Tigers want respect
by: Paul Gough
Sportal
March 27, 2007
Richmond president Gary March says his AFL club's goal this year is all about earning respect, saying the Tigers' huge improvement over the past two years has gone unnoticed by the rest of the football world.
In just two years the Tigers have risen from last on the ladder at the end of 2004 to ninth place last season under coach Terry Wallace, lifting their win tally from four to 11 in the process.
And the club has performed equally as well off the field after making a profit of nearly $1 million last season just two years after the club lost more than $2 million in 2004.
However, despite the club's huge improvement over the past two years the Tigers have been all but written off ahead of the 2007 season despite the return to full fitness of champion forward Nathan Brown and one of their most reliable defenders in Chris Newman following shocking leg injuries.
March said the Tigers were looking forward to proving their critics wrong this season.
"When reflecting on the year ahead I recognise that while we have acknowledged our continued improvement the rest of the football world has not," he said at the Tigers' official season launch.
"I believe there is very little respect for this club both on and off the field within football circles - simply put they just don't rate us."
March said that was evident from the fact that in 21 of their 22 matches last year, the Tigers went in as underdogs as far as the expert tipsters were concerned while in many experts' pre-season ladders, the Tigers have even been tipped to finish last despite being the best performed team outside the eight last year.
"So-called experts such as (1990 Collingwood premiership captain) Tony Shaw and (former Melbourne champion forward and now radio and television commentator) David Schwarz have Richmond finishing 16th and 15th respectively this year," he said.
"So for me this year's goal is respect and respect is not given it's earned so it's important our entire organisation from administration through to football continues to improve."
The Tigers have made the finals just twice since their last grand final appearance in 1982 but March believes the club is on the verge of again becoming a power in the competition, such as when it won five premierships from 1967-80.
"This club is becoming a powerful unit once again," he said.
"Beware anyone that takes us lightly and shows us a lack of respect because as a united unit we are once again going to be the kings of the AFL jungle."
"It's time for this club to become one of the powerhouses of the competition again and we are on the verge of achieving this but we must continue to improve - nothing less is acceptable."
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