RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace admitted Sunday’s thrilling draw against the Western Bulldogs might take some time to get over after his side threw away a 25-point lead mid-way through the final term.
But despite not getting one over his former club, the Tigers coach was all praise for his side’s endeavour in its round five clash with the unbeaten Bulldogs.
“It’s a massive sting,” Wallace said after the match.
“It feels more like a loss than a win.”
Wallace took his players behind closed doors after the match after they gave up a 19-point lead with five minutes remaining to eventually finish locked with the Dogs.
When the siren sounded at full-time, it brought to a close one of the most entertaining matches of the season, with Richmond 20.10 (130) sharing two premiership points with the Bulldogs, 19.16 (130).
But Wallace will take several positives from the match.
“You’re a glass half-full person or glass half-empty person. I sit there at the end of the day and say, ‘Well, I had a group of guys who worked their backsides off for their football club, their supporters and for me as a coach’,” he said.
“They just couldn’t get the mechanics of the game right [at the end] – which we can work on.
“I’d rather a side that’s playing with heart and soul, and we can work on the mechanics.”
Richmond had looked headed for victory, and was still a goal up with 30 seconds left before Bulldogs defender Brian Lake floated forward to take a big pack mark.
Upon taking the mark, Lake – not noted for his goalkicking – appeared injured and left the field, unable to take his kick.
The umpires decided big Bulldog Will Minson should instead take the kick, and he duly potted the six-pointer which resulted in the teams sharing the points.
The Tigers coach had a wry smile when asked about Lake's inability to shoot for goal.
“Is he injured, is he?” Wallace asked when asked about Lake.
“I bet you he plays next week.”
The Tigers coach wouldn’t be drawn on whether the rules could be manipulated too easily – allowing other players to kick for goals in crunch situations – but said he feared the worst when Minson ended up with the footy.
“Lindsay Gilbee almost got [a] stitch running from one end of the ground to the other end to try to accept it,” Wallace said.
“So our blokes tried to shepherd him off.
“But to be honest, when they finally came up with whose ball it was and it was in Will Minson’s hands, I knew we were in trouble because he’s kicked some pretty good goals in recent times. I thought he was probably the right man for them to have the ball.
“[But] I would have rathered Brian have it.”
Wallace, however, said his side should not have put itself in that position, and should have been able to spoil Lake’s mark.
Wallace also believed his side’s shorter preparation might have played a part in its late fadeout.
“I still think the fixturing [could be better],” he said.
“I’m not looking for excuses or anything like that but … we didn’t get in until 1.30 on Monday morning [and] the Bulldogs were coming off a Friday night game, so I reckon they were probably fractionally fresher than us. But that’s a learning experience for our guys too.”
