if only

[mightytiges]

Peter Schwab in the Age:

In my first year coaching at Richmond in 1992, I saw a young Queenslander destroy Canberra at the under-18 championships. That night, I declared him a future star. Doug Vickers, Richmond's football manager then, smiled: "Schwabbie, we all know Michael Voss can play, the secret to recruiting is to find a player no one else can."

If only back in those days we recruited players like Voss who could play

At least 12 years later we finally got our recruiting right  .

[letsgetiton!]

i understand what u say , but would michael voss have become the champion that he is if he was at richmond the last 12 years! imagine knights, campbell, broders, gale and richo if they were at brisbane , essendon or adelaide over the last 12 years! they would have been footy immortals by now!
these players will always be remembered as good-great players but in a team that was a power who knows how they would be remembered............if only we were a power!

[froars]

Memories of the Doug Vickers and Cameron Schwab combo - the thought still sends shivers down my spine 
From rumblings from staff members at the time, they weren't a very popular duo!

[letsgetiton!]

if only...................................moi would dance with me  :-)

[mightytiges]

i understand what u say , but would michael voss have become the champion that he is if he was at richmond the last 12 years! imagine knights, campbell, broders, gale and richo if they were at brisbane , essendon or adelaide over the last 12 years! they would have been footy immortals by now!
these players will always be remembered as good-great players but in a team that was a power who knows how they would be remembered............if only we were a power!

Michael Voss would have become a champion and a leader at any club he played at. Remember the Lions didn't hit their awesome straps until half way through 2001. Before that they were soft relying on Gabba wins to get them in the finals each year. Plus the likes of Voss, Aker, Lynch, Leppitsch etc had been at Brisbane for a fair while without achieving anything and Voss won his brownlow back in 96 under our former coach Northey.

Up to 1995 we had done well to restore ourselves after the disasters of the 80s. From KB's cubs in Freezer, Knighter, Cambo, Maxfield, Benny Gale, Scotty Turner we added Richo under the F/S, Rogers and scored Brodders and Mick Gale bascially for free from a dying Fitzroy. Not a totally dud core at that time. However everyone knows that getting near the top is one thing; you need an even bigger effort just to stay there. We instead just sat on our laurels and expected success to happen relying on the same players minus two biggies in Free and Maxfield to take us there year after year. If you stand still other clubs not only catch up but they leave you behind. We did the same again after 2001 - stood still. Compare that to Leigh Mathews who traded away regulars Adrian Fletcher, O'Bree, Molloy, Barker, Hilton, Adam Heukes, Steven Lawrence. If a bloke wasn't going to part of a future premiership team he was traded. 

[Rodgerramjet]

In my first year coaching at Richmond in 1992, I saw a young Queenslander destroy Canberra at the under-18 championships. That night, I declared him a future star. Doug Vickers, Richmond's football manager then, smiled: "Schwabbie, we all know Michael Voss can play, the secret to recruiting is to find a player no one else can."

OMG, If this has been our recruiting stratergy for the last 20 years then I can fully understand how ****ed we have become. Doug you IDIOT.