The problem Don is that it is basically dishonest.
When you have a culture problem it leads to dishonesty towards its stakeholders being members and supporters.
The culture problems have a genesis to the power struggles that took place 1983 onwards, where the boards were to self absorbed in getting their ticket across the line to actually stop and smell the roses and see how the coaching and playing list was being hindered by this, as well as GR ruthlessly dumping coaches every few years if they didn't win a flag.
Our success way back when we were kids ultimately led to our current demise in a funny sort of way.
Paul Sproule signs a two year deal in 1985 but because Barry Richardson was ousted by the end of the year his contract is not honoured. By the time Northey arrives and goes the club behind the scenes is still as fractured as it was in the 1980's but the fans have jumped on board due to them being starved of success and the sleeping giant awakens. Remember we briefly awoke in 1993 making the Fosters Cup GF.
Without going into a history lesson the club does not know how to deal with the success starved supporters holding them to ransom each time it becomes apparent that another coaching tenure has turned stale. This leads to lies, and failure to publically address the issues as to why the club is in the predicament it is in and this then leads to further disharmony between the club and the fans to the point where the club has no other option but to admit it's mistakes.
Along the journey attendances drops and so does memberships and so does profit and this leads to debt and failure to address on field needs by investing in the proper areas and so the club finds itself wallowing in the lower reaches of the table. By going in debt originally and rattling tins when we did in 1988-1990 and not really fully getting the help others have had since, added to investing in resourcing the club properly and looking for alternative streams of profit we find that weare well behind the elite clubs like Hawthorn who were gone in 1996, Pies were nowhere in 1999 yet they have risen at a more economic friendly environment had their years of failure but have invested in the right people to do the job they employed them to do.
RFC continually looks to make profit but cuts corners in terms of the people they employ to fill on field positions and coaching positions and its this that the fans find ultimately galling. If you spend properly the results will come, Richmond spends on the wrong people and people overstay their welcome until its too late and therein lies the problem.
Time for a new cycle. Then the lies will seem to stop for a few years whilst we falsely believe that this regime might be the one that might deliver a holy grail until the darksiders start and then over time the rest will follow. Sad indictment on us.
