Gary March: Richmond worst in AFL

[one-eyed]

Gary March: Richmond worst in AFL
Sam Edmund | September 18, 2009

RICHMOND president Gary March has delivered a scathing assessment of his club, declaring the Tigers the worst team in the AFL.

Eight players have been dumped and four assistant coaches moved on as another savage clean-out begins at Punt Rd under new coach Damien Hardwick.

March, speaking at the Richmond best-and-fairest dinner on Wednesday night, said the club had nothing to celebrate after a highly anticipated season that crashed spectacularly with a 15th-place finish.

"By any measure, the Richmond Football Club was the most disappointing performer of any team in the AFL this season," he said.

"Four-and-a-half wins after winning eight of our last 11 games in season 2008 is simply not good enough and there can be no excuses for our performance this year.

"Both internally and externally we were expected to make the finals for the first time in eight years and to start and finish the season in the manner we did was just gut-wrenching for even our most ardent supporters.

"I find it hard to come up with any real positives for this year. As a result, many changes have been made and they will continue to be made.

"I can promise you one thing - anyone who is less than 110 per cent committed to the success at this club will not be here for very long."

Hardwick warned Tigers supporters to brace themselves for more pain, admitting the club faced a huge task in re-establishing itself as an AFL power.

The former Essendon and Port Adelaide premiership defender said the immediate future was not about ladder position.

"Season 2010 isn't so much about winning or losing, it's about regaining respect and laying the foundations to build a team to achieve a period of sustained success," Hardwick said.

"Make no mistake, the road back will be long, but that road will start here and now.

''The Richmond Football Club, from this moment on, will take no shortcuts, will make brave decisions and make no apologies for them.

"We are a far better football club than where we are currently placed on the AFL ladder. We have more talent than most outsiders think and we will add to that talent with quality draft picks in the November draft.

"Finally, we have a blueprint for success and we will not deviate. Every decision we make will be about how can this help the Richmond Football Club win an 11th premiership cup."

Shane Tuck and Andrew Raines almost certainly attended their last Richmond function, with both set to be traded next month.

But Richmond great Matthew Richardson has given the strongest indication yet he will play an 18th season, joking with Mitch Morton that he should enjoy the Michael Roach award for leading goalkicker while he still can.
 
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/afl/story/0,27046,26088588-5016169,00.html#latest-comments

[Jackstar is back]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

[Go Richo 12]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

The rot had well and truly set in about 25 years before Gary March got the gig, Jack!

[torch]

1st Gary: we won 5 and a half, but we realisticly we won 4 matches! the North and Melbourne matches we did not deserve to draw or win!

2nd Gary: you are correct, we were the worst team in the AFL!

3rd Gary: good that you came out and said this! gives those players that are still on our list something to "hunger" on!

4th Gary: agree with you 110% all the way!

[Jackstar is back]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

The rot had well and truly set in about 25 years before Gary March got the gig, Jack!

Well Well.
He was in charge with the appointment of Jeff Bond, Ross Monaghan and the jury is still out on Craig Cameron I might add.
Francis Jackson I aint comfortable with either.
An IMBECILE like myself seen the writing on the wall with Wallace and Co some 3 years ago.
But we just plumited out of control with the resigning of Schulz and others and with the recruiting of McMahon, Thomson and Hislop

[Tigermonk]

The President talking it up again 
His bagging the club he runs 
Time to pull the no confidence vote on March 

[Go Richo 12]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

The rot had well and truly set in about 25 years before Gary March got the gig, Jack!

Well Well.
He was in charge with the appointment of Jeff Bond, Ross Monaghan and the jury is still out on Craig Cameron I might add.
Francis Jackson I aint comfortable with either.
An IMBECILE like myself seen the writing on the wall with Wallace and Co some 3 years ago.
But we just plumited out of control with the resigning of Schulz and others and with the recruiting of McMahon, Thomson and Hislop

You forgot to mention the profits he has delivered! The Cragieburn project, the redevelopment of Punt Rd and the fact he seen the departure of your favorite anti hero in Wallace!

[Jackstar is back]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

The rot had well and truly set in about 25 years before Gary March got the gig, Jack!

Well Well.
He was in charge with the appointment of Jeff Bond, Ross Monaghan and the jury is still out on Craig Cameron I might add.
Francis Jackson I aint comfortable with either.
An IMBECILE like myself seen the writing on the wall with Wallace and Co some 3 years ago.
But we just plumited out of control with the resigning of Schulz and others and with the recruiting of McMahon, Thomson and Hislop

You forgot to mention the profits he has delivered! The Cragieburn project, the redevelopment of Punt Rd and the fact he seen the departure of your favorite anti hero in Wallace!

Mate, anyone with half a brain could see that Wallace wasnt cutting it 2 years ago.
and who was the imbecile that signed Schulz up and recruited McMahon , Thomson and Hislop.
Can anyone please tell me who takes responsability at PUNT RD.
As for the Craigeburn project, what happens if we choose not to be involved with Coburg in the next 2 years ?
I dont think the current structure works with Coburg

[bushranger]

The President talking it up again 
His bagging the club he runs 
Time to pull the no confidence vote on March 

I agree with what this quote said.
Don't need a leader like him at any club.
Surely he must go now.

[Go Richo 12]

Ahhhh, Who is running the RFC???
And whats your role again Gary March

The rot had well and truly set in about 25 years before Gary March got the gig, Jack!

Well Well.
He was in charge with the appointment of Jeff Bond, Ross Monaghan and the jury is still out on Craig Cameron I might add.
Francis Jackson I aint comfortable with either.
An IMBECILE like myself seen the writing on the wall with Wallace and Co some 3 years ago.
But we just plumited out of control with the resigning of Schulz and others and with the recruiting of McMahon, Thomson and Hislop

You forgot to mention the profits he has delivered! The Cragieburn project, the redevelopment of Punt Rd and the fact he seen the departure of your favorite anti hero in Wallace!

Mate, anyone with half a brain could see that Wallace wasnt cutting it 2 years ago.
and who was the imbecile that signed Schulz up and recruited McMahon , Thomson and Hislop.
Can anyone please tell me who takes responsability at PUNT RD.
As for the Craigeburn project, what happens if we choose not to be involved with Coburg in the next 2 years ?
I dont think the current structure works with Coburg

So what is your assessment of all the presidents since 1982? And since when does the president have the right to interfere with recruiting? By the way, i think Sloppy will make it, leave him off your list

[Stripes]

Wasn't it March who made Wallace more accountable and called for Miller first to be removed from recruiting, then the board, then the club.

Off the field we have never been more successful especially considering the mess he took over. He made the hard calls on many of the key people in the club. He was probably seduced by Wallace in the beginning (like many of us) and as he was relatively new to the role, he probably trusted TW and Miller more initially than he would have in retrospect.

To his credit he is now taking firm control and telling it like it is. He knows the last five years has been a failure and while there is some shining light, we still do not have the core group to make us successful.

Perhaps March is too vocal and perhaps he has made some mistakes but surely everyone can see that he is directing the club to make the hard decisions now and that he is not squalling in past defeats but rather looking to find any way possible to give us future success.

He may be the wrong man to lead us in this way but I am pleased with what the club is now doing and the changes we are making so at this moment March is the best Richmond president we have.

Stripes

[tigersalive]

The President talking it up again 
His bagging the club he runs 
Time to pull the no confidence vote on March 

I agree with what this quote said.
Don't need a leader like him at any club.
Surely he must go now.

So he should be congratulating the players on their super effort this year??

Please.  He stated the obvious.  We bombed.

[WilliamPowell]

Mate, anyone with half a brain could see that Wallace wasnt cutting it 2 years ago.
and who was the imbecile that signed Schulz up and recruited McMahon , Thomson and Hislop.
Can anyone please tell me who takes responsability at PUNT RD.
As for the Craigeburn project, what happens if we choose not to be involved with Coburg in the next 2 years ?
I dont think the current structure works with Coburg

Jack I will give you one thing and that is your consistency in how selective you are in what things you use to justify your arguments

Oustide of what has been spoken about regarding profits etc, stripes makes a very good point about March being the person in charge of the club who made the coaching department and therefore the footy department more accountable.

However, your comments apparently pointing the finger at the president for the signing of certain players is laughable at best. Presidents don't sign players, boards dont sign players. That is the role the football department. If you seriously think that the President OK's every single player contract you are kidding. Do you think Eddie McEverywhere signs off every contract at Collingwood or Frank Costa OK every contract at Geelong

Facts are footy depts are given a budgets regarding player payments and certain parameters that is OK'd by the board. How that spend broken up is the decison of the footy department except for those things that fall outside the set parameters (eg big dollar contracts that would go through the CEO and then if need be the board....

Bottom line is Cameron is head of the footy department and he has authority via the board to make certain decisions that's how it works at most Clubs.

As for Craigieburn - what does Coburg have to do with it? The RFC has direct agreement with Hume council re- cragieburn. So that project and Richmonds involvement is a non-issue

[camboon]

Amen, I think March agrees with those calling for a full restructure / clean out as per his actions = words. I like the honesty, he wants the club to have a real good look at its self by declaring we are the worst and they need to give 110%- I bet you some of the past coaches and management ever suggested we were the worst. We should have had this restructure five years ago and we all might be happier. But no, we wait until its the worst time in history to re build through the draft.
I'm starting to think that theres no pleaseing some people and that you shouldn't even try!

[Gracie]

If only someone was smart enough to give Jackstar a job at Tigerland then all our problems would be fixed.