Choco block: Tiges may step in (Age)

[one-eyed]

Choco block: Tiges may step in

    Caroline Wilson
    The Age
    November 7, 2013


Richmond could thwart St Kilda's attempt to poach its highly regarded assistant Mark Williams should the beleaguered Saints offer Williams the senior coaching job following last week's ill-timed sacking of Scott Watters.

While a shattered and angry Watters remains determined to make St Kilda pay for its decision to remove him, the Tigers are among several clubs unimpressed at the timing of Watters' sacking and the potential disruption to its own plans for 2014.

Williams will meet the Saints' coaching sub-committee on Friday, although Fairfax Media understands another short-placed favourite for the coaching role, Alan Richardson, could choose to make himself unavailable. Richardson is understood to have told Port Adelaide he intends to stay at that club, serving as a senior assistant to Ken Hinkley. Richardson also knocked back an opportunity to be interviewed for both the Essendon and Brisbane coaching jobs.

Frustrated Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale confirmed St Kilda football boss Chris Pelchen had approached the Tigers' Daniel Richardson informing him that the Saints were interested in Williams. ''I'd like to think that St Kilda would accept and acknowledge the fact that Mark [Williams] is an extremely valued and highly competent employee of the Richmond Football Club,'' said Gale.

He said that in ''all the given circumstances, including the late nature of the approach, it wouldn't be an unreasonable position for us'' to insist Williams' contract is honoured.

Williams is midway through a two-year deal at Tigerland. When St Kilda came close to sacking Watters four weeks ago, the Port Adelaide premiership coach was at the top of the club's hit-list. But the fact St Kilda dragged its decision to remove Watters into November has proved a sticking point for several clubs, as well as the AFL Coaches Association.

The Tigers have changed their attitude since Melbourne chief Peter Jackson contacted Gale several months ago and informed him the Demons wanted to interview Williams once Richmond's season was completed.

Richmond's view - one that is shared by a number of clubs - is that losing a valued football staffer in September is vastly different to losing that same staffer in November, with most roles filled across the AFL and few strong candidates left.

Not only will the cash-strapped Saints be forced to pay Watters close to $500,000, they are now looking to take an assistant coach from a rival club as pre-season training is about to begin. Brett Ratten, who has also been publicly touted for the St Kilda job, has been studying in the US and is holidaying with his family in New York. He told the Hawks on Wednesday he had not been approached by the Saints.

Melbourne has yet to fill the much-heralded senior assistant's position with the incumbent expected to replace Paul Roos within three years. The Swans held firm on their assistant coach Stuart Dew, refusing to release him from his contract when Melbourne attempted to poach him.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/choco-block-tiges-may-step-in-20131106-2x1s5.html

[Rampstar]

Has any AFL club ever paid financial compensation to another club for a coach?

[tigs2011]

Dig your heels in Tiges. That pee-ant club won't know what hit them. 

[eliminator]

Agree

[cub]

Yep screw stblunda

[wayne]

Don't let him go Tiges, they can have Frawley.

[Rampstar]

RFC should ask for financial compensation. I dont know what its worth but how much does a senior assistant cost these days in terms of wage $250,000?

[Stripes]

Creates a juggling act with the club desperate to retain quality personale, particularly at this late stage, but also being mindful not to create resentment from Chocco which would disrupt his output and loyalty next year. 

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Have already lost Leppa.
To lose Chocco at this late stage with no quality replacement available disadvantages us greatly.

[Phil Mrakov]

Who replaced Leppa ?

[gerkin greg]

Who replaced Leppa ?

no-one

[Phil Mrakov]

Who replaced Leppa ?

no-one

Why ? Are we getting anyone or what

[one-eyed]

Tigers powerless to stop Williams move: Frawley

Nathan Schmook 
afl.com.au
November 7, 2013 2:31 PM

RICHMOND doesn't have a case to prevent assistant coach Mark Williams from pursuing the senior job at St Kilda, according to the AFL Coaches Association.

By sacking coach Scott Watters as preparation for the 2014 season gets underway, the Saints have unsettled opposition clubs who had finalised their coaching structures.

Highly valued at Punt Road, Williams was set to continue as the Tigers' head of development in 2014, guiding and mentoring the club's young players.

However, he is seen as the No.1 candidate to take over from Watters, with St Kilda reportedly declaring their interest to the Tigers this week.

AFLCA chief executive Danny Frawley said Richmond had little choice but to release Williams if he was offered the senior job with the Saints.     

"They haven't got a case," Frawley told AFL.com.au.

"There's nothing they can do if he's offered the senior role at St Kilda.

"They could offer him a longer-term deal, but it's very hard to stop an assistant becoming a senior coach.

"That's a job promotion, so there's not a lot the Tigers can do, I wouldn't have thought."

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale told The Age it wouldn't be unreasonable for the club to insist Williams honoured the final year of his contract.

"I'd like to think that St Kilda would accept and acknowledge the fact that Mark [Williams] is an extremely valued and highly competent employee of the Richmond Football Club," Gale said.

A premiership coach with Port Adelaide in 2004, Williams also coached the Power to the 2007 Grand Final before stepping down in 2010 after 11 years.

He spent two seasons under Kevin Sheedy at Greater Western Sydney before joining the Tigers at the end of the 2012 season.

Richmond, which will have a standalone VFL team in 2014, has boosted its development resources and views the area as a priority.

Rather than directly replace new Brisbane Lions coach Justin Leppitsch, the Tigers secured Max Bailey and Andrew McQualter in development roles.

"Development is a big part of any club and will only become a bigger part going forward, particularly at Richmond," football manager Dan Richardson said recently.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-11-07/choco-can-move-aflca

[Phil Mrakov]

Well I guess that's that then now that Spud has come out and said this.

[YellowandBlackBlood]

Well I guess that's that then now that Spud has come out and said this.

It all depends on the exact wording of his contract. It is only this that may legally bind him to the club.