DIPPER'S INTERVIEW WITH TERRY WALLACE
AfLRecord
ROUND 11, JUNE 3-5. 2005 23
Ploughing alongFew coaches have ridden a roller-coaster like Terry Wallace has in the past few weeks. But the Richmond coach tells Dipper there is plenty of light at the end of the tunnel for the Tigers. DIPPER: Thanks for chatting with us, 'Plough'. Have you just come off the oval? TERRY WALLACE: No, I've just had my weekly press conference - 'Tuesdays with Terry' .
Do you have an agenda before you go in? There's always something going on. For example, today I brought the doctor in with us, because of Nathan Brown's injury. He brought a shot of the bone and a shot of the rod they used to put in and had the x-rays with him.
I heard you refused to watch the replay of Nathan's broken leg last Friday night. You just focused on the game against Melbourne.I knew he was gone and I knew it was very serious. I've always had a pretty good relationship with 'Browny', but I just thought I'm trying to coach here and, if that's all that's sitting in my head, I'm not going to do justice to my job. So I just kept looking and doing what I needed to do. I haven't actually seen it now. Even in the video review, I just fast-forwarded because once I knew what it was I had no need to see it.
You've coached Nathan since he was a young kid. You must have felt some emotion. There are emotions involved. Just emotionally I thought I'd be worse by viewing it and dealing with it, rather than just letting go.
You've had an interesting football journey. Has it been a good one?It's been a long joumey and a great joumey. Every part of it has a different aspect to it. The early success with Hawthorn and just being a part of that era was fantastic. Then I had a brief stint at Richmond which allowed me to understand the culture of the place and probably allowed me to come back this time around. Then I went to the Doggies where I had a fantastic time. It might have finished on a sour note for Bulldogs supporters, but I've just got fantastic memories. I'm a life member there, as I am at Hawthorn.
Are football clubs different?They're all different. They are all very, very different creatures. There's good people at every footy club and the boys are the boys at each of the clubs, but I reckon the culture of the footy clubs and the history and what makes them tick are really different. As much as it is fantastic to be at the one place all your life, to actually experience three different places is something I've really enjoyed as well.
Leigh Matthews tells me he got more enjoyment out of playing the game than coaching the game. Do you agree?I find that difficult (to agree with). I really enjoy the coaching aspect of it. I just found playing hard work. I wasn't a natural, I was always injured and I just found it really bloody hard work. The coaching aspect of it is hard work and it's different. I've probably got a bit of a teaching and nurturing side that I enjoy.
Which coaches from your playing days have influenced you?You get a bit out of everyone. You hope that you can take some of the organisation of David Parkin, and his manner and his passion. You take some of the man management skills of 'Yabby' (Allan Jeans), just how he handled his group. I had Tony Jewell after that - he just had a raw passion about the game and loved to see the boys and be involved. From there I went to the Doggies and had Mick (Malthouse). He was just a really well organised coach and very disciplined in the way that he coached his teams and wouldn't accept mediocrity at all. Terry Wheeler had some very different ideas at the time and, as the game grew, a lot of other people went down that path.
I remember you used to drive Yabby mad. The one thing that I don't think there is any doubt about is I've always been my own person. It's got me in trouble at times! I always will be a little bit that way. That's probably why I've got a really good relationship with Browny, for example, because he's always appeared to be different and his own person.
These are very exciting times at the Tigers. Who or what has surprised you at the club?There are a lot of things. I think in the industry I was in (the media) we all love the best clubs and don't think there's anything going right at the worst clubs. Really, that's never the case. Because it's such a busy environment with eight games a week, you can't realise what's going on at every single club.
Which players in particular caught the eye?Danny (Frawley) and his group did a lot of work in developing our group of young blokes, like (Brent) Hartigan and (Daniel) Jackson that, from a media point of view, no one knew much about. They already had some developing guys there and they'd also lost Mark Coughlan (through injury), who was a great player. There are probably half a dozen guys that I knew very little about who, as soon as I got here, I said could play every game. Blokes like (Chris) Newman, (Chris) Hyde and (Kayne) Pettifer have just developed into nice players. That was a bonus when I arrived, that's for sure.
What's the most inspirational thing i you've seen on the footy field?Honestly, I reckon seeing the way Don Scott used to be able to get out and play with injury. I just used to marvel at how battered and bruised he'd be even up until a Thursday night and he'd still be able to get out there. To me, it set a standard that if you possibly can play, you play.
Who's been your biggest influence? You can't go past your parents. I've also always had a fantastic relationship with Oberon Pirak (his right-hand man at Richmond) the whole way along, right from the Hawthorn days, and he's still working with me now. Then there are the people that are close to you from your own family and those who shared it with you along the way.
Well, I hope there'lI be lots more for everyone to enjoy along the way. Me too. Thanks mate. .
