Tigers president puts faith in Wood

[mightytiges]

By Caroline Wilson
realfooty.theage.com.au
June 1, 2004

A group of Tiger board members could travel to Brisbane this week to interview the favoured candidate for the vacant chief executive's job, Leighton Wood.

It is believed that Wood, the former Melbourne Commonwealth Games bid chief, was unable to travel to Melbourne last week but spent three-and-a-half hours with Tigers president Clinton Casey and his director of football Greg Miller, who flew to Brisbane to interview him two days before announcing Ian Campbell's departure.

The embattled Casey will tonight front his board, not all of whom were fully consulted before Campbell's departure and who are keen to meet any potential chief executive face-to-face before deciding to appoint him.

Casey, who is understood to face challenges from two groups, remains determined that Wood, 44, is the best person for the job, having narrowly lost out last time to ex-Olympian Campbell.

"Having spent seven months looking last time - and it wasn't that long ago - we would not want to be seen (to be) sitting on our hands if we think we've found the right person for the job," said Casey last night.

"When we went to see him (Wood) last week, we spent some considerable time talking to him and I have to say he was very impressive."

Richmond directors were unaware last night of the details of any potential challenge but former club presidents Pat Stone and Leon Daphne have been linked this week to groups determined to rebuild the club's board and take a new direction. Recently retired director and 1980 premiership player Peter Welsh refused to comment last night when asked if he was involved in a challenge.

Casey is also believed to be under pressure from part of the board concerned with the club's parlous financial state and his determination not to prepare a request to the AFL for a handout from the league's multimillion-dollar competitive balance fund.

He said Wood's debilitating back problem, for which he has had extensive surgery, would not be an issue for Richmond if he were appointed to the top job.

While the Tigers rarely offer contracts to officials, the board is believed to be prepared to offer Wood a two-year deal should it approve him and he requires such a commitment.

http://realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/05/31/1085855502096.html?oneclick=true

[mightytiges]

Richmond directors were unaware last night of the details of any potential challenge but former club presidents Pat Stone and Leon Daphne have been linked this week to groups determined to rebuild the club's board and take a new direction. Recently retired director and 1980 premiership player Peter Welsh refused to comment last night when asked if he was involved in a challenge.

Leon was a successful president from a financial point of view but why go back to people who were part of the last 20 years of on-field (and for some off-field) failure. Same goes for Welsh or Schwab or whoever. Call me cynicial but I no faith in any of these people whoever they may be fixing up the mess we have and are still in. Back then they mostly didn't understand what Richmond's problems were let alone have the answers so why trust them now. Each time there's a successful challenge to the board all we ever received were empty promises. I'm sick of these power games behind closed doors. Where's the consultation. Don't us members get a say. They might be surprised to learn that most of us would be willing to put up with a good coach who abides by a strong youth recruiting policy instead of these quick-fixes that keep us in footy's no-man's land. For heaven's sake I'd reckon after 20 years of living through this soap opera we have a better idea of what's wrong and what needs to be done than these guys.

That ends my late night rant     

[WilliamPowell]

For heaven's sake I'd reckon after 20 years of living through this soap opera we have a better idea of what's wrong and what needs to be done than these guys.

Aint that the truth.

Isn't funny how some of these people continue to come out of the woodwork. And I am sick to death of it.

I sick death of these people suddenly reappearing and claiming to be white knights - I am sorry but I question their motives. Do they really have the interest of the Club heart? Don't tell me how concerned you are about our "plight" - tell me how you are going to fix the problems.

I reckon it pretty easy to say "I'm very concerned". Most of us have been saying it for quite some time.

What our club needs more than anything at the moment is UNITY. I know that it is a unique concept at Richmond but I reckon we should give it a try. I cannot remember when we were last really united as a Club.

[Tiger Spirit]

Leon was a successful president from a financial point of view but why go back to people who were part of the last 20 years of on-field (and for some off-field) failure. Same goes for Welsh or Schwab or whoever. Call me cynicial but I no faith in any of these people whoever they may be fixing up the mess we have and are still in. Back then they mostly didn't understand what Richmond's problems were let alone have the answers so why trust them now.

Agree 100% MT.  Wasn’t Leon Daphne Club President when Jeff Gieschen was appointed without interviewing other candidates for the Coach’s role?  Wasn’t he also responsible for taking on Danny Frawley and didn’t he step aside as President?  Not sure exactly why, but it was either because he had tied himself to Gieschen’s tenure as coach or because he felt there was someone else better suited to the role.  Either way, doesn’t give me great reason to hope that he will fix things now.

As for Welsh, I voted him out before, I’ll do it again.  I recall seeing him sitting in the coach’s box one game, I don’t know what it was, but he either looked uncomfortable, disinterested or peeved at being there.  For someone with the interests of the football Club at heart, supposedly, I find it mystifying that he wouldn’t be wanting to do the job asked of him at the time, even if he didn’t want to be there.  Didn’t endear himself to me then, or several years ago when he came out when Daphne was still President and poured water on the suggestion that the Club was stagnating.  Blind Freddy could see that it was, but he and his mates couldn’t, or more likely didn’t want to.

Schwab – Been there and helped cause the problems.

All in all, these people have all contributed to the mess we are in.  Why would they now suddenly be able to rise and do what they were unable to do before?
 
These people are no doubt credible in their own right, but they are never going to take us any further than they have before, especially if we collect all the minds that helped create the problems in the first place and put them all together.  Unless of course they’ve dramatically changed their thinking, which I doubt.

[Tiger Spirit]

What our club needs more than anything at the moment is UNITY.

That’s exactly what is needed WP, but with everyone pulling in different directions, it’s obvious that everyone’s interests, except those of the Richmond Football Club, are being considered here.  And no one bothers to consider the damage being done to RFC by everything that is supposedly going on behind the scenes.

Why can’t people come out and offer to help the Club, instead of wanting to take it over?

I don’t doubt that the current administration has made some major mistakes, nothing any previous administration hasn’t done and it’s nothing that couldn’t be rectified if people could work together to resolve things.  But that’s obviously asking a bit much of people.

[Ox]

Can we start a splinter group like the presidents men at Collingwood.
(Or whatever they are called)

PLEAAASE GUYS ?????

Lets get serious FFS.

CMON - WTF ARE U WAITING FOR.

[Harry]

as long as there's free beer and finger food I'm in.

[froars]

Well, i like Leon, and i liked what he achieved at the club, except in the footy department.  He financially turned the club around, and with Miller there - and Ben coming on board - i would much prefer them to have another go than put up with this guy any longer.

You guys want someone different to run the club.  Got news for you, not many people putting their hands up.

No offence to David Clayton and other guys like him, but do people really think he is the kind of person we want running the club?  Being a passionate supporter just isn't enough.  We're all passionate people who support the club, but to lead us i want people of substance, with proven business credentials, with experience in running footy clubs. 

[Tiger Spirit]

Well, i like Leon, and i liked what he achieved at the club, except in the footy department.

I like Leon too Froars, but if you can’t deliver results in the footy department then the rest doesn’t really work, not for long anyway.

We may not want to put up with this guy any longer, but he’s all we’ve got at the moment.  Doesn’t seem like too many want to pitch in and help, but lots are prepared to sit back and watch events unfold.  If the worst comes to the worst, I guess it makes it much easier for others to come in and look like our saviours, if they ever decide to mount a challenge.

If supporters want people like that running our Club, then I should be worried.  I could have a lot more time and respect for people who would be prepared to go and help now.

I don’t think we asked for someone else to come and take over, we already know that no one is putting their hand up, that we can see.  We just wonder why people need to be talked into helping.  And to have people come out from nowhere and suddenly have answers makes you wonder why they weren’t available before.  Why do they need to wait for a crisis before they want to do something to help?  And if they can help, why do they need to be attached or linked to a particular ticket?  Are they actually interested in RFC or do they have something to gain elsewhere?

I’m not sure where the reference to David Clayton comes from, but I agree that he isn’t the answer.

[froars]

If the worst comes to the worst, I guess it makes it much easier for others to come in and look like our saviours, if they ever decide to mount a challenge.

I don't think this is what Leon would think - trying to big note himself.  He is a modest kind of person, who already knows what it's like to run the club.  He would know it's not going to be an easy ride.  He can only be a saviour if he gets the club out of the poo it's in at the moment, and i quite frankly believe he can do that.  I really think that's a slight on Leon for all the good work he did in getting our financials right.  Do you honestly believe it would be fantastic to sit back and watch all that good unfold before his eyes?  I don't believe he is on an ego trip - i think he must sit back and wonder what in the hell has happened since he left.

Sure, he stuffed up with Gieschen - so have a few other presidents in the Tigers' long haul to find success again. 

[Harry]

Yeah..........you've convinced me froars.

Its important that the finances are improved and as you said - Leons been there and done that.  He did stuff up when it came to football issues but hopefully he has learnt from his mistakes and he lets people like Miller and Benny take responsibility in appointing new caoching and recruiting staff. 

The main ingredient IMO is that they appoint a coach who is realistic about the list and is prepared to recruit and develop accordingly.  if the next coach is deluded about the playing list like the 2-3 coaches before him then we'll be here in 3-4 years time talking about another ticket being formed.

[mightytiges]

froars, yes we do know what Daphne was like as president. Excellent in terms of the financial side of things but failed miserably when it came to the footy side of things - Northey leaving, Walls appointment and sacking, appointment of Gieschen and his resignation, signing Daffy, Knights, Richo and Cambo to long term and $$$ contracts which hamstrung the Club. He may be a top bloke but so is Danny. Doesn't mean it equates to having the ability to manage every aspect of a footy club. I agree we need someone who has business experience (a la not David Clayton) but they also have to show they have some idea of the major problems in regards to the footy department. No one I've heard has shown even an inkling of having the faintess idea.   

From those who come out in the press so far all we've heard is that they are "Concerned" but they are too busy right now to get involved. Geez thanks for your concern .

[Tiger Spirit]

I don't think this is what Leon would think - trying to big note himself.  He is a modest kind of person, who already knows what it's like to run the club.  He would know it's not going to be an easy ride.

I don’t think Leon would be on an ego trip either and I’m not denigrating what he did for the Club, but I can’t understand if people are concerned for the welfare of RFC why they can’t just get in there and help now?

You might be right that Leon can get the Club out of the mire, so why, if he, or anyone else for that matter, is in a position to help, can’t he come out and support the Club now, without needing to sit back and wait for the rest of the cavalry to be ready?  That I don’t understand.  Is it personal grievances, or something else?  And to me, all this behind the scenes stuff implies that these sorts of people are not really in it for RFC.

And because Leon stuffed up when he had the role of President, he of all people should know how difficult a job it is.

[WilliamPowell]

I just want to go on record as saying I am really concerned about my footy club.

See how easy it is to say it but what are people going to do about it?

Have any of these people come out and said - we need to inject $5 million in sponsorship and this how we go about getting it? NO

Have any of these people come out and said - we wont keep the supporters in the dark - hell we might even try and be honest for change? NO

Have any of these people come out and said anything constructive? NO

But they are sure spending alot of time in media being critical. If they aren't being critical they seem to be saying either "I've got no comment" or "I haven't got the time".

The members of this Club deserve a lot better than that IMO

[Tiger Spirit]

They haven't done any of that WP.  The only thing they have done is cause supporters more grief.

It gets to the point where you wonder if we can ever get ourselves out of this, unless people realise that what we really need is unity, as you've previously pointed out WP.

But people don't seem to understand that.

It's a bit like the team we barrack for.  Most of our players don’t seem to know or understand what a team is or does.

A team player puts team above all else and forgets about personal glory.  They are prepared to make the personal sacrifices necessary for the team to succeed and so their needs are not important.

Unfortunately for us, the opposite seems to happen, on and off the field at our Club.