Developing tall forward Liam McBean is determined to continue working on his game, in a bid to make an impact when his next opportunity presents at senior level.
McBean, in his third season at Tigerland, has played two AFL games this year, but depth among Richmond’s crop of tall forwards has seen him fighting to regain his spot.
“We’ve got some great depth at the moment in the talls department,” he told AFL Live radio.
“I was lucky enough to get a couple of games at the start of the year, but unfortunately some of the boys are playing a bit better than me at the moment.
“That’s my job, to keep putting the pressure on them. If they get out of form, or start to lose a bit, I’ll hopefully come in and play a few more games.”
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During his second year at the Club, in 2014, McBean was close to making his senior debut on a number of occasions.
Disappointingly for the then teenager, that chance never came.
“At VFL level, there were games where I was pretty inconsistent, with what I was doing,” he said.
“I was bobbing up and kicking my three or four goals, but outside of that, defensively, I was pretty average.
“There are still a lot of things I need to keep working on, and I’m going to keep doing that.”
McBean has been working with forwards coach Greg Mellor, senior development coach Mark ‘Choco’ Williams, and development coach Max Bailey, to fast-track his development.
He has also sought the guidance of established Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt, who he described as “awesome” in his efforts to spend time with the Club’s young key position players.
“I need to be better in the contest, and that’s the feedback I’ve been getting at the moment,” he said.
“When I get the ball, I think I make good decisions, but it’s more so with my strength at the moment.
“I’m not quite as strong as the AFL key defenders, so I have to keep working on my strength, and using my body in the contest, and trying to expose defenders in ways that I know I can.
“It’s a bit of a journey, and a long process. I’m patient, but I’m also impatient to try and get back in the side and play some footy.”
