Miller to stay - Caro

[one-eyed]

Miller to stand by Wallace
By Caroline Wilson
realfooty.theage.com.au
September 15, 2004

Terry Wallace has demanded - and received - a long-term commitment from Richmond's director of football, Greg Miller, that he would serve alongside the new Tigers coach regardless of the result of the looming election.

And it was also revealed yesterday that club president Clinton Casey promised Wallace he would not involve him or Miller in the political turmoil that has engulfed Tigerland this year.

Wallace is understood to have sought the undertakings before committing last month to a lucrative five-year deal with the troubled club.

Not only did he spell out that the Richmond footballers and their coaching staff would suffer should they involve themselves in an election, he also told Miller he was mindful of the split in which he was initially offered the Sydney coaching job, only for the offer to be later withdrawn and the position given to Paul Roos.

While Miller has been seen as a close ally of Casey, the pair put the club first in the cause of luring Wallace. Miller confirmed last night that he and Wallace had shaken hands on the deal and that he had told the new coach that whoever headed the club going into next season he would remain, if required.

"My job is to support Terry and work towards achieving the best-possible outcome over the trade period," said Miller. "Richmond is the priority."

While Casey headed overseas last week with his board divided, his new chief executive, Steve Wright, called a meeting of the Richmond staff and instructed them not to become involved in the election campaign, which is scheduled to come to a head with a spill of all positions in December.

"The staff are not to get involved in the politics of the club," Wright said. "It's our duty to run the business of the Richmond Football Club and the various people who are involved in the campaign to run the campaign."

Miller is not expected to hold talks with either the Casey or the Macek faction until after the trade period.

In another promising development for the Tigers, it now seems certain the club will renegotiate a successful deal with longtime sponsor the Transport Accident Commission.

The TAC had postponed a decision on its renewal of agreements with Richmond and Collingwood following a series of high-profile transgressions from players of both clubs.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/09/14/1094927583344.html

[froars]

Anyone know if Miller is under contract?  I understand it is a handshake deal on a month to month basis.
I think staying out of the politics by coach and Miller is a very wise move - just creates more trouble.

[mightytiges]

Good to hear Miller won't be going anywhere just as Tony said he would  .

As much as those who are employed to run the Club need to stay out of the politics for the Club's sake so too do the board (whoever they'll be) need to let Wright, Miller and Wallace get on with their job without interference. Unfortunately in the past (except for the past year or so) when "outside" influences have placed demands on the board to act hastily in a certain way, previous boards have caved in to these demands.   

Another positive outcome: TAC to re-sign. It's amazing how a club supposedly in "crisis" internally is moving forward so well.

[WilliamPowell]

  Caro what a gem....

This is what Caro said back in June

http://oneeyed-richmond.com/forum/index.php?topic=202.0

TAC set to dump Tigers, Magpies
By Caroline Wilson
Chief Football Writer
realfooty.theage.com.au
June 3, 2004

The irresponsible off-field behaviour of some AFL footballers could come back to haunt two of the league's biggest clubs, with the Transport Accident Commission on the verge of abandoning sponsorship deals with Collingwood and Richmond worth almost $1.5 million.

And the Tigers' 15-year partnership with the TAC was further jeopardised yesterday by president Clinton Casey's boast that the club would soon announce a new three-year deal with the Victorian government body.

Then today hidden away as a by line we get.....

By Caroline Wilson

In another promising development for the Tigers, it now seems certain the club will renegotiate a successful deal with longtime sponsor the Transport Accident Commission.

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/09/14/1094927583344.html

Promising - it is a bit more than promising

[Tiger Spirit]

As much as those who are employed to run the Club need to stay out of the politics for the Club's sake so too do the board (whoever they'll be) need to let Wright, Miller and Wallace get on with their job without interference. Unfortunately in the past (except for the past year or so) when "outside" influences have placed demands on the board to act hastily in a certain way, previous boards have caved in to these demands.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Miller is majorly responsible for the single-minded and unflinching way decisions have been made in recent times, which have no doubt put some noses out of joint.  Noses that don’t have the right or authority to interfere.

Without knowing what’s really going on, it would seem that Casey is probably bearing the brunt of a lot of that, but it’s about time RFC had some people who stood up to all these interfering busy bodies, who have done more harm than good to RFC over the years, if they would just take the blinkers off and see that.  And having someone such as Miller making decisions, who knows what is really going on and knows and understands the footy culture that exists, is the one way we will ever regain any respect in the football world.  He knows what needs to be done and how to go about changing things. Casey seems to be supporting him to do that.

Another positive outcome: TAC to re-sign. It's amazing how a club supposedly in "crisis" internally is moving forward so well.

Something just doesn’t add up, does it MT?  And that’s why it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a major character assassination attempt at Casey’s credibility.  Maybe he has none and will lose his job sooner rather than later, but from what I can see, if he does nothing else, he has supported Greg Miller to make real changes at Richmond.  Changes that can finally re-build the foundations of the footy club, which have all but rotted away over the years because of continual outside interference from, supposedly, well-meaning outside people.

[1980]

As much as those who are employed to run the Club need to stay out of the politics for the Club's sake so too do the board (whoever they'll be) need to let Wright, Miller and Wallace get on with their job without interference. Unfortunately in the past (except for the past year or so) when "outside" influences have placed demands on the board to act hastily in a certain way, previous boards have caved in to these demands.   

Dont know about this MT.

Until this year, there have been no outside influences whatsoever whilst Casey has been president. For the 5 years he's been in the job, 4 of those he has had unprecedented authority over the board and no pressure from outside the club.

You're right about previous boards having these kind of outside pressures, but not this one. Not until this year anyway.

[mightytiges]

I agree 1980 that all new boards have a honeymoon period and because we made the finals in 2001 Casey's first 3 years were unchallenged hence him being re-elected unopposed at the end of 2002. I would say midway through 2003 when we went through our second long losing streak that "outside" influences began rumbling. Firstly for Spud's head and then when the current admin resisted this Casey started to come into the firing line. I didn't hear or see anyone bring up about him being a Bombers supporter until last year. The financial losses have brought these rumblings obviously to fever pitch.

[Tiger Spirit]

I would say midway through 2003 when we went through our second long losing streak that "outside" influences began rumbling. Firstly for Spud's head and then when the current admin resisted this Casey started to come into the firing line.

In his letter to Pahoff, Miller made the point that, before coming to Richmond, his perception, from the outside was that the media and minority groups seemed to have too much influence on how the Club was run.

And, when he came to the Club, he wanted to change that perception, if it was true.

From what he said, I think he has found out that this form of decision making is entrenched in the culture here and that RFC has virtually been run into the ground because of these outside influences.

When any club, and especially one such as Richmond, can go for so long without any amount of sustained success then there has to be something seriously wrong.  Because it cannot be as difficult to exist in the AFL as we seem to have made life for ourselves over the past two decades.  So it would make more than sense that there are other factors at play here.

[mightytiges]

Well said TS. The fact we have kept on making the same dumb mistakes and same poor decisions over the past 20+ years (such as always sacking the coach) was a clear sign that our culture was seriously ill and we have been our own worse enemy. With the draft and salary existing since 1986 there's been no excuse for us being pathetic for so long. These outside influences are still there but with Miller there now we have at least someone who has and will stand up and resist them.

[Tiger Spirit]

The fact we have kept on making the same dumb mistakes and same poor decisions over the past 20+ years (such as always sacking the coach) was a clear sign that our culture was seriously ill and we have been our own worse enemy. With the draft and salary existing since 1986 there's been no excuse for us being pathetic for so long.

Too true MT.  Because that sort of decision making has completely eroded the foundations of the footy club.  So when we decided that we were only a few players away in 2001, I couldn’t believe my ears.  As much as I wanted to believe that was true, I just knew it wasn’t.

We virtually have to re-build the place from the ground up.  And we seem to have started that with last year’s draft.  But it may not amount to much if we don’t get things sorted out at Board level.  And that's where the real changes have to start from, if anything is to ever really change.  We don't need people who are happy to make decisions just to save their own skin.

These outside influences are still there but with Miller there now we have at least someone who has and will stand up and resist them.

The concern is that they are still there and just don’t seem to get the message.

Hopefully, though, we can put an end to it now that we are aware of what has been the major cause of the sustained mediocrity.  Especially now that we know how to identify the real Richmond people, versus those who think they are, just because they say they are.

But all members and supporters have to be aware of the sort of decision making that cuts us off at the knees, time after time, so that we can help bring a stop to it.