Gary March on SEN

[one-eyed]

Summary

* March spoke to Smorgon on Tuesday and both agreed they said things they shouldn't and just let it be. We were upset with the personal attack on Browny. Browny has been involved heavily with our community programs (one is sponsoring our game today) so we were upset about that.

* Terry comments about 2011:  He has presented that to board before so no probs there. All he was saying that we lack a core group in the 23-26 age bracket which ideally you want. The likes of Deledio, Tambling, Patto and co won't reach that age bracket until 2011.

* Mark Robinson then asked what do you say to 7-12 year old kids who are picking their team for life. Telling them if they choose the Tigers they'll have to wait 5 years before they see any success? March responded by saying he didn't say no success. We still expect finals, if not this year where we'll be thereabouts then definitely in 2008.

* Blamed past recruiting for our lack 23-26 year olds. March was then asked who's actually at fault (names). He said we made the main mistake in 2001 when we gave up picks we shouldn't have had thinking we were better than we were. The rest is history and we've been playing catch up since. Mentioned Miller (who wasn't around in 2001 ???), Beck and the football department at the time all had to take responsiblilty.

* Mark Robinson said it's just not about getting kids to 100 games but quality kids. He said he doesn't see where our next Judd, Kerr and Cousins will come from. Where our KPPs to replace Richo and Gas will come from? March responded by saying we do have talented kids. He said they forgot Rainesy and Pettifer who have taken longer. Rainesy will move into the midfield if not this year then in 2008. Petts will be one of the top HFs by 2008. Rainesy came second in the rising star. Lids won it. Expects a future centreline of Raines, Lids, Tambling and Foley.

As for KP we have Patto, Polak and Thursty. Patto has been fast tracked and has come on well for such a young tall who we know take longer. Polak was basically not fit and lacked confidence when he came to the club. Was last in the tan run at the start of preseason but now is in our top 12. Like with Simmo will be better next year. Thursty played well in a preseason game coming back from his knee (where he cleaned up Nick Riewoldt). Just has had a minor setback at the moment.  Agreed with the panel that our future spine will basically include Thursty, Polak, Patto and Schulz. He then reaffirmed due to that we have got the talented kids.

[mightytiges]

March spoke very well in the interview. Handled well some curly questions that we as Tiger supporters would've asked. Whether we agree with the way we are heading or not, the Club under March will stick to its long term plan going by what he said this morning.

[Ramps]

todays effort showed us that when we wanna play hard tough accountable footy we can compete, therefore we just need to keep going to draft and picking good kids. Whilst no one wants it, a bad finish this year whilst remaining competitive (like today) would help us no end in getting some more good kids into the club.

[one-eyed]

Catch-up Tigers ready for finals fling
08 April 2007   Sunday Herald Sun
David Reed

COACH Terry Wallace says 2011, but Richmond president Gary March has put the acid on the young Tigers by saying they should be a top eight side this season or next -- and be a genuine contender in 2009.

"What Terry was trying to get across was that when he came to the club -- it's pretty well documented -- we made some mistakes with our recruiting," March said.

"What he was saying is that by 2011 we should have the perfect list in terms of the cross sections of our age group. But before that we do have an opportunity. We certainly expect to be playing finals football, if not this year definitely next year and be a challenging side in 2009.

"What Terry was trying to get across was that, given our mistakes we had made in recruiting in the previous years, then 2010 and 2011 was when our list would have the right spread of age brackets.

"If you look at the Sydney's and West Coast's, they've had that spread and we are nowhere near that."

March said the club's football department had to take some responsibility for poor recruiting about 2000-'01 that set the club back.

"We finished third in 2001 under Danny (Frawley) and thought we were a little bit closer than we were," he said.

"We gave away some draft picks we shouldn't have done, which set us back. The rest is history and we've had to play catch up."

March said he had sorted out his differences with Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon after their spat over Nathan Brown.

Smorgon accused Brown of leaving Whitten Oval for money and not pulling his weight around the club when he was there; March went on the attack.

The presidents have since spoken by phone.

"David felt that, in the fullness of time, that he probably overstepped the boundaries about what he said personally about Nathan," march said.

"That was the bit that we got a bit angry about -- that it was such a personal attack on one of our players.

"One thing he attacked Nathan about -- community work -- he does a huge amount of work for us in the community and I felt it was a bit uncalled for."

March said former Docker Graham Polak would be outstanding.

"I think Polak is going to be a great player for us next year," he said.

"Unfortunately, he had to play in the ruck last week, but he'll be outstanding at either centre half-back or forward for us.

"I think we've got some pretty decent talent there."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21520403%255E19742,00.html