2007 is Tigers' time: Miller 12:17:11 PM Fri 14 October, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au
Richmond football director Greg Miller believes the Tigers are just another year away from being in a position to challenge for a premiership in what would represent a stunning turnaround for the club in the space of just 12 months.
This time last year the Tigers had just ended the season with 14 successive losses and the wooden spoon and were heading for a $2.5 million loss with president Clinton Casey and the board facing a fight to hang onto control of the club from a rival ticket led by former board members Charles Macek and Brendan Schwab.
However, Casey pulled a masterstroke by convincing Miller, the most popular figure at Tigerland, to join his ticket and, as a result, the board was easily re-elected with Miller polling the most votes of any of the candidates.
Now, nearly 12 months on, Miller does not regret his decision and says he has easily been able to combine his role as board member as well as director of football.
Miller, who threatened to walk away from the club if the Casey ticket was not re-elected last year, said the club now finally had the off-field stability needed to be successful as well as the right coaching staff - led by senior coach Terry Wallace.
"I certainly don't regret the decision, it was the right decision and I am pleased with the direction the club is going," Miller told Sportal in an exclusive interview.
The Tigers not only improved from four wins to ten wins in Wallace's first year in charge, but the club's off-field situation has improved dramatically from a $2.5 million loss last year to a position where the club will almost break even in 2005.
"That is a fantastic turnaround and it's been a great effort by all," Miller said before paying special tribute to the Tigers' CEO, Steven Wright.
"We are already building on it for next year and the interest in our brand has been fantastic and Steve Wright and his team have executed the selling of that brand with real class."
Miller said the Tigers' now had the off-field stability needed to again become a successful club.
"I can’t stress enough that stability from the board, stability from within your key administrators, stability within your playing ranks, if you can keep that together for five or six years you have got a chance for success," he said.
The Tigers list has also improved dramatically as shown by the fact this year the club will make just six changes - including the retirements of Wayne Campbell and Mark Graham - a far cry from the mass changes of recent seasons.
Miller said all that was needed now was for the Tigers' host of talented young players to mature and then the club, which has made the finals just twice in the past 23 years after having won five premierships between 1967-80, would again be ready to be a force in the competition.
"The confidence of the young men at our footy club has grown, and with 40-50 games under their belt I think by 2007 we are going to be in a strong position to challenge," he said.
Miller said the appointment of Terry Wallace, who has just completed the first year of his five year deal as coach, was "all and more than what I expected."
"He has put his arm around all sections of the club and he shows great energy to be able to do that," Miller said of Wallace.
"It's been a pleasure working with him and seeing what he has been able to achieve in a short period of time."
After capturing 2005 NAB Rising Star winner Brett Deledio in last year's national draft, Miller is confident the Tigers can unearth another future star with their first pick at selection eight in this year's draft, confirming the Tigers would have just three picks this year with their other selections coming at picks 24 and 40.
The club traded its fourth round pick (number 56) to the Bulldogs for Patrick Bowden while instead of using pick 72 in the national draft, the club will save it for the pre-season draft where it has pick five and is hoping to snare either one of West Coast duo Travis Gaspar or Kasey Green or Essendon's Ben Haynes, who played five games with the Tigers in 2000-01.
"We believe that at choice eight in the (national) draft this year we will get a matchwinner and we think the depth of the real quality players (in this year's draft) goes beyond eight and hence our desire to maintain it," Miller said.
Miller said the reason the Tigers would have so few picks this year compared to last year was the club now had the foundations of a good playing list.
"We just need to consolidate our list a bit and give these young kids a bit more time to mature."
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