Don't panic, we're on track03 August 2006 Herald-SunFOOTBALL is an emotional game.
But, as a coach, you can't afford to ride the emotional roller-coaster.
Three weeks ago the Tigers came back from Port Adelaide with an 8-6 record after a shocking start to the season.
The footy world was full of praise about the development of the club and the improvement in our list, particularly the performances of some of our younger players.
Three weeks later -- after our third 100-plus defeat of the year -- the footy talk has changed direction like a missile locking on to a target. All of a sudden the club is, we are told, in free-fall.
The fact we have played three of the best six teams in the competition in Melbourne, Sydney and St Kilda, and had 11 players who have played senior football out of our team on the weekend, is lost as emotion runs riot.
Scapegoats, finger pointing and a general panic within the ranks occurs in some club cultures. But I am pleased to say that at Richmond this is no longer the case.
There is unity through the board, management and football division, and I believe the mass of Richmond supporters understand the direction we are taking.
Nineteen players have moved on from the group that ran around for the club in 2004. Only 22 players remain from that group, and reality suggests that some of these will also move on come the end of the season.
That is a massive turnaround in a short period of time. We now have 30 players from 42 who are under 24 years of age.
The list is certainly a developing one.
We have been pleased with some of our young debutants and, in general, the emerging younger group. It is no surprise our VFL affiliate club Coburg is fourth on the ladder with virtually all teenagers playing in that team.
While our major aim is structuring the club for sustained long-term success and a chance to win a premiership, it has also been pleasing that we have been able to support some of the club's more senior players and give them the opportunity to have a dignified end to their careers.
This year we believe, with the exception of a few weeks, we have been competitive.
While playing kids we have had solid victories against Adelaide and Collingwood, beaten Geelong at Skilled Stadium for the first time since 1990 and Port Adelaide in Adelaide for the first time.
Our young group believes it can compete with a genuine chance of victory each time the players go out.
This is a vastly different outlook to the group that lost 14 games on end in 2004.
Many teams have suffered with injury, but our run has been particularly tough.
When I took over I had a fit Nathan Brown and Matthew Richardson, yet they have only appeared in 17 of 39 matches together and probably only a dozen times when both have been fully fit.
We have had no football whatsoever out of Mark Chaffey and Trent Knobel for the year, while long-term injuries to Will Thursfield, Brent Hartigan, Chris Newman and Mark Coughlan have cut deep.
Now with senior team leaders out, such as Brown, Andrew Kellaway and Darren Gaspar, plus dealing with suspensions, it's a testing time at Punt Rd.
But the reality for our supporters is that they need to understand that we are steadfast in our commitment to the club's long-term success and there will be no quick fixes that have an impact on this journey.
We are pleased we have not bottomed out during the past two seasons and have seen massive improvement in players such as Andrew Raines, Kayne Pettifer, Nathan Foley, Richard Tambling, Danny Meyer, Adam Pattison, Dean Polo and Patrick Bowden.
There are no easy solutions and we will not deviate from our plan.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,%255E25877,00.html(NB Added web link - WP)
