Turn for the worse
06 April 2007 Herald-Sun
Damian Barrett
SPIN. In sport, it is everywhere, and is needed by major bodies and teams to deflect scrutiny where they least want it.
Terry Wallace used to be.
Wallace, the one-time master of footy spin, spun way too hard last week, and then tried to spin his way out of trouble, only to spin right back into it.
It started when the Richmond coach invited certain media to a pre-season briefing in the club's boardroom.
A detailed and precise rundown of his club's list was revealed, along with speculative ladder finishes for upcoming seasons.
"Opportunity will knock in 2009" and a "decade of opportunity" would kick in from 2011, Wallace said.
An accompanying graphic in his powerpoint presentation clearly indicated he thought the Tigers would finish ninth this season.
Wallace's detail was meticulous, his delivery sound. It was, in many ways, impressive. But while such long-term outlooks can be easily sold within the Richmond club, it is a different matter getting Tigers supporters and some in the media to buy it. Especially when this is his third season of a five-year contract.
When public reaction to his forecast turned nasty, Wallace attempted to spin his way out of danger by declaring he would never again invite media to such a briefing.
His problem was not the media. It was him forgetting he could not control the public's reaction.
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