Patience the key, say Tiger greats
Jon Anderson From: Herald Sun May 11, 2010 12:00AM
RICHMOND may have recorded the worst
statistical first seven rounds of a season since 1955, but it is headed in the right direction.
That is the view of former club captains Dale Weightman and Neville Crowe, both of whom played at the club in equally trying times.
You need to go back 55 years to find a club that had a worse percentage than Richmond's 49 per cent after losing the first seven games.
That team was the 1955 St Kilda outfit, which ended its season with one win and a percentage of just 45.4.
Even the basket-case teams of recent times in Fitzroy (1995-96) and Sydney (1992-94) were never as uncompetitive as the Tigers in terms of percentage.
Before the Saints of 1955, North Melbourne went winless in 1931 but finished the season with a percentage of 50. University left the competition after failing to salute in 1914 with a percentage of 47.
Crowe, 71, played 150 matches and won three best-and-fairests with Richmond between 1957-67, including 1960 when the Tigers won just two games.
He captained them from 1963-66 and played in the premiership season of 1967, missing the Grand Final due to a controversial suspension for striking.
Crowe said he was "prepared to be patient", because there were "flashes on field to suggest there is hope".Weightman, 50, played 274 games and won two best-and-fairests from 1978-93. He as part of the 1980 premiership team, but was also there in 1987 and 1989 when the Tigers finished last.
Like Crowe, he is prepared to be patient and said there have been enough positives this season to suggest there is a future."
The club and Damian Hardwick know where they are at and that is starting all over again," Weightman said.
"It will take a couple of years to sort out the situation out, but they are definitely on the right track."In each game, bar the Geelong massacre, there have been some good signs. On the weekend, it was just the mature bodies at Adelaide that took over.
"
They are getting matches into the kids and will find out who can and can't play. Then they can be definite about their recruiting, not like some of the recent years when they haven't been certain about what to go for."Take Shane Edwards, who to my mind played his best game for the club. Dustin Martin knows now he can match it.
"It will be a long ride, but I am prepared to be patient. The coach has a plan and that is to teach his players a brand of football that will stand up in September."
Yes, they may be a long way off but Damian Hardwick will stick by his convictions."Crowe shared Weightman's optimism, claiming percentages don't matter when you are on the bottom.Crowe was president of the club from 1987-93 and is widely regarded as a key man in saving the Tigers when they were deeply in debt in 1990. He does not go to as many games these days, but still watches the club whenever he can.
"There have been some issues that haven't gone away at the club, but they are being addressed.
"What we need now is everyone to be together," Crowe said in obvious reference to recent grumblings about club president Gary March.[/b]"
From what I've seen, we have the right man for the job in Damian Hardwick and there have been flashes on field to suggest there is hope. I am prepared to be patient."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/patience-the-key-say-tiger-greats/story-e6frf9jf-1225864762413
