Talented Tiger ‘tall’ Ben Griffiths is determined to take his game to another level in 2016, which is why he’s embracing every challenge confronting him during this pre-season period.
Griffiths, 24, has been hampered by injuries throughout his six-year career at Richmond, managing just 48 senior appearances in that time.
He’s shown glimpses of the considerable football talent he possesses, particularly over the past couple of seasons, but wants to turn that into something much more substantial next year.
“The way I’m going at the moment, I’m definitely pushing myself to new levels,” Griffiths told ‘Roar Vision’ on the Tigers’ pre-season training camp at Palm Cove.
“I’ve trimmed down a little bit just to try and increase my endurance base.
“But, for me, the main thing’s contested marking, as it is for most of the taller guys.
“We really need to get that ruthlessness about us.
“We’re all working extremely hard against each other, and against ourselves, to drive better standards and get better . . .
“The competition within the Club is great because it forces each and every one of us to train harder and get better, which, in turn, is a positive thing for the Club.
“I think the competition’s only going to be a really positive thing for us.”
Lambert embraces future challenges
Griffiths outlined the overall importance of the playing group’s annual pre-season camp.
“I think it’s really important, especially for the younger guys, who have just come into the Club,” he said.
“Obviously, they’ve got to learn a lot of guys’ names, and this provides a pretty good opportunity because you’re around the guys almost 24/7.
“For the older guys, it’s learning how the new guys play. And then, as well for us, look to improve on the little things we need to improve on . . .
“Training in the heat definitely makes it a lot harder to recover, which we put a big emphasis on. It’s all about how quickly you can recover and go again.
“The taller guys are doing a lot of contested stuff, and that’s pretty solid up here, as it is back in Melbourne.
“It’s a good opportunity to get better.”
