Rebels blameless: Frawley
By Peter Ker
realfooty.theage.com.au
June 14, 2004
Richmond coach Danny Frawley refused to blame the club's off-field dramas yesterday for his side's latest poor performance, as the Tigers succumbed to a sloppy Fremantle by 10 points at the MCG.
As a group of rebel supporters gathered signatures outside the MCG for a petition seeking to overthrow the Richmond board, the Tigers suffered their third consecutive fade-out, allowing the Dockers back into a match that looked beyond them when they trailed by 38 points in the second quarter.
After the match, Frawley tried to put a positive spin on the loss, and tried to ignore the continuing off-field troubles.
"For two-and-a-half quarters it was the best footy we've played for probably six weeks, I would've thought," he said. "They got a big tick for two-and-a-half quarters, but today we were unable to seal the deal."
Frawley rejected suggestions that his side lacked fitness, despite managing only three goals after half-time.
Last week Richmond led the Kangaroos at half-time before losing by 74 points, and was level with West Coast at half-time in round 10 before losing by 37 points at Subiaco.
"A lot of it is about belief and I thought just before half-time . . . those two goals that Fremantle kicked just before half-time may just have given them a smidgin of belief and probably just sowed a couple of seeds of doubt into our boys," he said.
Frawley said his players would not let the continuing board dramas and supporter petitions affect their football.
"There's been a thousand distractions. That doesn't worry us, that's out of our control, out of my control and out of the players' control so we'll just try to focus on Carlton and getting the boys up for what's going to be a big game for both clubs," he said.
The rebel group of supporters, led by disgruntled member Michael Pahoff, collected just over 60 members' signatures at yesterday's match, still well short of the 100 they need to force an extraordinary general meeting and a motion of no-confidence in president Clinton Casey and his board.
Pahoff said he was not disenchanted by failing to reach the 100-signature mark yesterday.
"I didn't have any expectations," he said. "We are on our way... we keep on going until July 26, that will be the last day we try."
The group's attempts to gain signatures was not helped by the disappointing crowd of 18,666.
Pahoff said his group hoped to have the meeting held in August and a new board elected in September.
Earlier, Casey said an election could cost the club as much as $60,000. "At this point in time we can't afford to be throwing away $60,000," he said. "People have the right to do what they want to do and they will go about their business, but I just wish they would channel that.
"Our message to any of the critics or to anyone who genuinely wants to help is nominate for a position, stand up and volunteer your time, bring us a sponsor, brings us 1000 members, do something to advance this football club."
Pahoff said in the context of such massive financial losses, an extra $60,000 to fix the club was worthwhile.
Meanwhile Casey said the club was close to finding a chief executive, with an appointment from the remaining three candidates expected later this week.
He told Radio 3AW that he was also hopeful a new contract with the TAC would be presented at a board meeting next week and that a panel reviewing the coaching position would put a recommendation to the board later this year.
http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/06/13/1087065031334.html
