Jacob Townsend stepped up to senior action with Richmond for the first time this season, in last Sunday’s Round 22 clash with Fremantle at Domain Stadium, and proceeded to produce a powerful six-goal performance up forward that was a major factor in the Tigers’ 104-point victory. Richmond development coach Xavier Clarke provides an analysis of Jacob Townsend’s progression in this week’s ‘Coaches’ Corner’.
Top work ethic reaps rewards
“’Towner’ has been working really hard in the VFL throughout the whole year . . . His form’s been really good, really consistent. He had to change his game to an extent to try and put his hand up for senior selection . . . get a bit more of the outside footy, go forward and kick some goals. He went away and worked on it . . . It’s no fluke that he played the way he did on the weekend. He was just waiting for his opportunity.”
Rising above frustration
“He wouldn’t be human, or wouldn’t be an athlete and a competitor, if he wasn’t disappointed in not getting senior opportunities. Certainly, he got frustrated a little bit throughout the year, as you do when you’re in good form. But he just stuck to his guns. He knew what he had to work on, and full credit to him. He got his opportunity and took it with both hands.”
Main on-field attributes
“His contested ball and inside work is elite. He’s really good at that. His tackling pressure is fantastic. Even a couple of times in the VFL, we thought, he’s going to really hurt someone here with his tackling. The boys love that about him.”
Key role on rebounding Dockers defender Michael Johnson
“Michael Johnson is a really good intercept marker and when you play on guys like that, who go and follow the footy, generally if the ball does come to ground, you’re going to get opportunity. He did that really well.”
Generating scoreboard pressure
If you said (pre-game) that he’d kick two (goals), you would have been happy. But the six goals . . . he got a couple of really good ones there, and his teammates looked after him. You could see the excitement when he got those goals with everyone getting around him . . . They knew the work he’d done, the role he had to play, and that he played it really well.”
Goalkicking practice makes perfect
He’s worked really hard on his goalkicking technique. I know there was one on the weekend that didn’t look too pretty, but it went through. Full credit to him.”
