COMING NORTH

Greg 'Stan' Stafford is that rarest of commodities in modern AFL football, a player that was born and bred in suburban Sydney and actually learned his craft there.

He began with the Sydney Swans and up until 1996 was rated one of the competitions most promising young ruckmen, he actually played in the Swans losing Grand Final side of that year, but after that the injuries started.

Injuries conspired to keep Staff off the ground for a lot of the time and the football public were only treated to glimpses of the big man's best.

At the end of the 2001 season with the departure of veteran big man Benny Gale Richmond traded a draft pick and Nick Daffy to Sydney for Stafford. He came to Richmond damaged and required an operation which kept him out for a few weeks, but seemed to also rectify most of the recurring injuries that had wrecked his career in Sydney.

His tough, hard bodied style with knees and elbows flying endeared him to Tiger supporters who saw him as a much needed enforcer, although the tribunal tended to see things somewhat differently. Another good thing about Stafford was the fact that he could go forward and a player over 200 centimetres who can take a grab is hard for any defence to match up on.

With the recurrence of his injuries Staff was close to giving it away at the end of 2005. The lure of 200 games and the fact that the side really did need him tempted him to give it one more year.

At times due to injury and a bewildering loss of form it appeared that Staff may not make it to the magical 200, but with the loss of Simmonds to suspension, the injury to backup ruck Trent Knobel and the fact that Adam Pattison is simply too young and raw to ruck a game solo Stafford was selected in his specialist position against the Dogs for his 200th, it seemed fitting somehow.

Although the Tigers didn't win the game, they gave it a good shake and Stafford was a valuable contributor, although the ruck division is in good hands for the future the Tigers will miss the man they call Stan Stafford in season 2007.

Chris