Jackson jets back to Tigerland . . .
11:50:04 AM Fri 11 February, 2005
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au
Thirty years after departing Richmond as part of that famous trade deal for John Pitura, Francis Jackson is returning to Punt Road in a key, part-time recruiting capacity.
The now 50-year-old, who was swapped to South Melbourne, along with Brian ‘The Whale’ Roberts and Graham Teasdale midway through the 1975 season for Pitura, will oversee the Tigers’ recruiting department.
“I first met Francis when he came across to the Swans, where I was playing at the time, and we’ve been best mates ever since,” said Richmond’s Director of Football, Greg Miller.
“In 1979 he hurt his knee and missed a year of football. While he was out injured, he was appointed coach of South Melbourne thirds – that was the high esteem Ian Stewart (senior Swans coach at the time) held him in.
“He went on to play more than 100 games, and he earned a reputation as a very solid, reliable performer . . .
“As soon as he finished playing, I got him involved in recruiting at South Melbourne, then took him across to North Melbourne, where he’s worked for the last 20 years as a senior part-timer. Throughout that period, he’s been a sports master at Brighton Grammar, and was actually named coach of their Team of the Century.
“Francis will continue to be Brighton Grammar’s sports master, but he’ll also spend a lot of time down at Punt Road overseeing the recruiting department of three administrative part-timers behind the scenes, and six out in the field every weekend. He’ll organise all that, so he’ll be around the Club a fair bit.”
Friendship aside, Miller believes Jackson is ideally equipped to tackle such an important part-time function with the Tigers.
“He brings 25 years of experience, plus plenty of energy into the role – and he’s got a really good eye for talent, which the Kangaroos would vouch for . . . they regard him very highly,” Miller said.
“I was reluctant to bring him across early doors, but without a full-time person, the timing’s right now to have him here with us.”
Miller also revealed that another ex-Tiger would be joining Jackson as part of Richmond’s recruiting team.
“I’ve brought across another former Richmond under 19s player in Peter Cecil. I played with him at Punt Road in 1971, and he won the goalkicking that year. He’s also been working in recruiting with the Kangaroos and has done a good job,” Miller said.
“So, we’ve been able to bolster our recruiting set-up on a part-time basis, in an attempt to cover the full-time work that Greg Beck did so well for the Club over nine years.
“It’s a new era, and we welcome aboard Francis and Peter . . .”
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=184862
