Strong finish to 2007 buoys Rischitelli

FOR YOUNG midfielder Michael Rischitelli, improvement in 2008 will be as much about the mental side of his game as the physical.

In 2007, Rischitelli, as much as any player, experienced a personal season that mirrored that of the Lions as a team.

Excellent early as the Lions went 4-2 after six rounds, the 21-year-old hit a flat spot during a seven-week mid-season spell that saw the Lions fail to record a win. He then finished strongly as a dramatic form turnaround put Leigh Matthews' side back in the finals race.

"For me, improving my endurance is a big thing because you can always be fitter," Rischitelli said.

"If you can add that extra one percent to your fitness it means you can run out games better, from the start of the year through to the finish.

"I had a bit of a flat spot last year and some of that was about fitness but it was also a fair bit do with confidence.

"You try to come up with answers about where things aren't going right but the main thing is that you can't afford to sit back, wait and hope the game will come to you."

Fortunately for Rischitelli, he is well-placed to achieve his aim of contributing to the Lions' cause even when the ball isn't necessarily bouncing his way.

His total of 60 hard ball gets in 2007 was bettered only by renowned in-and-under merchant Simon Black, while 99 tackles put him narrowly behind Jed Adcock in the tackle count.

"From last year I've learnt that things don't always go right for you – and that's when you've got to find other ways to help the team," Rischitelli said.

"You might not get 20-plus possessions, but if you only pick up 15 or 16 you can make up for it with those other things.

"They might not show up as much on the stats sheet as 30 possessions, but they are still just as valuable to the team."

Rischitelli saw plenty of on-field success in his early days at the Gabba, making his debut in a club-record 141-point win over Adelaide in Round 17 of 2004.

 Later that year, he watched on as his teammates played in a fourth straight grand final.

The club has not played in a final since but Richitelli says five wins and a draw in the last nine games of 2007 is an indication of the Lions' ability to compete with top-tier teams.

During that run, the Lions beat reigning premier West Coast, accounted for eventual preliminary finalists Collingwood and North Melbourne and drew with a Sydney side that had played in the previous two grand finals.

"You get sick and tired of finishing your season early and having eight weeks off because you aren't playing finals," Rischitelli said.

"I'd much rather play right through to the grand final and then only have the four or five weeks break.

"The five games we won in a row showed that we can beat anybody when we are playing well enough; we've just got to find a way to play like that for three-quarters of a season.

"That's why we'll be working on our skills so much over the summer, because there were times last year when they were pretty poor."