RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says Lance Franklin’s opponent this week will depend on where he slots into the Hawks set-up.
Franklin has been one of the competition’s in-form players this year but Wallace said his place in Hawthorn’s structure would decide how he was manned in the match between the two sides this weekend.
“It really depends on how Buddy plays. If he’s close to goal then he’s more likely to get Will (Thursfield); if he plays up the ground then he’s more likely to get one of our centre half-backs,” Wallace said.
“It will be a difficult match-up. Guys like to take on challenges in the game. Will Thursfield always puts up his hand to get the best opponent he can on a weekly basis.”
“Two weeks ago we gave Kel Moore a challenge to play on Matthew Pavlich. I think guys genuinely like that opportunity. Will comes in and asks every single week. We’ve always had a real balance of our backline where we like Will to play as our natural full-back.”
Wallace sang the praises of Franklin, who he said was one of the most gifted players going around.
“He’s a pretty exciting player isn’t he? I think in my time in the competition I haven’t seen someone who is so athletically that far advanced and superior to the others he’s playing on. I see great players in the game ... history will tell that at the end of his career,” he said.
“Most of those players have done it through their skill level or courage but Buddy seems to have that physical prowess that is over and above most of the other blokes.”
But Wallace stopped short of saying Franklin was the best in the game.
“How do you compare Juddy to Buddy? They’re completely different players. That is your [media] job. All we’re doing is planning for Hawthorn, who is in great form. The one thing we’ve seen with the Hawthorn footy club is that they’ve been on a graph that continually rises and they are going to be tough opponents.”
Wallace said Franklin would not be the only forward in Richmond’s sights this week and that it was important not to get tunnel vision.
“You’ve got to be careful. I think Fremantle were very wary of him a couple of weeks ago and then all of a sudden Jarryd Roughead jumps in and starts kicking goals. If you put all your eggs in one basket, someone else gets out,” he said.
