Trouble in Tigerland as it all falls apartCaroline Wilson
The Age
4 August 2016This is not a happy time for the Richmond Football Club. Every leader at Tigerland is under pressure as the team moves into the glare of the headlights against Collingwood on Friday night at the MCG.
Damien Hardwick's position cannot be truly guaranteed should further sub-par performances unfold. At least three of his assistants have now been warned of dismissal and a number of players including one-time first-round draft picks are facing the axe.
Brendon Gale's solid reputation, built up over seven years of significantly improved off-field results, now hangs on the manner in which he steadies what is an increasingly shaky ship. Peggy O'Neal has frustrated commentators by her public silence this week but reportedly is more determined than ever to remain as president of the club while other long-serving directors are considering their positions.
Richmond has become a stable operation and perhaps erred too far on the side of stability but it cannot revert to the old script now. However some well-credentialed and genuine Richmond people were among the 25 who were summoned to the crowded front dining room one week ago at the Malvern Hotel.
They deserve an audience with club leaders and should push for that in the coming days rather than fuel the uncertainty and threat of bloodshed. Hopefully names like Robert Ralph and Peter Capp and Damien Silk and Stephen Mandie will be among the emissaries to reach a mutual understanding of where change will come and how they can contribute.
But they must cut Joe Russo loose. The property developer, his connections and proposed methods to force change at the club make for an unacceptable combination. Ditto Leon Davies, whose online campaign of disenchantment against the club initially made sense and drew interest from some of the club's more reputable and high profile supporters.
But Davies' unfortunate decision to share some anti-burka inspired Facebook posts damage his credibility at a time he calls for diversity on the Tigers' board. It was Davies who appears to have brought the group of medical, legal and business – and some and high profile Old Xaverians – Richmond faithful together with Russo.
Club leaders are furious at the backroom plotting and the suggestion of football's most destructive scenario – a potential board challenge. Whether it be in the form of a bloodless coup or an extraordinary general meeting any form of political infighting cannot help the club as it seeks to improve its playing list after two successive fruitless trade periods.
Such uncertainty cannot help on-field performance for what has proved over a long period of time to be a fragile group of players under pressure and scrutiny. A group that has too many who too often put the individual before the team.
Particularly when recruiters and coaches around them are facing job losses and all concerned are awaiting the results of a thorough review the club attempted to keep private but will surely expose a cultural malaise at Richmond that successive administrations have been unable to heal despite more than three decades of trying.
But O'Neal and Gale and the Richmond board and executive should not be dismissive nor surprised by the agitators. The club's football operation has failed dismally this year and supporters have every right to be disappointed in the performances of the club's list managers, coaches, players and recruiters.
Not once in 18 games has a truly commanding performance been delivered by a football side that won 15 games last season and only just missed the top four before failing again in September.
These supporters have followed a team that has not had success for 35 years and yet has turned up and signed in significantly better numbers than most other clubs.
Gale and his team sold them a vision and they climbed aboard. Now they feel as though they are drowning again.
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