ON HIGHWAY TO SUCCESS
TRADE WORKS OUT FOR CADDY
to Richmond made it an easier decision to leave Geelong after 71 games in the blue-andwhite hoops, but added it was the connections he had made with the playing list that had made 2017 so enjoyable.
“Only when it (playing with Prestia) actually looked like it was going to happen was that a factor, but this time last year after the prelim when I was at Geelong I didn’t have any idea I’d be playing at Richmond,” he said.
“It wasn’t the reason, but at the same time it’s great to be playing footy with one of my best mates and winning a prelim final and playing in a grand final next week is special.
“But the bond I’ve created in just 12 months with the rest of the guys, not only the 22 out there (against GWS) but the whole list and club support staff, everyone has been amazing. I’m just so grateful to be at this club.”
One of Caddy’s assistant coaches at Simonds Stadium, Blake Caracella, was another Cat to make the move up the highway this year and the twotime premiership player has been largely credited with transforming Richmond’s game style on the back of a disappointing 2016 season.
Caracella believes the significant influence Caddy has had since crossing to the Tigers has been evident in the past three weeks, when he has stepped up at crucial times in both of Richmond’s finals wins.
“‘Cadds’ came across and has played forward and midfield, but he has played in big games before,” he said.
“He knows what is expected on the big stage and I thought he was pretty good (against GWS).
“He was great (against Geelong) as well, and he is just having a great time.”
Caddy’s ability to pop up in big moments in the finals is not accidental.
His game awareness and propensity to be in the right spot at the right time comes from years of hard work on his craft and it is something he has brought with him to his third club this year.
The former Northern Knights junior said every Tigers player now knew that their biggest weapon on the field was not how well they ran, chased, kicked, marked, handballed or tackled, but how great was their self-belief.
“It’s not a fluke, it doesn’t just happen overnight, you don’t just tell yourself we believe in ourselves now, it’s all the hours in the gym and on the training track throughout the summer,” he said.
“You lose games and you learn from them, and you just build resilience. We’re such a resilient group and we’ve gone back to basics and are playing footy for the love of it.
“We play on instinct and just hunt the opposition and enjoy it. That has got us to a grand final and we’ll be doing nothing different this week. We just can’t wait to give it a red hot crack.
“This is why we play footy, for team success, and I’m obviously really proud that we’ve got there, but we’re not where we want to be just yet. We’re not content, we’re not satisfied and we’ve got another one to win.
“Adelaide is a great side no doubt, bt, but we’re up for thehe challenge and we’re e’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
The YouTube video certainly saw the funny side of the Geelong-RichmondRichmond trade last year, but ut on Saturday, it may just be Caddy who ends up having ing the last laugh.