Polak Puts Up Hand For Pavlich

The Age

Wednesday June 6, 2007

Martin Boulton

GRAHAM Polak is lobbying his coach for the job on former Fremantle teammate Matthew Pavlich when Richmond travels to Subiaco this weekend.

"I'd love to, he has been a great player and it would be a real test," Polak said yesterday.

Far from being anxious about the return to Perth, Polak has been looking forward to the round-11 match ever since the 2007 fixture was released.

Polak (pictured) played 73 games with the Dockers before being traded at the end of last year and already has played in attack, the ruck and defence this year.

Now he wants Tigers coach Terry Wallace to let him line up against his former skipper - a role Wallace suggested could be on the cards after Polak's good form in defence. "He has had some really solid roles in the ruck, he played a very good game forward against the Bulldogs and, since he's gone back, he's been really solid for the team," Wallace said.

After playing every game so far this season, Wallace said the 22-year-old should be polling well in the club's best-and-fairest voting.

"I think he'd be in our top three, certainly our top five," he said.

Chris Newman will play his 100th game on Sunday after successfully returning from a double break in his left leg received in round 13 last season.

The 25-year-old defender is playing with a metal rod in his leg and said he had had no further complications since returning in round one this year.

"I didn't think I'd be in this sort of shape at this time of the season," Newman said.

© 2007 The Age

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