While I can see your viewpoint I really must take exception to a few facts you (and others on the Dunstall threads) have ignored.
We have a very experienced Football Director in Tony Free.
Now you can say that he is not providing much, especially since March rapped him over the knuckles following his critical interview some years ago, but by all objective facts he would meet a lot of the criteria - former captain, dual B&F winner.
While it is true that Richardson has no experience as a club Football Manager, he does have a resume that points to a skill set required to perform the role.
Dan is a strong member of the Tiger family with his father Barry a premiership player (67,69,74), coach (77/8) and President (85). Barry is also a Richmond Hall of Fame member.
Dan has experience as a player with 6 premierships in the VAFA.
Dan was a leading player agent including serving on the Agent Accreditation panel.
He was for over a decade involved with the major player management firms Elite Sports Properties where he was eventually a director and head of their football department.
Now you can be critical of the board's actions (and I have been, including nominations committee, constitutional changes and general board member manipulations plus staff appointments) to say that we do not have a director with football experience is totally wrong. Now there seems to be a general disquiet around the board not having come out and publicly shown stronger direction (ie change) and I understand that but I really, really don't want a free-for-all with various directors publicly lobbying for a wide range of changes and cutting each other and staff throats. A lot of the disquiet I feel is the press trying to generate internal ructions at Richmond to sell papers and, to the credit of the board, not succeeding.
Likewise to say that our current Football Manager has no experience given his Richmond family, playing and player management history as well as experience as a manager is to ignore his skills outside a narrow focus on having done the exact same job before.
Having said previously that I do not want a public free-for-all, I do think that Benny Gale should come out and publicly defend Richardson like I've done here.
I also think Peggy O'Neal should come out and defend her board members, particularly Free and the efforts to turn around the club financially with special mention of PRO development and increased membership and general fan support.
I think this is a prime chance for the club to get on the front foot and as aggressively as they want, defend their own and stake out their territory. (might even be bloody good for morale)
WE ARE RICHMOND.
You attack one of us, you attack all of us and we will fight back, tooth and nail.