Kevin Sheedy says no to Richmond Tigers post
Greg Denham and Courtney Walsh | June 12, 2009 | The Australian
AFL legend Kevin Sheedy has knocked back an invitation from Richmond to be part of a hand-picked sub-committee to select its next full-time senior coach.
But Sheedy conceded yesterday he could be an integral part of the start-up of the AFL's 18th licence in 2012 when a team from the west of Sydney is scheduled to join the competition.
In recent discussions with the Tigers, the veteran of 886 games as a player and coach, ruled himself out of returning to Punt Road next year as a permanent replacement for Terry Wallace and interim coach Jade Rawlings.
Sheedy said yesterday he also excluded himself from any involvement in a caretaker role with Richmond this year for the remaining 11 rounds, a position handed to Rawlings last weekend after Wallace stepped down after 4 1/2 years.
"I couldn't have possibly done it, even if they asked me," Sheedy said about standing in at Richmond this season.
"I've got so many commitments at the moment, throughout the country and around the world. I'm heading to China on Sunday for the AFL."
Calls for Sheedy to return to Punt Road have been made by many influential Richmond supporters, and even his former captain at Essendon, James Hird, who urged him to help the Tigers lift themselves out of the doldrums.
While Sheedy said he would "never say never" to another stint as a senior coach, he said he had to rule him himself out of having any influence on selecting the Tigers' new coach.
"I won't be here to be able to help them," he said.
But Sheedy, 61, said he would be available to be approached for advice "behind the scenes" if required.
Sheedy, who won seven premierships as a player and coach, played 251 games for Richmond between 1967 and 1979.
He then took Essendon to four flags in his 27 consecutive years as coach, which ended abruptly in 2007. Sheedy conceded he turned his back on Richmond, in a coaching capacity, to concentrate on the establishment of the AFL's 18th licence in western Sydney.
"I could be on the advisory board for west Sydney," Sheedy said. He also did not rule out a senior coaching role with the new franchise, which is scheduled to join the AFL a year after the Gold Coast.
"I haven't put my hand up or applied for a senior job since Melbourne at the end of 2007," he said.
But Sheedy said he had always admired another Australian football legend, Ron Barassi's work with Sydney in the early 1990s when Barassi's profile helped the Swans rebuild when they were at their lowest ebb, both in on-field performance and financially.
Barassi answered an SOS from the Swans and the AFL to come out of retirement to coach Sydney from the middle of 1993 to the end of 1995.
"Down the track somewhere, there may be someone who needs my help and I'm not in a position yet to never say never to coaching again," Sheedy said. At present, Sheedy mixes business interests with working for the AFL as an ambassador and with Richmond where he assists the club in marketing, commercial operations and membership.
Sheedy said he hoped his off-field role with the Tigers would continue.
Since being sacked by the Bombers, Sheedy estimates he's been overseas on at least six trips and has been to dozens of faraway places in Australia.
"When the finals start in September, I'll be in Karratha (in WA) with (AFL general manager of game development) David Matthews and we'll finish the trip in Weipa," Sheedy said.
The Tigers will form their coaching sub-committee next week and it is certain to include at least two administrators - general manager of football operations Craig Cameron and former captain and now football director Tony Free.
Richmond will not use an outside recruitment group in its coach search, but it is uncertain whether it will use football people from outside the club as consultants.
Premiership coaches Robert Walls and David Parkin are just two of many respected and well-credentialled football identities to have been used in recent years by a variety of clubs, including St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs, to help in their selection process for a new coach.
As foreshadowed in The Australian yesterday, Rawlings signalled a change in direction at Tigerland at selection with several prominent players axed.
In a pointer to life at Punt Rd from next year, decorated veteran Joel Bowden headed a list of five Tigers dropped for tomorrow's match against West Coast.
Bowden, a dual-All-Australian and twice best and fairest winner, was joined by agile ruckman Troy Simmonds, Bulldogs recruit Jordan McMahon, comeback midfielder Mark Coughlan and erratic forward Kayne Pettifer.
It is a clear sign of the intent for a clean-out at the end of the year, with Bowden, who is averaging almost 25 disposals this year, and Simmonds among several Tigers aged 30 and over.
Combined, the quintet have played 795 games. In comparison, the replacements, Tyrone Vickery, first-year find Robin Nahas, Essendon reject Tom Hislop, ruckman Angus Graham and Shane Edwards have 63 games.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25622786-2722,00.html
