Richard Tambling Biography

Ex-Crow and Tiger Richard Tambling says he will be barracking for Richmond who take on Adelaide in the 2017 Grand Final.

"I spent most of my career there and am grateful for the opportunity Richmond gave me and my family," Tambling said.

"They are definitely the club in my mind that we're going for this weekend.

"I was fortunate enough and lucky enough to be [at Richmond] when a lot of those young players who have turned into superstars started, so [I'm] happy for both clubs and they both deserve it."

Richard Tambling retires ahead of the 2013 NAB AFL Rookie Draft, ending his career on 124 games.

"Richard has dedicated the last nine years to AFL football," Tambling's manager Ben Williams said.

"He is a 100-game player and retires knowing that he gave it his all."

Richard Tambling and Aidan Riley are delisted by Adelaide but the Crows say re-drafting them as rookies may still be an option.

"Richard and Aidan have both been hampered by injuries, which have affected the continuity of their football," Adelaide list manager David Noble said.

"We've had to make some tough decisions to make room for rookie upgrades and two picks in the National Draft.

"Both Richard and Aidan will be given consideration for rookie spots next year."

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson believes Richard Tambling will have an impact on the side in 2013.

"He can't do much more to impress the coaching staff, the work he's done this summer has been outstanding and he's going to get his opportunity this year," Sanderson said.

"He needs to have a big season, a contract season, and I'm sure he's going to play well ... He's one I think will play a lot of footy this year for us."

Former British army boxing team captain, Sid Leovold, is putting Adelaide players through their paces during the pre-season and says Richard Tambling is a standout performer in the ring.

"Richard has a good boxer's mind," Leavold said.

"When he's tired, instead of throwing 10 punches and landing only one, Richard will throw two punches and land one.

"He's got natural skill and can find punches where other blokes can't. It takes quite a bit of skill and technique to get a punch correct."

New Adelaide backline coach Darren Milburn has earmarked Richard Tambling to provide run from the Crows' defence.

"As a running half-back he seems to have plenty of pace so he's definitely an option off the half-back flank," Milburn said.

"I didn't know a lot about him when I first got here. He's obviously a high draft pick and there has been a lot of pressure which comes with that, also being at Richmond for a few years too."

Adelaide coach Neil Craig says recruit Richard Tambling is not in the Crows' best 22 and will need to force his way in through the NAB Cup.

"We had to get his knee fixed and only in the last fortnight have we been able to expose him to the workloads I think he needs to be exposed to," Craig said.

"His performance in the internal trial last Friday was very good and he understands that he needs to force his way into our side.

"The advantage he's got is that he's a 24-year-old and has some good AFL experience. He's a very talented player, but he needs to find consistency and I think that will be his biggest challenge."

Retired Adelaide great Andrew McLeod says he will offer his support to new Crow recruit Richard Tambling in an effort to help him reach his potential.

"I've sat down a couple of times with Richie just to have a chat. I've offered to be a sounding board for him because playing AFL footy is pretty tough. Having been involved in the AFL for 16 years, hopefully I can pass on some of my experiences to him," McLeod said.

"I've just offered my help if he needs it and that goes for any of the guys at the Crows and they know that."

New Adelaide player Richard Tambling says arriving at Adelaide has filled him with confidence he can develop into a better footballer.

"In six years I still didn't have a position nailed down at Richmond. I was still floating through positions whether it was forward back or midfield and I don't think I got a lot out of my development," he said.

"A lot of people tell me I have potential and I don't believe I've scraped the [surface], so I think a fresh start was needed. I was lucky enough that Adelaide provided that. I'm happy to be here and looking forward to it."

Richard Tambling says he can revitalise his career with the Crows.

"A fresh start is what I thought I needed and I'm very excited about having the opportunity to start fresh again," he said.

"[[Richmond]] actually let me go to Adelaide and sit in with Neil Craig and have a few discussions. That turned the tables for me. The plans he placed in front of me fitted me in perfectly, so that turned my head that way."

The Crows acquire Richard Tambling from Richmond after trading their compensation pick for Nathan Bock and a third round draft pick.

"He might have been a pick No.4 many years ago, but now he's a pick nothing. He's just a player who we think can play a role at our footy club. The two things that stand out about Richard are his speed and his character," Crows football manager Phil Harper said of Tambling.

"We think that from what we've seen of him, he can more than hold down that sort of a role for us and give us that breakaway speed that we've only really got from David Mackay. That burst-away speed adds to our group."

Richard Tambling is strongly linked with Adelaide during trade week with his manager, Ricky Nixon, saying a move from the Tigers will provide his client with the fresh start he needs to reignite his career.

"I thought it was terrible what he was put through last year, when he was booed at the MCG by the Richmond crowd because he was taken ahead of Franklin," Nixon said about the ongoing comparison between Tambling and Hawk forward Lance Franklin who was taken later in the same draft.

"I watched that under-18s carnival that year and everyone would have agreed Franklin was nowhere near the talent that Tambling was at the time. For Richard, it's all about a fresh start and getting to a club that's well coached."

Richmond midfielder Richard Tambling will undergo hip surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Richard Tambling, on the eve of his 100th game, feels he has emerged from Lance Franklin's sizeable shadow after being taken one pick higher than the Hawthorn champ in the 2004 draft.

"It was tough the first couple of years but I've come out the other side a better person and hopefully a better footballer," Tambling said.

"There's definitely a lot of pressure on an 18-year-old to come out of school and set the world on fire, which Buddy did."

Richard Tambling says his improved form in 2009 was the result of a better mental approach towards football thanks to sessions with a hypnotist from outside the club.

"Last year was the turning point. I went and cleared all that stuff up from my head because there was a lot of pressure from the media and our own fans," he said.

"I put too much pressure on myself and didn't allow myself to play my natural footy."

Richmond midfielder Richard Tambling says under siege coach Terry Wallace has the support of all players.

"We know who our coach is and hopefully he is going to be there for the rest of the year," Tambling said.

"We've copped it a lot this year with Benny coming over and now with Plough, we're just treating every week as it comes. It's the only thing we can control so we’re trying to control the controllables."

Richard Tambling says the players had no idea what was going on when the leadership group and coach were absent from training yesterday.

It was later revealed Wallace had been in emergency meetings with Richmond officials and the leadership group, and would be staying on as coach.

"When training started we were obviously wondering why," Tambling said.

"They got us up into a meeting and explained why there weren't any of the older boys there and why the coach wasn't there and stuff like that.

"It was pretty understandable, so we went out and just trained how we normally trained."

Richmond coach Terry Wallace says external factors hindered the young Tiger Richard Tambling's performance on Monday against the Western Bulldogs.