Wallace, Tigers should honour their deal: Parkin
Jake Niall | April 21, 2009
COACHING legend David Parkin, who was among the panel that selected Terry Wallace as Richmond coach, believes that the besieged coach should coach out the season.
Parkin said while he understood that a caretaker could make a difference to a club's performance — and might even succeed the senior coach — the club and the coach had contractual obligations that should be honoured.
Parkin said Wallace, who played under Parkin at Hawthorn, had been "outstanding" in dealing with his challenging situation, even though he had not had success in his time at Tigerland.
The four-time premiership coach, who sat on the panel that recommended Wallace to the Tigers' board, said he had "never agreed" with the notion of coaches being sacked mid-year, unless they were "wrecking" the club.
"I think there's an obligation, a contractual obligation, on both unless he's wrecking the club, and I think Terry's worked exceptionally hard to bring about the changes.
"It (success) hasn't happened and like all coaches you've got to take your medicine at the finish, if you've been given five years and for whatever reason it hasn't happened, then that's the contract over … and I think Terry's pretty pragmatic about things, I have great respect for his capacity to deal with those sorts of things, and I think publicly and privately, he's been outstanding."
Parkin acknowledged, however, that there was an upside to the fresh start provided by a caretaker coach.
"From the club point of view, there could be a significant advantage, I would have thought, to do that (appoint a caretaker).
"But I just never have agreed with, don't agree with, wouldn't agree with in the future (to mid-season sackings)."
Parkin said Wallace had been chosen as the preferred of nine candidates for the Richmond coaching position in 2004. Wallace was announced as coach while Danny Frawley continued to coach the club for the remainder of the season — a situation that Frawley found difficult.
Parkin said while he opposed sackings and believed contracts must be honoured by both parties, there were benefits to mid-season handovers — as evident in the success of Paul Roos and Brett Ratten, assistants who became senior coaches after stints as caretakers.
"The objective evidence is that it's an opportunity for the club to, as a number have done very successfully, to evaluate how good the person is … the caretaker.
"Particularly if it happened early in the season they get a long look to say, well I think we should continue, or no, we obviously need to look for something better.
"You've got an opportunity to make an impact on the playing group, in that to get them on side, because there's no doubt the club will talk to the players and you've got a chance to actually bring about a difference.
"Some coaches in a short time can bring about change. And having done that, Roosy was one, Ratts was another in the modern time that actually have produced change in a short time, and have convinced those who would think, 'Was he or was he not the right person'. They've actually done something about where the club was in a short period of time."
Parkin said he had not been terminated mid-season during his long career, but he had chosen not to "walk" when Fitzroy informed him that he would not be re-appointed in 1988.
"I never got unloaded or chose to walk, even though I knew the end was nigh … I was told at Fitzroy, but I didn't walk because I think the morality is that you're contracted for that period of time."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/wallace-tigers-should-honour-deal-parkin/2009/04/20/1240079605790.html
