Chaffey was on the squad again this week which was nice to see! I was listening to the live NIRS audio feed over the Internet when he kicked a goal in the second half. The announcers made a comment that he'd hardly been sighted all day, and that's when another announcer commented that he'd just come onto the field prior to the goal at the 16 minute mark of the second quarter. I didn't hear much about him from that point on, although I admit that I called it a night somewhere in the 3rd quarter.

ANYWAY, I came across this article about Chaffey that was written last year and I thought it would be fun to bring it up again. Comments? Feel free to drop me a line!

    Chaff makes his mark
    1:54:15 PM Thu 21 August, 2003
    Tony Greenberg
    The mark of a good league player is one who can consistently perform at optimum level regardless of how his team is faring.

    That being the case, it's no wonder Mark Chaffey is just about the first name pencilled in to the Richmond side each week.

    Chaffey, 26, has developed into Richmond's Mr Reliability over the past few seasons, rarely being beaten and continually providing drive for the Tigers in his role as a sweeping defender.

    Although Chaffey made his senior debut at Tigerland in 1997, it wasn't until the 2000 season that he cemented a permanent place in the line-up.

    Since then, 'Chaff' has hardly put a foot wrong, and no matter how tough the going's got in the last couple of years for the team, he's been able to maintain his composure and good form.

    This year for example, despite the Tigers losing 11 of their past 12 matches, Mark Chaffey has averaged just on 20 possessions and six marks per game. Frequently, he has encountered overwhelming odds in defence -- and more often than not, has emerged with reputation either intact or enhanced.

    The key to Chaffey's success, apart from his obvious natural ability, is the professional way he goes about his business at Punt Road. His preparation throughout the week leading up to each match is meticulous and he leaves absolutely nothing to chance in a bid to consistently produce his best football for the Richmond Football Club.

    Chaff, a veteran of 121 games with the Tigers, is your archetypal quiet achiever -- a player who prefers to shun the limelight and let his on-field deeds do the talking on match-day.

    Given what he's been able to produce on a consistent basis for the Yellow and Blacks during the past four seasons, nobody is going to be asking him to change his methods.