RICHMOND recruit Chris Yarran has shrugged off criticism of his physical condition this pre-season after being labelled "his own worst enemy" by former coach Mick Malthouse.
Yarran underwent successful foot surgery on Monday after a horror pre-season that has been interrupted twice by calf strains.
Malthouse questioned Yarran's dedication on Tuesday morning, saying he "hasn’t quite got that knack of being a great professional in regards to coming back and being ready to play".
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Yarran said he was not fazed by the intense scrutiny he had been under since crossing from the Blues to Richmond during last year's NAB AFL Trade Period.
"I don't pay too much attention to it to be honest … everyone's got different opinions about it," he said at Punt Road Oval on Tuesday.
"At the end of the day, the only people that matter are my close friends and teammates.
"I'm always happy with my shape."
Yarran suffered a right calf strain at the end of last season with Carlton and two further calf injuries over the pre-season prevented him from gaining any ground with his new club.
The Tigers were pleased with his work rate through late February and early March to get himself in a position to play practice matches, but his latest foot injury ended that momentum.
It is not clear if the plantar fascia injury, which is to his left foot, is related to the calf troubles Yarran has had over the summer.
As Carlton coach, Malthouse said he had to "keep the foot on Yarran" to maintain his fitness levels, but frequent soft tissue strains meant the half-back regularly lost conditioning.
"Chris can sometimes be his worst enemy," Malthouse told SEN.
"If he goes away for any length … he just probably hasn’t quite got that knack of being a great professional in regards to coming back and being ready to play.
"You have to really ride him a bit. He’s a lovely kid but he does need to be ridden, and I’m sure that Richmond will find out that you just have to be patient with him, one, but pretty firm with him, certainly."
