Tigers have some flag catching up to do: CEOAshley Browne
afl.com.au
Sep 21, 2018 11:00AMIT HAS been an almost hassle-free bid by Richmond to win its second-straight premiership cup and Tigers chief executive Brendon Gale says it's a tribute to the culture and capabilities of staff right across the club.
In an interview with the AFL Record ahead of the preliminary final clash with Collingwood, Gale said that having a number of people at the club who had enjoyed multiple premiership success had meant defending last year's flag win has never felt like a millstone.
"People like (coaches) Damien Hardwick, Justin Leppitsch, Blake Caracella, Craig McRae and Neil Balme have been in successful campaigns of teams that have backed up from year to year and that has created a really strong platform again for our year," he said.
"It's the people, their ability to work together and the culture they have created that has cultivated this great platform for the club and there hasn't felt like the weight of premiership defence.
"It's a very normal feeling of, 'Let's get on with the job, do what we have to do and deliver strong results'," he said.
Gale also said the Tigers had received excellent leadership from their so-called 'second tier' players such as Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes, Dion Prestia, Josh Caddy and David Astbury, who are "very hungry and very driven".
Asked why no sign of complacency had been evident this year at Punt Road, Gale said it was because when it came to the premiership ladder, the Tigers had come catching up to do.
"On the measure that matters most, which is premierships, we have lost ground over the last 37 years," he said.
"There has been a range of great contributors on and off the field and we have been successful in a range of different ways, except for the measure that matters the most. There's a sense that we have some catching up to do. There's no sense of putting our feet up."
Richmond's main off-field achievement this year is cracking the magical, historic 100,000 members mark. "We may never again get this opportunity," he said.
"It was a significant milestone and never before been one, but it's a reflection of what we do to engage our members and make them feel part of the club and really, it's their prize and a reflection of how important members always have and always will be part of our club."
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-09-21/tigers-have-some-flag-catching-up-to-do-ceo
