Balme hiring a brilliant move by struggling TigersCaroline Wilson
The Age
17th September 2016Rarely has the crossing of an AFL club football boss from one team to another caused as much speculation and controversy as Neil Balme's journey from Collingwood back to Richmond, the club he departed 37 years ago after 159 games and two premierships.
And yet from the moment in late August it emerged that the Magpies had demoted Balme a decade after the club had given him his marching orders the first time around, the romance and synergy linked with a move to the Tigers seemed tantalising. And the politics surrounding the Collingwood scenario intriguing.
When Collingwood let Balme go at the end of 2006 he was snapped up by Geelong to glue the Cats' fragmented football operation and mentor the younger Steve Hocking. Mark Thompson had avoided the axe and went on to coach the team to two flags in Balme's first three years.
When Thompson blindsided the club by quitting for Essendon it was Balme who called the players and coaches together and assured them they were capable of another premiership and that Geelong would find them a coach capable of delivering that.
Balme was not exactly blindsided by Collingwood's decision to appoint Graeme Allan into the role he had held for just two seasons but it must have been galling given the number of assurances the Magpies had given the football staff that Allan was at the club to run women's football and netball.
Most senior Collingwood staff were acutely aware of president Eddie McGuire's deep affection and admiration for Allan. But Balme supporters were disappointed that McGuire did not take the trouble to discuss his decision personally with the man he had lured back from Geelong less than two years earlier, nor in fact contact Balme for more than a week after the news came out.
However, the prevailing view is that Balme still considered remaining at Collingwood in what was a well-remunerated position and because the director of coaching job held some appeal due to his close relationship with Nathan Buckley. It seems unfathomable that Buckley was not in the loop regarding the Allan appointment nor Balme's job change but Buckley said he had no knowledge of the decision until it was a fait accompli.
Buckley last weekend, though, seemed confident that Balme would remain at the club. That was the view of several Magpie colleagues even though Richmond had by then begun seriously considering Balme for its own under-performing football department.
But those close to Balme knew by then he had realised he could not continue at the Magpies. One final straw that led to his departure from the Holden Centre was the decision by Allan last week to cut two player development managers, Christian Stagliano and Adrian Persi. According to staffers Balme had rated both and had not been consulted. That his views were considered irrelevant brought home to Balme the reality of his situation.
He no longer wanted a part of the new-look football operation that the Magpies claim needed a shake-up, saying that the skills of the more dynamic Allan were required. The relationships expert Balme, they said, had done his job and now the club had its fourth football boss in just over three years. They deny this was the plan when Allan joined the club in May but few believe that now if they ever did.
The football department under Allan is expected to see a greater investment in welfare terms in sports psychology with the club considering appointing a full-time sports psychologist, assistant coaches have been brought in, some reshuffled and others moved out.
Buckley, of course, is under some pressure moving into the final year of his contract.
McGuire has no intention of putting in place a personal succession plan just yet and has announced his intention to preside over Collingwood for a further three years. Should Allan, who is expected to be charged with bringing the game into disrepute for his role in the Lachie Whitfield affair at GWS, be suspended for a period CEO Gary Pert is expected to play a greater role overseeing football.
The coming months should prove fascinating at Collingwood as Allan moves to work his well-known negotiating and list management skills in regenerating the Magpies' list. The reported approaches to a number of veterans at other clubs is one intriguing development. The Magpies say their recruiting team will remain in place but none are contracted belong this year's draft.
And Richmond? The club had tried to lure Balme as a coach from the SANFL club Norwood in the 1980s and several times as a general manager of football — most recently considering approaching him at the start of 2013 before choosing the former player manager Daniel Richardson.
Now he has joined the Tigers with a mandate from Brendon Gale to mentor Richardson and oversee football and help a struggling coach in a role not dissimilar to that he was handed by Brian Cook at Geelong.
No one is predicting anything close to a flag from Balme's new club but it has been hard to find a person working in the AFL who does not think the appointment is a brilliant move by the struggling Tigers.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-2016-neil-balme-hiring-a-brilliant-move-by-struggling-richmond-tigers-20160916-gribff
