Blake Caracella says Richmond must evolve to stay at the pinnacle of AFLGLENN McFARLANE,
Herald Sun
7 October 2017BLAKE Caracella, the man credited as one of the architects of Richmond’s drought-breaking premiership game plan, says the Tigers players taught him as much as he helped them out.
The highly-rated assistant coach, who won flags as a player at Essendon and the Brisbane Lions, as well as premierships as an assistant coach at Geelong and now Richmond, said the honesty of the Tigers’ playing group made him open up more as a person.
He is convinced that change will help him long into the future, as he is considered an AFL coach-in-waiting.
“I loved my time at Geelong and I’ve loved my time here at Richmond,” Caracella said.
“This year has taught me a lot.
“I tried to impart what knowledge I had with the players, but they have actually taught me this year.
“I am private person and I’m quite reserved.
“But they have taught me to open up and to be yourself, and to not be scared about being that way.
“To be a part of that, and to develop that connection ... they are an unbelievable group of players.”
Caracella, who joined the club at the end of last season as part of a shake-up to assist senior coach Damien Hardwick, was recently lauded by Brandon Ellis as “a tactical genius”.
But he said Hardwick had made for a great learning environment, and that the players deserved so much of the credit for their approach.
“To be where they were last year and where they are now, it’s just unbelievable,” he said.
“They have got a really special connection this team. They play for each other. Going through what they went through last year tends to develop a real bond.
“They had to go through a lot of s*** (last year). They are an amazing group.”
He said the club learnt from the narrow losses earlier in the season which prompted some jokes.
“Some people like to laugh at other people, (but) the boys had the last laugh,” he said.
Caracella said the team needed to evolve next year to remain at the competitive edge of the AFL.
“You can always improve, but the competition improves as well, so we will need to,” he said.
“It doesn’t improve in a linear way, the game is going to adapt and what we got away with (this year), you won’t get away with next year.”
Asked about his desire to one day take on a senior gig, Caracella said he was happy with his position at Richmond, and looking forward to next year and beyond at Punt Rd.
“Who knows what happens in the future,” he said.
“I’m just happy that I have been able to develop a great bond with the players, and that’s something that will be there forever.”
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