Gas retires / Retirment of big name tiger SEN @ 1:45

[one-eyed]

Decision to sacrifice veteran was right call at wrong time
Michael Gleeson | May 5, 2007
The Age

On wednesday, Terry Wallace had the discussion with Darren Gaspar he should have had six months ago.

That meeting over summer, in which Gaspar signed a one-year contract, did not include the conversation that Gaspar, a dual All-Australian stuff, was likely to play most of the year with Coburg because Richmond, a rebuilding club, demanded time be put into its young talent.

That it did not have that discussion then suggests the club believed itself a finals contender. Now that Richmond is winless from five games and making decisions on senior players' futures suggests it realises that finals are a lost ambition.

The club strongly rejects any suggestion it has conceded the season. So if it were 5-0, would it have had the same talk with Gaspar?

The Tigers' official line is that Gaspar's form was not the important factor in the decision, but that they have been surprised at the rapid improvement in their young key defenders, to the extent that those players are now Gaspar's equals.

Luke McGuane, in particular, has improved quickly, while Kel Moore's form has been adequate. But the most likely stuff-in-waiting, Will Thursfield, Gaspar's friend and fishing partner, has not played a senior game this year as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.

This does not make the decision to talk with Gaspar the wrong one; it suggests only that something has changed in the months between signing a contract and the player's decision to end it.

Like losing every game.

Gaspar is rightly annoyed that the message in the conversations just months ago varied so greatly from the message delivered this week. All that has changed in five games for him and what he offered the club is that the Tigers have not won.

The club should have known when it was contemplating re-signing its stuff, as well as cutting Andrew Kellaway, that it was still a long way from contention.

The Tigers should have known then how much exposure their young players needed at AFL level and whether retaining an ageing stuff who was never quite the same after a knee reconstruction would stand in the way of development.

Now it seems they do.

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/decision-to-sacrifice-veteran-was-right-call-at-wrong-time/2007/05/04/1177788402285.html

[mightytiges]

The Tigers should have known then how much exposure their young players needed at AFL level and whether retaining an ageing stuff who was never quite the same after a knee reconstruction would stand in the way of development.

Now it seems they do.

Yes six months ago we should have known both McGuane and Polak would improve out of sight  .

You can't win sometimes. We get bagged because Lids and Tambo aren't superstars yet and we get bagged because McGuane has developed faster than expected and Polak is performing far better than he ever did with Freo  ???. 

[mightytiges]

True story, I phoned the club with a complaint about Gaspar circa mid 04, I pleasantly suggested that I thought he would be better off in the lower grade for a while and could that message kindly be passed on to Mr.Frawley (OK I may be exaggerating the tone of the call a little but you know what I mean)
Next day Danny Frawley's PA called me up and the conversation went something like this:

PA: Hi Danny Frawley's PA here from the rfc, responding to your concerns
me: Danny Frawley has a PA?
PA: Yes. Now what exactly were your concerns?
me: Darren Gaspar. He is playing really badly at the moment. He is really costing us
PA: He is coming back from a knee reco don't you know...
me: He is playing terrible footy and should be put in the reserves until he starts getting a kick again.
PA: Do you think Collingwood would bring up Nathan Buckley through the reserves?
me: (shocked) HE AINT NO NATHAN BUCKLEY! 
end call

 

[Life goes on]

Might add all coaches have a PA

And I had to laugh that about Plough and Kane Johnson sitting down with Gas on Wednesday, The captain is the biggest problem I would think.
When is he going to retire ?

[letsgetiton!]

Might add all coaches have a PA

And I had to laugh that about Plough and Kane Johnson sitting down with Gas on Wednesday, The captain is the biggest problem I would think.
When is he going to retire ?

hopefully next week!!!!

[Bulluss]

Kane Johnson is all about records.

He is waiting until he is officially the worst captain in our history before he retires.

But seriously, if the club is going to make the tough decisions Johnson should be gone at seasons end.

Along with Tiv, Hall, Kingsley, P Bowden, Krak and i am sure that there are a lot more to add to that.

[Tigermonk]

yeah l'm sure they will cut the list like some of you expect
that would be a sure thing for disaster at RFC you need gamers to teach newbies
Moi you said it all as it is
Gas is truely a great person & loves nothing more than to sit down & talk about things other than footy
l'm not suprised he left without a sendoff game he is not a person to think of himself his always been the team person not like Ottens give me the money or l'm not playing here gas took the paycut & the brunt of the media during injury
he has planned his life after footy & its great news about the twins arriving so his form would have probably suffered being kept awake cause family comes first before footy its just a game after all
everyone will be still screaming here about our lack of success for a few more years its just that you can't get it into some heads we aint going anywhere fast it takes time to fix damage caused by others
Just take a look at Geelong everyone being saying they gunna win a premiership with their side for a few years  and they brought Ottens & the team turned to poo 
Many forget Richmond were in a prelim final in 2001 & were put out by the premiers on the gabba ground how many forget quickly so why can't Geelong produce with there list of so called champs down here in Victoria & St-Kilda in the same boat as them
Wallace dropping some senior players like Tiv ( l'm suprised ) Krak, Polo, P Bowden, is a wake up call to the side who lets teams get on top of them after being in a winning position & until he puts beleive into the players themselves he will play the youngsters win or lose
what we all like to see is we belt Geelong on there own ground in a convincing win like 45 points l got strong beleive they can do it 

[wayne]

yeah l'm sure they will cut the list like some of you expect
that would be a sure thing for disaster at RFC you need gamers to teach newbies

But do you want guys like J. Bowden, Tivs, Richo etc. teaching the kids?

I envy a club with a champ like Judd, Buckley or Hird. The kids would look up to these guys and be in awe of them.

[the_boy_jake]

1. I think that Gas should have gone at the end of last season. A realistic analysis of our list tells you we had no chance this season and would have been better off opening up another spot on the list. The ONLY justification IMO for keeping Gas would have been if he could mentor some of the kids. To me he has never looked a leader, and I think that this is backed up by the fact the club chased Mark Graham and then gave him the role of mentoring the young KP defenders, even though we had a 10 year AFL player and AA defender in Gaspar.

2. Despite this, I kind of think this was a fitting end for Gas. We fumbled with him and scrapped and then got away a rushed inneffective disposal. Kind of what Gas did his whole career.

[Ox]

"I believe my form over the first five games this year has been reasonable," Gaspar said. "I have had two very good games, two in which I did my job and one which I believe was below par.

That's why u got the ars.

It has been made clear to me that my form was not the issue - it is about developing the players for the future

LMAO

[letsgetiton!]

lmao at gas thinking his foprm was ok

the only game he has played ok in is v the swans, where he beat a wounded and injured hall.

the blues game , he may think he played well  but just cos he beat barge @rse whitnell does not mean he played well, he fumbled and stuffed up every time he went near the ball.

the otehr 3 games he was as bad as usual

whats happened is the tigers have been embarressed to have a so called AA in the team playing so poorly, they had no choice but to drop the drop kick gas because his disposal and constand falling over and fumbles became beyond a joke

now i see what jackstar means when he says the tigers are a circus .

how can we be a serious team if we keep playing these idiots

[Tigermonk]

whats happened is the tigers have been embarressed to have a so called AA in the team playing so poorly, they had no choice but to drop the drop kick gas because his disposal and constand falling over and fumbles became beyond a joke

now i see what jackstar means when he says the tigers are a circus .

how can we be a serious team if we keep playing these idiots

haha the son and l had been talking over the last 5 weeks X about Gasper always being on the ground after a contest & no 2nd effort so my son has been playing full back when he was going to ground, l yell out Gasper
l follow him end to end during the game getting right begind the goals
he knows exactly what l wanted from him, if he wanted me watching him play each week
its funny as it really got to him  cheers big ears & l know how much you really like Darren

[Tigertailz]

I have no concern with Wallace coz hes gonna coach us for the next 2 1/2  years atleast but Greg Miller needs to resign from the board and open up his position on the board to someone else who can come in and be a possible replacement president.

No need to replace the president Ramps...just need to give him the right  tools to work with!

[Fishfinger]

No need to replace the president Ramps...just need to give him the right  tools to work with!

We've already had too many of those running the show.  No more, thanks.

[mightytiges]

No need to replace the president Ramps...just need to give him the right  tools to work with!

We've already had too many of those running the show.  No more, thanks.