Tiger fans need to keep the faith . . .
1 April, 2005
Richmond coach Terry Wallace
richmondfc.com.au
All of us at Tigerland drove to the MCG on Easter Sunday with great expectation at the start of another AFL season.
Players, coaches, staff, and our supporters, however, were terribly disappointed with the way the match against Geelong unfolded.
As a team, we had worked extremely hard over the pre-season on all aspects of our game, and were looking forward to showing everyone that we had made major progress, regardless of the result.
Those who follow the team closely, and had been to our practice games, had witnessed the improvement in skill, style and confidence. Yet, the first time we were put on display for the football world to see, we fell back into all of our bad habits – and probably added a few new habits to the list.
It is the coaching staff’s, and especially my, responsibility to ensure that the group remains positive. We will not accept standards of performance below par, but understand that a positive approach is still necessary, and more teaching and tuition is required for this team, which is desperately lacking in confidence.
When I accepted the position of coach at Tigerland last year, I realised the enormity of the job I had taken on – and nothing has changed after one round of the 2005 season. I firmly believe that our team can, and will, be competitive this season. At the same time, we will develop young players for the future of our Club.
Players who have been at Punt Road for some time, and who were contracted when I arrived, will be given every opportunity to learn and understand their responsibilities under my game structure. These players have Richmond in their hearts, but if they cannot, or will not, adjust to a winning formula, then they will be replaced by younger teammates, who at least should improve with every outing. I will not accept a losing environment, with players who have little or no improvement left in their game.
Our prospects for the ’05 season should not be based on one week’s performance, although the first month will provide the Club with a fair indication of what lies ahead for the year.
There were some positives to come out of the first round for us . . . The form of Chris Newman on Gary Ablett was particularly pleasing. Although the Cats’ star was still a good contributor for his team, I thought Chris stuck to his guns all day, while Shane Tuck continued to show the improvement, which was on display for the entire pre-season. At the other end of the scale, Mark Graham playing his first game for the Club and coming off the interchange bench when the team was under siege, displayed the fighting qualities that he was drafted for.
For all of our fans, I urge you to stick with the boys, as they are working extremely hard to improve. The test of one’s character is how you react when circumstances are pitted against you, and I will be very interested to see how our players respond over the next few weeks.
Rest assured, every decision that we make at Richmond will be for the long-term success of the Club. We have our eyes firmly fixed on 2005, but also are committed to building a top team for the future . . .
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