It's just mentor to be for resurgent Tigers
15 May 2005
Sunday Herald Sun
Jon Ralph
CAPTAIN Kane Johnson and Gerald Betts discuss real-estate synergies.
Richmond immortal Francis Bourke has offered South Australian Danny Meyer his spare bedroom when the youngster's parents visit.
Past players' president Mike Perry just tells Matthew Richardson to stick it up old rivals such as today's opponent Collingwood.
Richmond's new player mentoring scheme means different things to different people, but several months down the track it is being hailed as a resounding success.
It is there not only for confidential advice and to prick the bubble of the occasional over-inflated ego, but to help when players such as Jay Schulz find themselves in hot water, as happened so publicly only months ago.
It might be only a chat and a bowl of pasta with '60s rover Frank Dimattina, but often that can prove the difference.
While Richmond's current players are benefiting from the added connection, many of the past players who supported the rebel ticket in last year's board crisis have been able to return to the fold.
Each player, old and new, has been matched with a past Richmond player. While some make only sporadic contact, others catch up weekly for off and on-field matters.
According to Perry, it has been a win-win situation for the club and past players.
"You can put kids in a fishbowl and not allow anyone near them," he said. "Terry Wallace has the attitude that you have to get out into the real world because life goes on outside footy.
"Players can confide with people who aren't decision makers and they don't report back to the club on what is said."
For several years Perry had been hopeful of starting the initiative at Tigerland. Wallace had trialled the same type of program on a small scale at the Bulldogs and within his first week at the Tigers, he approved its formation.
The pairings were carefully considered -- by the club and past players' association -- to nurture younger players and provide something worthy for senior players who did not need the same level of care.
Kyabram great Dick Clay has taken Brett Deledio under his wing, Aboriginal wingman Phil Egan helps out Richard Tambling and former rover Graeme Bond advises Mark Coughlan.
AFL Players' Association boss and lawyer Brendon Gale combines with commerce student Daniel Jackson, while Andy Goodwin, who extracted every bit of talent from his body, has hit it off with the flourishing Shane Tuck.
Five-time premiership great Bourke, named a Richmond immortal this year, was taken under the great Graeme Richmond's wing when he arrived from Nathalia. He sees this program as an extension of that act of kindness.
"He was my mentor," Bourke said. "I had just turned 22 when I came to live in Melbourne (having commuted for three seasons) and I lived upstairs at the Vaucluse Hotel once I left my family.
"It was fantastic. I did my 40 hours, working full-time for Graeme pulling beers and learning about the business.
"Danny (Meyer) has been around to our place for tea and he seems an intelligent kid and is having a good run. The more I think about this, it is maybe his Mum and Dad that need a mentor.
"Can you imagine what it would be like having your 18-year-old boy move to another city?"
Deledio's connection with four-time premiership great Dick Clay has been close from day one.
Clay was friends with the No.1 draft pick's father Wayne, with both players born and bred in Kyabram.
"Dick has been fantastic," Deledio said. "He has called me every day before a game, just pointing me in the right direction.
"It is just reassuring stuff about the game and what I need to do."
A dual premiership player (with the Crows), Johnson, 27, is unlikely to need a shoulder to cry on, so his partnership is focused on his career after football.
Betts might have played only 10 games with Richmond in the 1970s before moving to Collingwood, but his occupation in real estate is a perfect fit for Johnson.
The new captain works one day a week with Winchcombe Carson Financial Planning and through Betts's interest at Buxton Real Estate in Albert Park, they can not only talk business but discuss life after football.
"We have a joint venture with Australian Consulting, who bring in the property side of things to it . . . and we can get properties from Gerald and sell them to clients," Johnson said. "It married in pretty well and we have had a few meetings and it's worked out well so far.
"Some (players and mentors) met once and I don't know whether they will meet again, and some keep in regular contact. It is basically just a good sounding-board away from footy.
"Some blokes will use it religiously, some will use it every now and then and some won't use it at all."
On Thursday former centre half-back Perry met Richardson for lunch in the Docklands.
"We talked a bit about body positioning and I just made a suggestion about how he should be at the forefront this week because Collingwood will come out blazing," said Perry, who played in the 1967 premiership side with Matthew's father, Alan.
"Terry has addressed it and I just said if he was in a position where he could get into the young kids' ears, just be aware of it."
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