it some time. I laugh and say, 'How can I get hit by a tram that's stuck on two tracks?'. It was a silly thing of mine, but I've got a good story to tell my kids and grandkids."

Richmond defender Graham Polak says he's relieved to be back playing at the top level after his 2008 tram accident.

"I can't wait to get back out there, and show them I still can play footy - it's going to be a real buzz and I'm looking forward to it," he said.

"It'll be a big relief to be able to get back, I'll run out with a smile on my face."

Former Port Adelaide midfielder Adam Thomson looks likely to make his Richmond debut against Hawthorn.

Graham Polak will be selected for Richmond's clash with Hawthorn this weekend, nearly 14 months after he was hit by a tram.

"I was so excited when Jade Rawlings told me the news late this afternoon. It's been my dream to be able to get back and play a game at the MCG," Polak said.

"The support of my fellow players, my family, management and all the staff at the Richmond Football Club over the past year has been amazing and has helped me through some incredibly tough times.

"I can't wait to get out there with my teammates and play my heart out and whatever happens in the future, I am really proud of myself for making it this far."

Twenty players from Richmond and Collingwood have been charged with engaging in a melee by the AFL match review panel.

Jake King, in particular, has accepted a two-match suspension after being found guilty of striking Collingwood's Alan Didak.

Richmond veteran Joel Bowden farewells the game and his club on a sad note with the Tigers getting thrashed by Collingwood to the tune of 93 points in his final game.

"It's not a great result but it will perhaps make them stronger," Bowden said after the game.

"In being a leader you need to have a positive influence on others as well. You can play footy but you need to also try to develop and help, and be that positive influence.

''I hope that something that I've done over the past 10 years has rubbed off on a few. And I know it has."

Collingwood assistant coach Brad Scott praises Alan Didak for keeping his cool despite constant niggling from Tiger Jake King.

King's attempts to unsettle Didak followed Hawk Ben McGlynn's efforts a few weeks ago when McGlynn was able to get under the forward's skin in Collingwoods loss to Hawthorn.

"Everyone highlighted the fact that McGlynn got under his skin against Hawthorn, and we knew Richmond would try and do the same to him again today," Scott said after the match.

"He responded brilliantly. We were rapt with his efforts both offensively and defensively, and to hold his nerve under pressure.

"Today he was completely in control of every situation. Players tried to get under his skin, it didn't affect him, and the game was played on his terms and our terms."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings says he is unsure if his damning assessment of the club's culture will cost him the coaching job.

"If they deem it to have damaged me, that's up to them to make the decision," Rawlings said.

"The club couldn't have been more thorough in their process.

"They said from the outset they won't get drawn into media speculation of who thinks what or who says what would be good or what would be bad."

Richmond coach Jade Rawlings won't disclose why prolific midfielder Shane Tuck was recently dropped.

"I'm not going to talk about Shane's deficiencies through the media," Rawlings said.

"It wasn't easy to drop him, because he's actually a really good person and I played with him at Hawthorn, so I've known him for a long time."

"He's gone back with a fantastic attitude and tried to put in place the things we've asked him to improve on."

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says assistant coach Damien Hardwick is ready to become a head coach with vacancies available at either North Melbourne or Richmond.

"We've supported him all along. He's been in our system for five years and our view is that he's ready to coach senior football. It will be up to Richmond and the Kangaroos to determine whether that's the case as well," Clarkson said.

Richmond defender Joel Bowden confirms his retirement, saying Saturday's clash against the Pies will be his last.

West Coast coach John Worsfold says his assistant Peter Sumich still has what it takes to be a senior coach after he missed out on the Richmond job.

"Clubs obviously have processes they go through and Suma is pretty clear on where he sits and what he's aiming to do," Worsfold said.

"He won't apply for all jobs, but there's times where he will apply knowing he may not expect to get on the shortlist, but he'll go through the process for the experience of it and learn.

"He's got all of the capabilities to be a senior coach."

Jake King has set his sights on making 2010 a standout year after caretaker coach Jade Rawlings brought him back into the senior side

"Jade and Wayne and the coaching staff and leadership group and all the players have been right behind me the whole way," he told richmondfc.com.au.

"I stuck to the trademarks and behaviours, and Jade was with me at Coburg and said that as long as I kept doing the right thing, things would work out.

"He turned around and said: you've done everything I've asked, here's your spot, go and make the most of it." .

Richmond defender Joel Bowden is set to play his last game for the Tigers at the MCG against Collingwood.

"Looks like the game against Collingwood will be my last for the Richmond Football Club, " Bowden said.

"Hopefully it all goes well, that I can acquit myself well, play a good game and finish with Richmond on a high note and beat the Pies, who are playing good footy at the moment."

AFL Players' Association vice-president Brett Burton says departing chief executive Brendon Gale will be missed after the latter accepted a position as CEO of Richmond.

"It's disappointing to lose Brendon, but we certainly congratulate him in moving on," Burton said.

"Brendon's been in the game for a long period of time. His leadership over the last few years has been outstanding in a number of issues including the collective bargaining agreement and the free agency issue, which is on the table at the moment.

"We wish him the best for his future."

AFLPA chief Brendon Gale is appointed Chief Executive Officer at Richmond, the club where he played 244 games.

"He brings a wealth of industry experience to the club for which he once played," Richmond president Gary March said.

"The board thought Brendon was the ideal candidate to take over from the strong platform established by outgoing CEO Steven Wright, and continue to restore the club."

A split kneecap has meant the end of Tiger Kayne Pettifer's season but the forward says his best days are still ahead of him.

"I just want to get back to playing AFL footy where I belong," he said.

"I'm nowhere near finished and just want to get back playing, hopefully with Richmond. If not Richmond, well, I just want to play.

"I know I've got another three or four years of good footy left in me."

Former North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has been guaranteed a spot in Richmond's final round of interviews for the Tigers coaching position.

Ben Cousins says he was always confident of playing top-level footy after his drug troubles on the eve of his 250th game.

"I was always confident that I was able to make the grade. Whether I was going to get somewhere near my best, I'm not sure," Cousins said in an interview with Mark Robinson from the Herald Sun.

But I was confident I could play a year of senior footy if my body held up. "

Graham Polak wants to prove his doctors wrong by playing AFL football before the end of the season.

"At the start of the year I sat down with a doctor from the Epworth and asked him 'Honestly, do you think I'll be able to get back this year'?," Polak said.

"He said 'Honestly mate, I don't think you could'.

"To be back straight away playing some good footy now, I've hopefully proven them wrong, the critics wrong and everyone else wrong.

"I'm feeling great at the moment and I look forward to the opportunity to come."

Richmond's coaching sub-committee will complete first-round interviews today for its head coaching position when it meets Peter Sumich and Adrian Fletcher.

Other candidates that have moved to the next round of the process include current caretaker coach Jade Rawlings, Geelong assistant Ken Hinkley and Alan Richardson from Essendon.

Hawthorn assistant coach Damien Hardwick is a leading candidate for both the Richmond and North Melbourne coaching positions.

Trent Cotchin will not play again this year after succumbing to a hip injury.

"He's had a hip he's been dealing with for a few weeks now, and he's pulled up a bit sore," Richmond interim coach Jade Rawlings said.

"Anyone who was at the game the other day would have seen when he came on in the last stanza that he looked pretty sore."

Ben Cousins prepares for his 250th game with Tigers' interim coach Jade Rawlings praising the impact he has had on Richmond.

"There been a couple of good mature age recruits in the AFL this year and I'd suggest he'd been in the upper echelon of those," Rawlings said.

"We feel very fortunate. We had the courage to make the decision to get him here and now he's vindicated it with his form so far, so it would be good in this last month to see him finish off really well."

Ben Cousins says the Tigers should bring back Matthew Richardson next year saying that age is not an issue for the veteran forward.

"There would be blood on the streets (if he isn't re-signed)," Cousins said.

"He keeps defying logic ... I'm just really looking forward to playing some footy with him."

Matthew Richardson will undergo knee surgery knowing Richmond has committed to offering him a contract for 2010.

"We had a list-management meeting today. We'll talk to Matthew when he gets out of hospital, learn if he's convinced he can play again, and a contract will be offered," caretaker coach Jade Rawlings said.

Richmond veteran Matthew Richardson will not play again in 2009 after suffering a hamstring injury but states that he wants to play on in 2010.

"That's it - 2009 is over, bring on 2010," Richardson said.

"I knew on Saturday afternoon that I wasn't warming up the way I would have liked, but why it happened that way I have no idea. I've done a month of training where I warmed up every time, so maybe it was just a sign from the footy gods.

"If I went out and re-ruptured the hamstring and had to have more surgery on it, that would be it, you probably wouldn't come back from that, so I'm glad I haven't damaged it again, and that I did the smart thing and didn't try to push through it."

Richardson will undergo an arthroscope tomorrow to clean out his knee joint.

Brisbane Lions assistant coach Adrian Fletcher has thrown his hat into the ring for the Richmond coaching position.

"I've been an assistant for seven years," Fletcher said.

"There's a time in your life when you've got to start putting your name out there to make sure that people understand where you want to go in life.

"I want to be a senior coach, no doubt about that. I've learned off three coaches, Mick Malthouse, Bomber Thompson and Leigh Matthews, who have seven premierships, so although I'm not a premiership player I've been in the coaching arena where I understand how it works."

Essendon coach Matthew Knights says he has tough decisions to make over the future of veterans Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas and Dustin Fletcher.

"I am going to sit down with all of the three veterans at the end of the year. They are all pretty professional mature guys. We will leave it to them," Knights said.

"Those guys will have a big say, and virtually all the say, as to what they want to do. They have earned that right because they are champions of the Essendon footy club."

Despite straining a hamstring in the VFL, Tiger veteran Matthew Richardson was fit enough to participate in light drills with the rest of his teammates during training.

"It's really hard on him, he has been putting in so much effort to get out there and for it to tighten up a little bit," Richmond captain Newman said.

"He was really excited about the game, I know that and he was just really disappointed after the game."

Matthew Richardson believes his hamstring has not been re-injured and says coming from the ground during a VFL match was precautionary.

"I'll definitely have a scan to make sure the surgically repaired tendon is 100 per cent," he said on One HD's One Week At A Time.

"It just tightened up in the warm up, which was very frustrating because I've been training flat out for the last four weeks.

"I thought the best thing to do would be to get straight off the ground. I don't need another major incident at my age, and with where I'm coming from with my situation."

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos calls for "day to remember" on club stalwart Michael O'Loughlin's 300th milestone game.

O'Loughlin will become the first Swan to play 300 games against Richmond at the MCG.

"It is important that the club puts on a show for Micky O as he is a club legend," Roos.

"He has been a stalwart of the club for many a year. We want to make it a day to remember, and it is a very proud day for the club."

Match-winner Jordan McMahon says he needed to kick the goal after the siren against Melbourne to atone for earlier mistakes.

"I just thought this was an opportunity to kick a goal and make up for my two mistakes early on," he said.

"I tried to put it aside, but obviously it was still there - the kick was to win the game.

"I put it aside to a degree and just wanted to kick the goal to make up for the two mistakes before that."

Richmond coach Jade Rawlings says emotions will not be a factor in deciding the future of brother-in-law Matthew Richardson's future at the club beyond this season.

"The club is bigger than the individual," he said.

"We've been unsuccessful for way too long to be caught up in emotional family attachments.

"Matthew is an outstanding person, which you'd all agree with, and we're great mates and we'll talk honestly about what's going to be best for both parties. The footy club's future is most paramount."

Jordan McMahon kicks a goal after the siren to win the game for the Tigers against Melbourne.

"I backed him in because he's a good kick. A few times today he made some bad decisions, but 40m out, right in front, he's pretty reliable in that situation," caretaker coach Jade Rawlings said.

"To have the courage to go back and kick that goal was excellent."

Richmond star Matthew Richardson may not play again this season after a hamstring injury sustained in the VFL.

Richmond star Matthew Richardson has injured his hamstring in his comeback match for the Coburg Tigers in the VFL, leaving the field in the middle of the first quarter and not returning thereafter.

Tiger Brett Deledio says he was nearly banished to the VFL by caretaker coach Jade Rawlings following his indifferent approach to his footy.

"I had weaknesses that needed addressing and if I didn't address them I would have been representing Coburg. I just wasn't being accountable," he said.

"Jade said if I wasn't prepared to do it, I would be out of the side, and I very nearly was.

"I guess it was the kick up the arse I needed. It has come pretty easy, and I hadn't really been told off about that sort of thing, or hadn't been threatened with representing Coburg, not that playing there would be a bad thing, by the way.

"But it really would have dinted the pride. It was the best thing for me.

"I am not saying I have got it nailed. I have got plenty of things to work on, but for Jade to be honest, and the leadership group to be honest with me, was fantastic."

Matthew Richardson will make his return from a hamstring injury with Coburg in the VFL.

"He'll come back this week after missing the best part of three months which is fantastic for him," Tigers assistant coach David King said.

"He's looking forward to just playing again, I think we're all looking forward to seeing him out at Coburg for the first time in a long while."

An ankle injury will sideline Tiger midfielder Nathan Foley for the rest of the 2009 season.

"Nathan has been restricted with his ankle since the early stages of the season, which has made it difficult for him to train, prepare for games and recover each week," Football manager Ross Monaghan said.

Foley will undergo surgery for his ankle that has troubled him the entire season which will allow young defender Jarrod Silvester to remain on the primary list.

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings says there is a place for veteran Tiger Matthew Richardson at the club in 2010.

"He's been excellent in his rehab, and he's an iconic person around the footy club and within the competition," Rawlings told radion station SEN.

"He has to be aware of what we're trying to achieve as a team ... If he can embrace that and take it on board, he'll fit in no problem.

"My stance would be - based on the last four or five weeks, him showing that his body can stand up and make change in his own game - then I can't see why not."

Jade Rawlings' bid to permanently take Richmond's reins received a huge tick from star recruit Ben Cousins and the bookies today.

Jade Rawlings says he is very, very serious about wanting to coach Richmond in 2010.

"People who know me well will understand how much it means to me to coach this footy club," he said.

"I've been backed in and you fall in love your own and these players mean a lot to me. I'd like to think that I've been able to shape what they're doing and what's going to take this footy club forward."

Jack Dyer Medallist Brett Deledio was about to be dropped, Richmond coach Jade Rawlings has revealed.

"We put it pretty squarely to him before the Crows game up on the Gold Coast that he needed to lift in a couple of areas," Rawlings said.

"He's been able to address the areas - not just the contested possessions - of what we think will make him a better leader, a better player and help this footy club move forward."

Interim coach Jade Rawlings says Jack Riewoldt played his best game against Essendon after the young forward kicked a career-high six goals to earn victory for his side.

"Yes, I think it is and probably the fact it was in a big game as well," Rawlings said when asked if it was Riewoldt's best game.

"I think he's scratched the surface. He kicked five against the Eagles last year, but we were 10 goals up, so he got a few late.

"He can be a genuine key position forward for this footy club."

AFLPA head Brendon Gale says the League must limit football department budgets to ensure a truly level playing field.

"Now the top four-spending clubs in the AFL spend nearly $17 million a year on football operations," he said.

"The bottom four clubs spend about $12 million. So I'll go out on a limb and say I reckon that spend or lack of spend has a bit to do with whether a club can be competitive or not.

"In fact I'll go more than that and say there is actually a demonstrable correlation ... the AFL's figures tell us."

Richmond brings in five players including Ben Cousins, Trent Cotchin and Nathan Brown for the round 17 clash with Essendon.

"They're good as gold - they were reasonable by game day last weekend, but they just hadn't done anything during the week and were still crook the day before the game, so we just didn't want send them out there under those circumstances," Richmond football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"Nathan had a decent break to get himself right, then had two games to work himself into some form at Coburg."

Jade Rawlings has dismissed any notion of the Tigers "tanking" matches following recent claims by his predecessor Terry Wallace.

"I don't buy into the tanking thing. Anyone who's watched us play, we've been in positions the last five weeks where we could have won and should have won," Rawlings said.

"After the way got us earlier this year, my priority is picking a team that can knock them over on Sunday."

Richmond captain Chris Newman has given cautious support to calls for a review of the priority pick system following the sensational claims made by former coach Terry Wallace who said that he did not proactively coach the team while they were a chance to snare a priority pick.

"I guess it needs to be looked at, but I think the idea behind it is genuine in making sure that the competition is as even as possible," Newman said.

"I think through the competition now it's fairly even and any team can win on any given day."

Former Richmond coach Terry Wallace admits he did "absolutely nothing" in a game two years ago, knowing a win would cost the Tigers prized recruit Trent Cotchin.

"It was a no-win situation for everyone in the coach's box," Wallace said.

"We decided the best way to operate was just to let the players go out.

"I didn't do anything. I just let the boys play. There weren't any miracle moves in the last couple of minutes."

Richmond led by nine points 12 minutes into the final term, but the Saints kicked the last three goals to win by 10 points.

Richmond's Daniel Jackson says a second break during the season would help players cope with the frenetic pace of the game.

"The split round certainly came at a good time during the year but I would be a massive advocate to have the dual split round, maybe one in round eight and one in round 16 because that extra couple of days recovery is paramount when it comes to this time of year," Jackson said.

"Speaking personally I'm sore every week. I've been battling through and haven't been training that much. A lot of other guys are very similar."

Essendon's Matthew Knights doesn't expect to be approached by former club Richmond as it searches for a new coach.

"I played my whole career there, and obviously they're going through a really diligent process. They're going to go through the whole scenario, which I think is fantastic," Knights said.

"I still keep in contact with a lot of guys down there, and past players, so there is a connection there.

"I can't worry about that too much. I'm just focused on coaching here at Essendon."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings says Ben Cousins has brought a new dimension to the club.

"We've scratched the surface a little bit of what he's dealing with, moving interstate and the history, and we have a good open discussion once a week, he and I," Rawlings said.

"Whether it starts with footy and goes elsewhere, I really look forward to those chats because he's a terrific guy.

"I rate him hugely and if it means I'm going over the top with my praise for him, I don't really care because I think he deserves it with how he's gone about it."

Defender Jarrod Silvester says he thought he was going to get the vital free kick that saved the Tigers from defeat against North Melbourne on Sunday.

With 20 seconds remaining and scores level, Silvester found himself one-out with David Hale deep in the North Melbourne forward-line.

The young Tiger defender was able to hold the front position in the contest and won the free-kick after the umpire ruled that Hale had grabbed his jumper.

"I thought I had it," Silvester said after the match.

"But I didn't know what the umpire was going to pay."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings says he faces a "delicate" situation with Nathan Brown as the veteran battles to force his way back into the senior line-up and also extend his AFL career.

Brown has been playing with VFL affiliate Coburg since overcoming a groin injury.

"I think he's a little bit anxious about the fact that his body hasn't been allowing him to do what he wants ... but he's very mature about it and he's giving himself every opportunity," Rawlings said.

"He needs to be able to prove he can pull up and recover and then play again."

Caretaker Jade Rawlings had kept his distance from coaching the Tigers in 2010 but says he's now in 'head deep' and passionate about the future.

"I'm very passionate about what I'd like to think I could do with this group. I'd like to think I'm establishing a rapport and chemistry and trust with these boys but it's something I'm now committing to, going through the process," Rawlings said.

"I'm in it head deep, and I want to come out the other side as Richmond senior coach."

Richmond assistant coach and former captain Wayne Campbell has withdrawn from the race for the senior coaching job next year.

Campbell, 36, told club president Gary March and head of football Craig Cameron last night he needed more time learning the complexities of the coaching business.

"I just think I'm not quite ready," he told the Herald Sun.

"I reckon I'm about 80 per cent, and that's nowhere near enough. It's just such a full-on job."

Brett Deledio says he 'absolutely' wants Richmond to offer Ben Cousins a new contract for 2010.

"Ben's been fantastic. I can't speak highly enough of him," Deledio said.

"I never realised how much of a team player Ben was until you witness it first-hand.

"I haven't seen anyone drive as much to help out another teammate as he has, and to see his work rate on game day is phenomenal."

Brett Deledio has admitted he doesn't deserve any "pats on the back" for his form this season.

On the eve of his 100th AFL game this Sunday against North Melbourne, Deledio said he was aware his consistency remained an issue.

"I am still inconsistent, I know that, I don't expect to get any pats on the back, I haven't done anything this year," Deledio said.

"The side has been a bit inconsistent, or very inconsistent, as well, it's something we're improving on and I'm trying to improve on myself.

"I am trying to take as many steps forward as I can every week. As a team we're trying to improve and I'm doing the same myself."

Ben Cousins is unlikely to know for several months whether he has a future at Richmond next year.

The Tigers intend to put Cousins's name, and those of other senior players with doubts on their careers, to the last-stage candidates for the senior coaching position before making their call on the 2005 Brownlow medallist.

Graham Polak needs to prove he can still hold down key position if he is to win senior berth with Richmond.

Polak, who was put in a medically induced coma for two days after being hit by a tram just over a year ago, received glowing praise from Coburg coach Craig McRae after his outstanding weekend performance playing in the ruck and on a wing.

"He was sensational. Just the way he's gone about it over the last couple of weeks, he looks like the 'Polly' of old ... I'm not on the match committee at Richmond but if you just talk solely on Polly's form, his last couple of weeks have been terrific," McRae said.

Matthew Richardson has joined his first full training session since injuring his hamstring in Round 6.

Richmond star Matthew Richardson will tomorrow make a significant breakthrough in his recovery from hamstring issues.

Richardson will joins the Tigers' main training group, hopes to return to football in three or four weeks, and is still open-minded about playing on next year.

"It's going really well. I have completed most of the running stuff I had to do before I got back into training," he said.

"I am back into sprinting at full pace and twisting and turning. I just need to get back into full training now so I reckon I am at least three to four weeks away."

Ben Cousins is delighted for friend and former teammate Michael Gardiner, who kicked the winning goal for St Kilda yesterday against the unbeaten Cats.

"For him to stand up the way he did in such a big game, I was just rapt for him," Cousins said.

"He kicked four in the ruck, has taken a couple of contested marks in the clinches of the game. It was just fantastic."

Cousins also made comment on the challenges Gardiner faced in his comeback to football after being traded by West Coast.

"He has come over to Melbourne in the circumstances he has and hasn't been able to get his body right, which, for a player, I don't think people quite realise how frustrating and hard that is," Cousins said.

"That's probably why he took it out on some of those off-field indiscretions and why that came to the surface.

"To see him get his body right and playing the footy he is in a great side is good to see."

Young Crow forward Shaun McKernan seeked his brother Corey McKernan's advice ahead of his debut match against Richmond.

"He just said, 'Don't put any expectations on yourself'," McKernan said.

"Don't do anything you don't normally do and just take it as it comes. The main thing is just having a fierce attack on the ball and giving those second and third efforts."

Corey McKernan was impressed by his younger brother's efforts.

"It was great, the biggest buzz for me is you're always unsure when someone plays their first game but he fitted right in and if he keeps working hard he's hopefully got a long career ahead of him," Corey McKernan said.

"The thing that impressed me with him is how quick he actually moves.

"He's got some real speed off the mark, if he keeps working how I know he has. That's what people are going to judge him by, not me or anyone else."

Richmond midfielder Nathan Foley is likely to miss three weeks with a calf injury sustained in the Tigers' loss to Adelaide on Saturday night.

Coach Jade Rawlings said Foley injured his right calf at training last week but doctors had cleared him on Friday to play.

He said the injury became sore as the game wore on. Foley is now likely to have scans.

Robin Nahas says a blast from caretaker coach Jade Rawlings got him into gear for the match against the Crows where was one of the Tigers' best with 19 disposals.

Both coach and player admit that his attitude to training wasn't up to scratch.

"I got a bit of a kick up the backside during the week," Nahas said.

"My training habits didn't improve. It's my first year in the AFL system so yeah it was sort of a bit surreal so I've obviously got to improve a lot of areas, coming from the VFL."

Both coach and player admit that his attitude to training wasn't up to scratch.

The 21-year-old responded with a 19 disposal game that almost pinched the game for the Tigers.

"I got a bit of a kick up the backside during the week," Nahas said.

Caretaker coach Jade Rawlings was pleased with Nahas' effort against Adelaide.

"I had a bit of a chat to him during the week. We've got pretty high expectations for Robin Nahas. He's worked very hard to get himself onto an AFL list and there's no room for comfort for him," Rawlings said.

Matthew Knights says Mark McVeigh should forget about the captaincy and worry about playing good football.

"We've never come out and publicly said that we're looking to change the captaincy in the near future," Knights said.

"Mark just needs to worry about getting back and playing good football in 2009.

"That's Mark's major focus ... the captaincy's a little bit irrelevant at this point in time, because we've got a wonderful captain."

The hysteria whipped up by Kevin Sheedy's decision to vie for the Richmond job has not distracted caretaker coach Jade Rawlings.

"Many people are going to be putting their hands up for it. The club will stick to their process - the best person will get the job," Rawlings said.

Richmond's Mark Coughlan is free to try to revive his AFL career after being cleared of headbutting by the VFL tribunal tonight.

Coughlan was reported on a misconduct charge after he became involved in a scuffle with St Kilda-listed player Colm Begley during a VFL game last Saturday.

Drew Petrie and Trent Cotchin have escaped with reprimands for striking offences on the weekend.

Petrie was cited for striking Brad Johnson, while Cotchin was fingered for striking Jarryn Geary.

Nathan Buckley had his first audition for the Richmond coaching position yesterday under the watchful eye of Tigers president Gary March.

As part of a successful Channel Seven community initiative, Buckley coached a team of South Melbourne District Auskick kids against a side tutored by four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews.

Richmond's skipper Chris Newman has had a baptism of fire in his new job.

Since he played his last game of last season, Chris Newman has been appointed club captain, welcomed the circus that was the arrival of Ben Cousins, endured a season of losses, seen off one coach, welcomed another and dealt with a raft of veteran players being axed from the side. And he has played a bit of football.

"It has been a year I have really learnt a lot about myself, and in a way has fast-tracked my development as a leader," he said.

"You would have to think it will get easier from here. But I do think I have grown from the experience. I guess I would rather have gone through what I have in the early stages so I am prepared for what is to come."

Jade Rawlings will make it two debutants in as many games with rookie-listed defender Jarrod Silvester to get his opportunity against St Kilda.

"His form at Coburg has been terrific this year and we've just been waiting for an opportunity for him to play. We just decided to give him a challenge this week against one of the better teams in the competition," Football manager Ross Monaghan said.

Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt says the young Tigers forward line that he is a key part of is coming along well.

"We've got a few new faces down there - Robin Nahas is down there and he's been lively and has had a great input, Tommy Hislop last week played a fantastic game, along with young Tyrone Vickery," Riewoldt said.

"We've got a lot of young faces down there, and Mitch Morton is almost the oldest person in the forward line, so we've got a lot of new guys down there, a lot of exuberance, a lot of youth.

"We're just trying to do our job best for the team - put on defensive pressure and hopefully kick a winning score."

Jack Riewoldt has a unique boast among his teammates - he is the one Tiger who has played alongside new coach Jade Rawlings.

The 20-year-old forward was a 17-year-old hopeful playing for Tassie Mariners in the VFL when Rawlings, in the twilight of his senior career with the then Mariners' affiliate North Melbourne, came back and played a handful of games in the twos.

"He rides me a bit harder than some others. We're pretty tight," Riewoldt said.

"We're pretty close friends. We've got that balance where he can have a stern word to me or give some words of encouragement."

St Kilda onballer Lenny Hayes thinks Tiger Ben Cousins will have plenty to prove when he plays the club that decided he was too risky to draft.

"We expect nothing less from Cousins. We know he is a real professional, he is a real hard runner and he has been getting back to some of his best form. I'm sure he's looking forward to the game as well," Hayes said.

Richmond will talk to Leigh Matthews after the AFL legend yesterday reopened the possibility of coaching

The four-time premiership coach gave a categoric no to coaching on Friday, but yesterday he was less emphatic.

"Seriously, no is the correct answer, but if a club rang you and wanted to talk to you . . . that's what happened with the Lions and me," he said.

"I wasn't coaching again, Fremantle rang up and I spoke to them and I never went forward, this was 10 years ago, and when the Lions rang up I spoke to them out of courtesy.

"No is the . . . best answer because otherwise you get into ifs, buts and maybes." .

Richmond's axed veterans were on the end of an embarrassing loss after suiting up for the Tigers' VFL side this afternoon.

Senior players Joel Bowden, Mark Coughlan and Jordan McMahon were all part of the Coburg Tigers' 45-point loss, while other AFL regulars Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Jake King and Jay Schulz also played.

Most were dropped from Richmond's senior side after coach Terry Wallace stepped down a fortnight ago and interim replacement Jade Rawlings opted for youth over experience.

Matthew Richardson is on schedule to make a return to action late in the season, defying his surgeon's prediction.

"I went and saw the surgeon this week and he was really happy," the Tigers veteran told Vega 91.5.

"(I'm) ahead of schedule ... I don't think he thought I'd play again this year, initially, but I think he's very confident now.

"I should play a couple of games at the end of the year, definitely."

Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt has accepted the match review panel's penalty of a reprimand for striking Eagle Daniel Kerr.

The imminent return of injured Richmond forward Nathan Brown is set to test the scalpel of new coach Jade Rawlings who has already dumped several senior players as caretaker coach of the Tigers.

Jack Riewoldt has been charged by the match review panel with striking Eagle Daniel Kerr.

The young Tiger can accept a reprimand and 93.75 demerit points if he pleads guilty to the incident which occurred in the first quarter of Richmond's win.

Richmond gives caretaker coach Jade Rawlings a first-up win in the AFL after the Tigers defeat West Coast, Ben Cousins' old side.

Richmond's new interim coach Jade Rawlings has impressed the media and showed he is not afraid to make the tough decisions.

"I said last Saturday that I'm well aware this is a caretaker role for 2009 - where it takes things beyond this year will be up to the footy club, and obviously my performance in the second half of the year," he said.

"But I'm very excited to be able to be able to shape this group of players - men - for the second half of the year for 11 games.

"That's a great opportunity that I've been fortunate enough to be given."

Interim Richmond coach Jade Rawlings says opting for youth in his first selection does not spell the end for experienced players.

Joel Bowden, Jordie McMahon, Troy Simmonds, Mark Coughlan and Kayne Pettifer were all axed.

But Rawlings said on Friday ahead of training at Punt Road he had talked extensively with all concerned and no problems existed with any of them.

"We haven't put a line through any person on our list,'' Rawlings said.

"I said to all the guys, 'There is no cap on whether it is one week, eight weeks or never again'.

"They will need to go to Coburg and do something about elements of the game that we have discussed with them to be able to give them a chance to be able to come back in the senior side.''

Joel Bowden, in particular, has received strong support from Richmond supporters after his axing.

"I totally understand why he's got plenty of support - I'd be disappointed for him if there wasn't some support," Rawlings said.

"It's been over probably a month - he's been on the borderline once or twice this year already, and to his credit he's fought back really well.

"He can easily generate the ball, he's shown that, but there's just some elements of his game he needs to tighten up."

Rawlings denied he was trying to make a statement with the axings.

"It is a lot of changes from one week to another, but we want to move forward, picking a team we think is going to help shape the future of the footy club and also reward form," Rawlings said.

"People ask 'Is it a statement?' - I don't know if it's a statement, it's just a fact that a lot of those players who are out of the side now haven't been in great form."

Richmond caretaker coach Jade Rawlings clearly signaled the club's intentions for the rest of the season on Thursday with five experienced campaigners dropped in favour of youth ahead of round 12 of the Toyota AFL Premiership season.

Troy Simmonds, Mark Coughlan, Joel Bowden, Jordan McMahon and Kayne Pettifer were all omitted after Rawlings' first selection meeting in charge at Punt Road.

Tyrone Vickery concedes his debut isn't the main attraction at Etihad Stadium tomorrow night with caretaker coach Jade Rawlings in charge of the team for the first time.

"Jade's been really good for half of the year down at Coburg for myself and the younger guys, so for him to be now coaching at AFL level and me playing I suppose it will make it pretty easy, I know what he expects and I know how he coaches.

"He's got a very good temperament, he's able to handle crises well I think, he keeps a clear head, but I suppose it will all be tested out when it goes up another step at AFL (level) but I think he'll be a very good caretaker coach for the club.''

Tiger star Matthew Richardson hints that he might not yet be ready to become a past player.

"I've been trying to focus on getting over the injury first and foremost," Richardson said.

"At the end of the year we'll sit down and make decisions ... who's to say that I'm even going to get over this injury?

"I hope that I will and I'm confident that I will but these are all decisions. Whatever decision is made it will be about the best interests of the footy club. It won't be about me."

Richmond has enjoyed some rare good news with confirmation top draft pick Tyrone Vickery would make his debut on Saturday night.

Richmond's Matthew Richardson says he expects Jade Rawlings to make a fine coach.

"I haven't played under him at Coburg, and I guess I was always hoping I wouldn't play under him in that regard," Richardson.

"He'll keep things fairly simple - there's no point re-inventing the wheel half-way through the year.

"He's got the respect of all the players around the place and everyone's comfortable with the decision."

First-round draft pick Tyrone Vickery will be included in Richmond's team to take on West Coast in Round 12, the club has confirmed.

"We were excited to get him at selection eight in last year's draft - we were looking for a tall player who could play in the ruck and go forward so he's ideal from that point-of-view," Tigers football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"He started the season slowly with a few games in the Coburg reserves and then found his feet at senior level. His first breakout game from our point-of-view was against Box Hill on Anzac Day - he kicked 3.5 that day and really presented well and showed he can play at senior level.

"Since then he's been really consistent."

Kane Johnson who was publicly accused of helping plot Terry Wallace's demise as Richmond coach says his conscience is clear.

"I'm not going to go out there and play games and try to defend myself because I don't need to defend myself," Johnson said.

"Going forward, it's forgotten and we move on. We've got a new era at the football club.

"There's been a lot of people who thought they knew exactly what was going on, but all I'll say is I'm comfortable with my involvement, and more than happy with the way Chris Newman has handled himself."

West Coast coach John Worsfold says he is doing his homework on new Richmond coach Jade Rawlings.

"We've got Warren Kofoed (former Richmond rehab and conditioning coach) at the club who's worked closely with Jade, so we have an idea what he's all about.

"But we don't really know if he's going to bring his own ideas or stick with what the players have been working on this year."

Former Richmond captain Kane Johnson quits football to take up player development role with the Tigers.

"I dearly would have loved to play until the end of the year but my ongoing issues with my knee have forced me to reassess the situation and make the decision earlier than expected," Johnson said.

"It is the start of a new era at the club and as I had no intention of playing on next year, the timing was right to step aside and play some of the new generation of players.

"I would like to take the opportunity to thank both the Adelaide and Richmond Football Clubs for giving me the opportunity to play for two great clubs. I have met some outstanding people over the journey and really appreciate the terrific support they have shown me."

Former Richmond captain Kane Johnson has announced his retirement.

It is the game West Coast and Richmond fans have been waiting all year to see - Tiger Ben Cousins up against his former club.

While most of the AFL world is buzzing in anticipation ahead of Saturday's mouthwatering duel at Etihad Stadium, Eagles coach John Worsfold insists he's not one of them.

"I would expect that there's interest in it for a lot of people,'' Worsfold said.

"A lot of West Coast people will watch the game with an interest in how Ben goes and depending on their personal stance on it they'll either hope he goes well or won't be fussed.

"It's out of my control.

"It doesn't affect our preparation.''

Brett Deledio looked ready to explode as Liam Picken shoved him on the edge of the centre square throughout Friday night.

For much of the game, Picken delivered short, sharp forearm jolts - not enough to hurt or injure, but definitely enough to infuriate - and knocked one of the game's top playmakers off balance.

"I don't really notice it during the game. I just try to concentrate on the match. I don't worry about the niggle of games too much," Picken said.

"It happens in games, and opponents give it back to you. And that's fair enough.

"All the boys help me out during the game, which is great for me. I just want to keep playing my role so I can stay in the team, and hopefully we can get better.

"The ball bounced my way. It was just good to shut down whoever I had to."

Jade Rawlings becomes the AFL's newest coach after being named caretaker coach of Richmond in Terry Wallace's place.

"We really want to get some life into the second half of the year," he said.

"The fundamentals are pretty good ... finals footy this year might be a bit hard, but we'll play a sustainable brand that's going to stack up in finals for whoever takes over (and) whatever happens in the future. We'll be repetitive in how we go about it and there'll be a real level of consistency."

Former Hawk, Bulldog and Kangaroo Jade Rawlings will lead Richmond for the rest of the season.

"I'm very humbled and extremely excited," Rawlings said.

"The club's shown they've gone through a process and stuck to it - I was only notified this morning.

"A couple of the guys are probably a bit disappointed, but geez, the support I've had already from the assistant coaches is outstanding.

"The main thing I want to get out is that one season's gone and a new one's starting, and we really want to get some life into the second half of the year."

Former Richmond and Footscray utility Leon Cameron has signalled his ambition to win a senior coaching position next season after serving an apprenticeship under Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

"I'll wait and see how things unfold at the end of the year and go through the interview process," Cameron said.

"The last couple of seasons I've developed under Rodney Eade. The advantage I've had is that Rodney gives me an enormous amount of scope.

"He lets me experience the things that a senior coach goes through.

"That leads to you thinking about the future. You're learning, learning, learning and if something comes up I'll go."

West Coast assistant coach Peter Sumich says he still has senior coaching ambitions but is going to take a low-key approach to the Richmond vacancy.

"There's no doubt I do," Sumich said when asked if he had aspirations to become a head coach.

"Where it ends up at the end of the year with Richmond and what they want to do, that's up to them.

"That's out of my control. I just play it low-key.

"When it all comes out later on in the year we'll see what happens."

Nathan Brown, the Tigers' player whose career has been most closely linked to Terry Wallace, will miss his mentor's final game in charge with a groin injury.

Jason Akemanis has called on the Tigers to appoint his former teammate Craig McRae as their caretaker coach.

"Wayne Campbell was an assistant coach over with the Western Bulldogs ... he would be a fine inclusion, David King knows his stuff. Craig McRae is a personal friend of mine, he would be my favourite, only because he's had his own team. He's done very, very well, he's a very, very switched on man when it comes to footy," Akermanis said

Matthew Richardson recalls the moment Richmond coach Terry Wallace told him his days as a key forward were over.

"I was full of doubts about the move. I knew I had the engine but just didn't know if I had the ability to run around on a smaller player or play around stoppages - I'd never played there in my whole career," Richardson wrote in a column for afl.com.au.

"When you are a forward, you're normally always a kick away from the stoppage. So I was just worried about getting lost in the traffic at the stoppages, losing my opponent and having him kick goals on me.

"Luckily enough, moving to the wing worked well in the first game against Freo and it just grew from there."

Nathan Brown believes he can be a part of a new era at the Tigers, despite the departure Terry Wallace.

"Whatever the new coach coming in wants to do, I'll respect that decision and just get on with it," Brown said.

"I'll hope to play for the rest of the year, play and prove that you are worth keeping on another year."

Brett Ratten has urged Richmond's assistant coaches to apply for the Tigers' interim position, saying it is a golden opportunity to shine.

"I would say for anyone if you are in doubt, take it, because history shows there have been a lot of caretakers that have gone in and won the job," Ratten said.

Richmond forward Mitch Morton has been on the end of two very different weeks.

A mere fortnight ago he was in the hot seat after playing on in the dying minutes against Port Adelaide, kicking the ball out on the full and seeing the Power take it down the ground to kick the winning goal.

In the days that followed, it was incorrectly reported that Terry Wallace had lost his job but confirmed that Morton had felt the wrath of his coach after that game.

On the weekend it was a different story, as Morton played on to win the match against Fremantle.

"It's funny how quickly things can turn around in footy," he said.

"I'm not getting too hyped up about it, because at the end of the day I could make a big blue this week and we're back to square one.

"That's footy, you know - you've got to take the highs with the lows, and I guess I was just lucky on the weekend that I got the ball at the time I did."

Richmond forward Mitch Morton says the playing group take personal responsibility for how the team has played so far in 2009 .

"I think the players take on as much of the blame as anyone for the season we've had. We've only had two wins for the year; that's no-one's fault but our own," Morton said.

"We take a lot of that responsibility on. I know I do personally, and I know nearly every player does.

"I keep saying to people close to me that I think we're very close to turning it around, it's just a matter of when, and hopefully last weekend was the spark we needed."

Matthew Richardson believes Richmond is only a few years away from becoming a contender for the flag.

"I don't think it's as far away as people believe. We just missed finals last year. This year has been very disappointing but you can throw a blanket over the competition other than two teams," he told SEN' radio.

"It only takes a few things to go your way, and you're playing finals footy."

Ben Cousins has been fined $10,000, with $7500 suspended for 12 months, for giving Channel 10's camera the bird on Saturday night.

"I apologised for raising my finger and explained that it was not a gesture I ever thought would go to air," Cousins said.

"I hadn't seen the footage until yesterday afternoon and wasn't aware of my facial expression.

"Once I viewed the footage I realised why the public, the AFL and the Richmond Football Club were offended by my actions."

Video footage will force Ben Cousins to explain his one-finger salute, while a lack of evidence has allowed him to avoid a possible charge.

"I spoke to the leadership group this morning. We'll all sit down and have a chat with Ben and deal with that all in the appropriate manner. But you can rest assured we're actually going to deal with the process," Richmond football manager Craig Cameron said.

Richmond has ruled out Mick Malthouse and Kevin Sheedy as its coach next year to replace Terry Wallace, with assistant coach Wayne Campbell the early favourite.

Ben Cousins is facing a fine from the AFL for his one-finger salute to the change-room cameras.

Richmond will favour a young coach to replace Terry Wallace as the man to lead them from the wilderness.

Terry Wallace will coach Richmond for the last time this week against the Western Bulldogs.

At an announcement at Punt Road Oval, club president Gary March thanked Wallace for his contribution to the club and said the club and Wallace had come to a "mutual agreement'' that he stand down.

"Really the club and I realised it was untenable to stay in the role," Wallace said.

"If I am going into football and I'm making decisions on football ... and I'm involved in those meetings and I (am going to) step away from the club, it's probably not fair on the club."

The AFL demands Richmond midfielder Ben Cousins explain his one-finger salute to TV camera.

Richmond last night released a statement from Cousins: "It was never my intention to cause any offence.

"However, I appreciate that my actions could have caused offence to some people, and for that I apologise."

AFL bad boy Ben Cousins stunned the football world when he gave a change room TV camera the finger.

Cousins was going through his warm-up with Richmond teammates at Subiaco Oval when he looked at the in-room eye used by television during pre-game build-ups and gave it ''the bird''.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace admits he won't be coach of the Tigers next year.

"I'm not going on next year as a coach and that's where that sits," he said.

"So I'm quite comfortable to do the right thing by the Richmond footy club.

"I'll do what the Richmond footy club needs me to do."

Matthew Richardson supports free agency being introduced in the AFL, but allayed fears it would lead to disloyalty among players.

"I think that free agency should come in, definitely," Richardson told FM radio station Vega.

"People say they're worried that all the big stars would leave clubs and move clubs, but over the history of the game not a lot of the real big names have actually moved clubs.

"Most players like to be one-club players, but there is going to be circumstances where free agency would be very, very good, so I'd support it."

Terry Wallace will achieve a milestone of having played and coached a total of 500 games when he coaches Richmond against the Dockers.

"Five hundred is a journey - this week is just another game of footy to be won. As a player, the higher milestones are incredibly hard to reach - 200 is hard enough, then 250, and the really big one is 300. To get that far is phenomenal," Wallace said.

"I guess once I've finished in the game I'll have a cup of coffee and look back and think about it, but as I said, this week is about getting out there and winning a game of football."

Richmond has given Ben Cousins the green light for another comeback with the champion midfielder set to return from a broken hand.

Victims groups have described prison footy teams such as the one former Tiger Andrew Krakouer play in, as a "farce".

"This is somebody who is supposed to be serving a penalty for a serious crime and yet they're allowed to still participate in normal life. It just seems a bit of a farce," Jean Wilby, from the West Australian Homicide Victims Support Group, said.

"This was obviously not a homicide but it is frustrating that people are allowed out to do the normal things, the pleasure things, when they're supposed to be serving a penalty."

Mark Harvey has called on critics to leave Terry Wallace alone amid reports the Richmond coach is battling stress-related health issues.

"I think we need to be a lot more remembering of the contribution of what Terry Wallace has done to the AFL and VFL," Harvey said.

"There's not too many guys that have done that but here we are seeing a regular day-to-day basis of the critical nature of how he's going about his coaching or whether he should or shouldn't stay.

"He's brought an enormous amount to the game and we shouldn't forget that."

If Ben Cousins succeeds in his race to recover from a broken hand, he may find himself in a race against Fremantle speedster Stephen Hill.

Dockers coach Mark Harvey indicated this afternoon 19-year-old Hill was likely to get the job on Cousins should the 2005 Brownlow Medallist front up for his Perth homecoming in Saturday night's clash at Subiaco Oval.

"If we are going to come of age as a team we have to challenge our younger players and sometimes put them on the best players of the opposition," Harvey said.

"I just fleetingly mentioned it on the way here and he just smiled and kept walking, like he always does.

"I think he plays with experience, even though he's only nine games down the track he doesn't get flustered and he backs himself in."

Richmond says Ben Cousins has overcome his hand injury and looks likely to play his first match in Perth since being sacked by the Eagles.

"He did what was required, so he's progressing well," Richmond football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"We'll make a final decision on Thursday when we train properly, but all indications are that he should be okay, but a firm decision hasn't been made yet."

Jailed former Richmond footballer Andrew Krakouer is let out each weekend to play in a prison team.

Krakouer, who played 102 games for the Tigers before being jailed for a minimum 16 months last year for an assault outside a Fremantle nightclub in 2006, is proving to be the star of the team of inmates that is undefeated in the suburban Mercantile Football League

Nathan Lovett-Murray and Mathew Stokes are facing time on the sidelines after the match review panel's assessment of the weekend's action.

In-form Mathew Stokes must sit out Sunday's game against Essendon unless he successfully challenges a striking charge at the AFL Tribunal tonight.

A poor record also came back to haunt Essendon defender Nathan Lovett-Murray when he was outed for three matches for a late hit on Richmond's Kayne Pettifer.

Richmond's Matthew Richardson says it is a disgrace that details of a sensitive meeting were made public.

"We all know in a footy club if that sort of thing happens and information is leaked then it's a disgrace and whoever leaks that information it's just not good enough basically. You want everyone on the same page and you certainly don't want those things to happen," Richardson said.

"Everyone knows there was a meeting on Tuesday morning, which is 100 per cent correct. I'm not going to talk about the specifics in that meeting but what I will say is that it was a very honest and open discussion by the group with Terry and Craig Cameron and Gary March, our president.".

Richmond has denied rumours former captain Kane Johnson was poised to retire, saying he was determined to play this year.

"I am not going to comment on that, because to be honest we are trying to put it behind us a bit. He will definitely be training tomorrow," Tigers' head of football Craig Cameron said.

"Someone called me and asked me if he had retired, which is also not true."

Terry Wallace looked relieved it was over. Not his coaching career with Richmond, that will come soon enough, but his week from hell was at least over.

Having spoken prior to the game about how the trademark Tiger turmoil had impacted on his life and even his waistline, Wallace looked more than a little gaunt afterwards, but happy to put a full stop on the past week.

A defiant Terry Wallace has strongly defended Tigers captain Chris Newman amid suggestions he should step down after delivering a message from players that they wanted Wallace removed as coach of Richmond.

"Whether they are private conversations after the game on Sunday, whether they are private conversations between me and my captain, whether it's private conversations at our team meeting on Tuesday ... they are private conversations," Wallace said.

"The week started with a non-story which became a story ... people have been reading things into everything all week."

Terry Wallace has refused to confirm or deny whether captain Chris Newman asked him to resign this week on behalf of a group of players.

Richmond star Matthew Richardson is set to start running next week, and is ahead of schedule as he recovers from a torn hamstring tendon.

"My good news is that I'm healing quickly, and I'm well on track to be back later this year, nicely ahead of schedule," Richardson said.

"The enforced layoff means I've had plenty of time to think about what I want to do, and it's just reinforced to me that I'm really focused on getting back to full fitness, playing again this year and giving myself a chance to go again."

Ben Cousins is back in the gym and the Tigers expect him to play in round 10 against Fremantle at Subiaco Oval after having plaster removed from his broken hand.

"He had the plaster off today and he's in here doing some gym work," Richmond football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"We're hoping by early next week things have settled down, and we're hoping he's in a position to be able to play next week."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has arrived at Punt Rd for his first training session since Tuesday's turmoil.

"I'm not speaking today. It's just business as normal," Wallace said on his way in to the Tigers' training ground this morning.

"I've got a pretty busy night ahead of me - we've got match committee, full training - so it's business as usual, but any questions anyone's got to ask me, I'm quite happy to answer tomorrow."

Kane Johnson emerges as a key participant in the player push to have Terry Wallace removed as Richmond coach.

The Age reports that rookie skipper Chris Newman was heavily influenced by Johnson to approach Wallace.

Richard Tambling says the players had no idea what was going on when the leadership group and coach were absent from training yesterday.

It was later revealed Wallace had been in emergency meetings with Richmond officials and the leadership group, and would be staying on as coach.

"When training started we were obviously wondering why," Tambling said.

"They got us up into a meeting and explained why there weren't any of the older boys there and why the coach wasn't there and stuff like that.

"It was pretty understandable, so we went out and just trained how we normally trained."

A day after Terry Wallace was wrongly reported as sacked, Carlton coach Brett Ratten says the media needs to be more accountable.

"I feel pretty sorry for Terry and his family to get put through something like that when it hasn't even been put out by the club," he said. "I think it's very hard on an individual.

"It would be good to make sure the information is spot-on before we actually bring out the big-hitting news that could actually hurt people behind the scenes."

Richmond midfielder Richard Tambling says under siege coach Terry Wallace has the support of all players.

"We know who our coach is and hopefully he is going to be there for the rest of the year," Tambling said.

"We've copped it a lot this year with Benny coming over and now with Plough, we're just treating every week as it comes. It's the only thing we can control so we’re trying to control the controllables."

John Worsfold has thrown his support behind Terry Wallace and Mick Malthouse, saying he knows just how they feel.

"I'm in pretty much the same boat and we are all coming out of contract," Worsfold said on Tuesday.

""I understand what Terry Wallace is going through, what Mark Harvey went through in the first few rounds and what Mick is going through.

"I also know that those guys are the types of characters that deal with it quite comfortably."

Despite earlier reports that he was about to be sacked, beleaguered Richmond coach Terry Wallace is to remain in his position, at least in the short term.

Ben Cousins has suffered another injury setback, breaking a bone in his hand in the opening minutes of Sunday's narrow loss to Port Adelaide.

"It was an extraordinary effort for Ben to play out the remainder of the match after being hurt so early," Richmond football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"We are hopeful he will only be out for one match."

Shattered Richmond coach Terry Wallace will tell the Tigers' board tomorrow night that he refuses to "give it away" after a heartbreaking loss to the Power.

"I've gone public and said that's where I stand," Wallace said.

"I don't see any sign of players giving it away, so nor should I."

Gutsy Richmond defender Alex Rance surprised his teammates yesterday, showing up for training just four days after a horrific collision with Brisbane Lions midfielder Troy Selwood.

Rance, his face still badly swollen, had plates and screws inserted into his cheekbone on Sunday to repair three small cracks in his face.

Ben Cousins has already registered on Port Adelaide's radar with Power ruckman Dean Brogan conceding that his side will have to pay attention to the Brownlow medallist.

"Cousins is back and we all know how good he looks, he's very fit. He played really well considering he missed a big chunk of footy," Brogan said.

"He'd be coming over here wanting to play well. He hasn't played here for a while so no doubt he's definitely on our radar. We can't let him get under our guard as he's a champion player."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace last night pledged to see out the rest of his contract unless the club decided against it.

"But if the Richmond Football Club came to me and said, 'It's all too hard for us', and said, 'We need a refresher', I would do what was right for Richmond, not what is right for me. There won't be a war, there won't be a battle," Wallace said.

Daniel Jackson says Alex Rance's attack on the footy should be emulated by the Tigers, despite his broken cheekbone.

"He does it all the time, and no doubt when he comes back he'll be doing it again and again. It won't be something that fazes him," Jackson said.

"He just epitomises how you should attack the footy."

Brisbane coach Michael Voss was impressed with his team rallying around Troy Selwood who suffered from a sickening collision with Tiger Alex Rance after their win against Richmond.

"Every now again as a coach you get goose bumps about different things, and I got goose bumps when I saw that," Voss said on Monday.

"I thought 'that's what teamwork is all about' - when one of your mates puts his body on the line for you and is willing to hurt himself for the greater cause.

"When you see all the guys go over to him after the game and acknowledge that effort, it is spine tingling."

Richmond defender Alex Rance hopes he might miss only a fortnight after his horrific collision with Brisbane Lion Troy Selwood.

Richmond defender Alex Rance was recovering last night from surgery to insert plates and screws in his cheekbone.

"As soon as he went down, we knew he was out to it and I know my wife was pretty much beside herself, but we just got on our skates and got downstairs as quick as we could," Rance's father Murray said yesterday.

"We met him on the way in and he was still pretty much out to it then."

Richmond youngster Alex Rance is in hospital after a sickening head clash with Brisbane's Troy Selwood at the MCG today.

At least Ben Cousins came through his second AFL comeback with the Tigers unscathed, if not a little exhausted.

Cousins had 22 disposals against the Lions in a loss at the MCG.

Richmond is prepared to send Matthew Richardson to Germany for advanced treatment on his hamstring and be more informed on his future.

The treatment is the same undertaken by teammate Mark Coughlan who has made a successful return to football after chronic hamstring injuries.

Despite having only one VFL game under his belt, Ben Cousins is fit to play for Richmond, according to Tiger coach Terry Wallace.

"We left him an extra week. We took a precaution and we trained him for two weeks on the training track doing full training and full match play," Wallace said on Friday.

"So we always said if we took him the extra week on the training track doing match play, he'd only need the one game at Coburg.

"That was our plan, but he needed to get a kick. If he showed he wasn't in any form, we wouldn't have played him."

Experienced ruckman Troy Simmonds is expected to start up forward against the Brisbane Lions in place of the injured Matthew Richardson.

"I think that Troy certainly has the ability to play as a forward, but he's equally adept in the ruck, so it's not really speaking out of school to say that he'll pretty much play both roles as Angus did last week. So that's what we expect him to do," Richmond coach Terry Wallace said.

Ben Cousins has trained lightly ahead of his AFL return, with coach Terry Wallace declaring him "100 per cent and fighting fit".

Matthew Richardson has hit back at critics of Richmond's medical staff and vowed to return before season's end.

"A lot of people must think we are running amateur hour down there the way they comment on it, but they've got absolutely no idea," he told The Footy Show.

"I've been involved with the medical staff we've got at Richmond for a long time now and I've got 100 per cent faith in them.

"The advice they've given me has always been spot-on.

"The way people have been potting them over the last few days has been disappointing."

Matthew Richardson says his injury lay-off gives other key forwards the chance to shine.

"In our forward line at the moment we would be looking to guys like Mitch Morton, Jack Riewoldt, Jay Schulz has been playing well at Coburg in the last few weeks, so you maybe look at Jay coming in and playing forward," Richardson said.

"But you just need heaps of guys kicking goals.

"We've still got Cleve Hughes down at Coburg, and it's a really good opportunity for these young guys.

"If they want to be key-position players, it's a pretty good opportunity for them to put their hand up and show what they can do."

Richmond has recalled Ben Cousins to play in Saturday's game against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG.

Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown wishes Richmond star Matthew Richardson a speedy recovery, but is relieved the big Tiger won't be prowling around the MCG on Saturday against the Lions.

"It's been an interesting one with Richmond considering their ladder position in the past few seasons and we know this weekend, even without Richardson, they'll be extremely tough," Brown said.

Ben Cousins' Coburg journey appears to be over and he is a likely starter against the Brisbane Lions at the MCG on Saturday.

Richmond is non-committal on whether Ben Cousins will come into the seniors this week.

"Playing-wise, we won't decide that until Thursday. Coburg haven't got a game this weekend, they've got the bye, so he'll either play with us or won't play," Ross Monaghan, Richmond's football manager, said.

Richmond has defended playing Matthew Richardson against Sydney after he suffered a potentially season-ending hamstring injury.

"When someone like that says: 'I'm right to go. I'm not great, but I'm happy to put my hand up and get out there', we've got to give that a lot of respect," Tigers doctor Greg Hickey said.

"He's been around and played with a million injuries.

"There's been times over the last 12 months where he's been as bad . . . and he's managed to go out and get three Brownlow votes."

Matthew Richardson will miss the next 10 weeks after scans showed a tear in his hamstring tendon.

Matthew Richardson expects to miss Saturday's clash with Brisbane due to a hamstring injury.

Ben Cousins is in line for a return to Richmond next week after making an impressive return in the VFL.

A large crowd is building at ABD Group Stadium in Coburg as Richmond's Ben Cousins prepares to make his return from injury.

Pleased with his return to football after years missed through injury, Richmond midfielder Mark Coughlan now wants to increase his impact.

"I've pulled up pretty well," he said.

"Telstra Dome's a really nice surface and especially having a win, we always tend to pull up a little bit better.

"I'll hopefully play this week and get a bit of form up and it's just about getting the run into the legs now.

"I'd played a few games in the VFL before last week, and hopefully I'll get a few senior games in and get into the swing of things."

Richmond will resist the temptation to throw midfielders Ben Cousins and Trent Cotchin into the fray against Sydney opting instead to allow both players to regain form and fitness with VFL side Coburg.

Brent Harvey will undergo elbow surgery this week after severely damaging ligaments when tackled by Richmond's Daniel Jackson.

The injury will keep out of action for up to three months.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says a persistent groin injury caused Nathan Brown to be left out of this weekend's team.

"He's been struggling with a groin. He's had a slight tear we thought he could continue to play with, but it got to the stage last week where he's just not able to move the way he was comfortable with," Wallace said.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says he is happy with the board's mid-season coaching guarantee that he will remain as coach of the Tigers until at least mid-season.

"I'm very comfortable with my position. I couldn't be getting more support from the board and management," he said at Punt Rd before training on Friday.

"A couple of wins would obviously help, and I've been in the game long enough to know that can change at any point along the way and that's fine, but I think everyone around the footy club's been tremendously supportive.

"I've been told that I'm going on and I'm very, very comfortable with that."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace survived the axe this week after four straight losses to start 2009, but it has fallen on under-performing ruckman Troy Simmonds who has been dropped from the side due to poor form.

Trent Cotchin says he'll play just over half a game in the VFL this weekend on his way back from an achilles injury.

Ben Cousins will remain on the sidelines for Richmond as the club seeks to take a conservative approach to their star recruit.

"Hopefully he'll be right next week â€" he could have played this week but we just wanted to give him an extra week to make sure," Richmond football manager Ross Monaghan said.

"It was relatively minor and he's recovered fairly quickly â€" we thought it would probably be three, maybe four weeks, and that'll make it about four next week.

"We were hoping he might have been okay for this week, but as the week's gone on we just thought he probably needs another weekend off."

Richmond is expected to select Mark Coughlan to play in what will be his first AFL match in nearly three years.

Terry Wallace will coach Richmond until at least mid-year after receiving a late-night reprieve from the Tigers' boardroom.

Denis Pagan denies he is trying to snare the Richmond job from embattled Tigers coach Terry Wallace after confirming he still had interest in coaching a senior side.

"I don't ring anybody up and say, 'I want to coach'. People ask me," Pagan told SEN.

"In retrospect, I can see how it's portrayed and it wasn't timely for the Richmond football club and Terry, and I've apologised to him and that's life.

"I feel for the people involved in it. I've been through it myself and I can tell you, it's not a pleasant time."

Matthew Richardson has conceded that the team has mental issues after a winless start to 2009.

"If you sat back and looked at it would be a fair assessment to say there must be some mental obstacles there," Richardson said.

Matthew Richardson says the media focus on Richmond following its winless start to the season is verging on farcical.

"The media have got a job to do, and that's what they're doing but I do think it has been a little bit over-the-top this week," he said.

"I thought I was reading News of the World this morning" the Herald Sun or Mad Magazine with the comic strip that they're running these days, but we can't let that distract us.

"What we've got to worry about is getting out on the training track here today and working on the things that are letting us down in the games."

Richmond president Gary March has swung the blowtorch from coach Terry Wallace to the players, questioning their mental toughness.

Richmond president Gary March has ruled out Kevin Sheedy as a replacement for embattled coach Terry Wallace.

Richmond's season has hit a new low but the club's embattled coach Terry Wallace reiterated that he has no intention to resign.

Richmond skipper Chris Newman defends embattled coach Terry Wallace after Richmond loses its fourth straight game, this time against the Demons, to start 2009.

"I think that that the nature of the beast. They always point the finger at the coach, and I think it's unfair," Newman said after the loss.

"From my point of view, I'm the captain of the club, and it starts from me. I put my hand up and I say it's not good enough.

"The players are certainly taking responsibility."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace isn't about to give up the ghost after four straight losses to start 2009.

Demon Brad Green will miss six weeks after copping a broken jaw against Richmond.

Green sustained the injury after clashing with Tiger youngster Alex Rance at the 24-minute mark of the opening term. He immediately left the field and was taken to Epworth Hospital.

Embattled Richmond coach Terry Wallace says his players are not distracted by the intense scrutiny on his coaching future this week.

Richmond confirms that Ben Cousins and Trent Cotchin are both likely to resume playing next week.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says this weekend's clash with Melbourne is no bigger than any other despite the fact that neither team has won a game in 2009 yet.

Richmond star Nathan Brown said the Tiger players were behind embattled coach Terry Wallace and equally responsible for the side's poor start to the season.

Kayne Pettifer will most likely line up for Coburg reserves for his first match back since rupturing his ACL in 2008.

Fremantle coach says the treatment being dished out to Richmond's Terry Wallace is unacceptable.

"To me that's unacceptable," Harvey said.

"To maybe editors it looks OK, but take into consideration Terry's family.

"You've always got to be mindful of what you say or do in the public domain whether you're in the media or you're a coach or a player. I think we are all held accountable for that.

"What's become quite interesting in the AFL is how quickly we tend to jump down what coaches are doing.

"I don't know whether that's because player behaviour is actually a lot better now and we tend not to be able to harp on that now, so we come back to coaches a little bit."

Richmond captain Chris Newman has called for calm after his side's 0-3 start to the season.

"I guess everyone should just take a bit of a deep breath, and realise that we're only three rounds in. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," he said.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says a lack of consistency and confidence is really hurting his side.

"We haven't been consistent in our quarters â€" in round one we were awful, we know that," he said before training on Wednesday.

"In round two we showed some improvement, but it's still not good enough. We didn't get the result.

"And we were reasonably competitive against the Bulldogs, but the last-quarter effort wasn't good enough and the second-quarter effort wasn't good enough.

"So it's consistency. Our skill level has come under some scrutiny and that's something that's let us down. Our turnovers are costing us goals."

Richmond says that Ben Cousins could return to the side in as little as two weeks.

Richmond's Matthew Richardson says it is no surprise questions are being asked about Terry Wallace after a poor start to 2009.

"Probably half-a-dozen times I've heard him say it over the pre-season and the end of last year that Terry's contracted for the year and he'll coach Richmond out for the year," Richardson said.

"They'll start looking at contracts towards the end of the year if need be.

"I don't know what else the president of our club can say to make the media back off and they're not going to, you've got to live with that and move on."

Ben Cousins and Matthew Richardson have declared this week's match against Melbourne as a "must-win" contest for the Tigers after three straight losses to start 2009.

Bulldog Liam Picken's match-day report for striking Brett Deledio has been dismissed.

Richmond skipper Chris Newman says he's not contemplating what could happen if his side loses against Melbourne on Sunday after Richmond started season 2009 with three straight losses.

The Tigers are in a frightful mess but pleasing was Alex Rance, who in his second game, is still a little sloppy with the pill, but the same cannot be said of his attitude.

He started back yesterday, and finished in the middle and attacks as if his career hangs on every contest.

Terry Wallace refused to concede there is extra pressure on himself or his team after starting 2009 with three straight losses.

Richmond's draw has a lot to do with the fact that it's sitting at the bottom of the ladder, says coach.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says external factors hindered the young Tiger Richard Tambling's performance on Monday against the Western Bulldogs.

Richmond president Gary March says the Tigers must improve their abysmal recent record against top-eight teams to have any hope of playing finals.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights has praised veteran full-forward Matthew Lloyd's courage after the 30-year-old kicked five majors to lead his team to a four-point win over arch-rivals Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night.

The AFL has renewed calls for players to avoid umpire contact amid revelations of a serious spinal injury to experienced whistle-blower Mathew Nicholls.

Nicholls, 31, was pole-axed after backing away from a centre bounce, with Richmond's Shane Tuck making contact to his back after tangling with Demons opponent Brock McLean.

Former Richmond president Clinton Casey has been given just weeks to settle claims by high profile Tiger players.

Richmond stars Nathan Brown, Matthew Richardson and Kane Johnson are asking for a minimum of $300,000 from Casey with the threat of taking him to court if their demands are not met.

Casey, and Richmond, only recently settled out of court a dispute involving another ex-player, Ben Holland.

Holland gained the confidential settlement, believed to be more than $100,000, after lodging documents with the Supreme Court seeking $530,000 from business and investment opportunities that he claimed were not delivered.

The AFL umpiring department has conceded Richmond copped a raw deal with the contentious 50m penalty against Daniel Jackson on Saturday.

Mark Coughlan, has roared back into contention for a senior call-up after a 41-possession, 10-tackle display for Coburg.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights has thrown his support behind Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas, saying their return to form is imminent.

The pair have had a limited impact two rounds into season 2009 but Knights backed them to bounce back sooner rather than later.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says he won't feel too heartened by his side's brave 20-point loss to Geelong on Saturday.

Terry Wallace gives himself and his players one month to show their mettle, asking that judgement be made after that.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has revealed he threw out a challenge to reinforcements the morning after the disaster against Carlton.

Richmond's Kane Johnson will miss at least another two months, leaving the Tiger's career hanging in the balance.

The Tigers have confirmed the former skipper has been added to the long-term injury list, meaning he cannot play for at least eight weeks.

Johnson has been struggling to overcome patella tendon knee soreness.

At the age of 31, Johnson could be in his final season.

Ben Cousins is currently walking and jogging laps at training.

Premiership player and coach Kevin Sheedy says Richmond fans need to keep the faith after last week's round one loss.

Kevin Sheedy was happy to still talk up Richmond yesterday, despite its Round 1 debacle against Carlton.

Richmond's Joel Bowden says the side wants redemption against Geelong at Skilled Stadium this weekend after a devastating first round loss to Carlton.

Geelong forward Tom Hawkins is expected to be recalled to heap more pain on besieged Richmond on Saturday.

Richmond is hopeful Andrew Raines will return strongly from knee surgery and be available within a month.

Gary March expects Terry Wallace to see out this year as Richmond coach and has hit out at Eddie McGuire for throwing Kevin Sheedy's name into the mix.

Ben Cousins has taking a swipe at critics, saying it was his decision, not the medical staff's, to return in the final quarter on Thursday night.

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire yesterday clarified explosive comments directed at Richmond as pressure mounted on the Tigers.

"If the Tigers get walloped the next two weeks, the call for Kevin Sheedy to come back to Tigerland will be like an avalanche," McGuire said.

McGuire, who made the comments in his role as commentator on radio station SEN, said yesterday it had nothing to do with his presidency at the Magpies.

"I said it as a commentator. Not as the president of Collingwood," McGuire said.

Sports medico Peter Larkins has expressed surprise at Richmond's decision to send Ben Cousins back on after three-quarter time.

Ben Cousins and Andrew Raines will both be sidelined for at least the next three games following injuries suffered last night.

Chris Judd expects former teammate Ben Cousins will feel some relief, despite a hamstring injury stalling his comeback.

Carlton captain Chris Judd believes Ben Cousins will be happy his first game is out of the way, even though he injured himself.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has defended the club's decision to recruit Ben Cousins after the former Eagle tore his hamstring.

Terry Wallace knows that his players will need to recover from a night where everything went wrong against Carlton.

Richmond recruit Ben Cousins has hobbled from the field in Thursday night's clash with Carlton after tearing his hamstring.

Despite his age and history of hamstring injuries, Richmond expects Ben Cousins to be sidelined for three or four weeks.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says he expectes no on-field miracles from star recruit Ben Cousins in his first game.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace believes the sudden rise of young ruckman Andrew Browne is a "great story", with the former Murray Bushranger going from a developing rookie to a round one starter this week.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has confirmed that boom recruit Ben Cousins will start on the ground against Carlton in their 2009 round 1 match.

Richmond rookie Andrew Browne has been promoted to the senior list and is likely to take the No.2 ruck spot on Thursday night.

Brendan Fevola says his bruised heel is still sore, but it won't stop him playing in tomorrow night's sold-out season opener against Richmond.

The opening match of the footy season, between traditional rivals Richmond and Carlton, has been officially declared a sell-out.

Ben Cousins could not think of a better comeback to the AFL than against his former captain, Chris Judd.

Ben Cousins is racing to adjust to the dramatic changes in footy tactics since he last played a Premiership season game.

Brett Ratten has warned his players not to be blinded by the focus on Chris Judd and Ben Cousins ahead of Thursday's season-opening match.

Richmond star Nathan Brown has told of an off-season health scare that threatened his eyesight.

Carlton captain Chris Judd can't wait to line up against former teammate and Richmond recruit Ben Cousins on Thursday night.

Richmond captain Chris Newman says talk of a premiership this year is premature, but believes the Tigers have the best list since 2001.

Richmond legend Kevin Sheedy returned to the club last night to declare provocatively that the Tigers are a chance to snatch this year's flag.

Richmond star Nathan Brown says he has not entered an AFL season feeling this good about his form and fitness since 2005.