Tigers try to focus
Greg Baum | May 9, 2007
The Age
THERE was a tomorrow, but it was a long time coming. When Terry Wallace at last got home on Sunday night after Richmond's worst-ever thrashing, his first instinct was not to watch the game again, as he would normally, but put on a movie instead.
At length, he convinced himself to watch a quarter, then another. Sometimes in the small hours, the exorcism was complete. But no one among the Tigers slept easily.
It is easier to explain defeat by six goals than 26. Wallace tried, saying Richmond was a young team that had competed ferociously in the first five matches, but without a win to show for it was riding for a fall.
Severely depleted in the ruck, the Tigers had been smashed at stoppages, but had compensated until now with redoubled effort elsewhere. Against Geelong, three basic mistakes early in the game had hit them like a blow to the solar plexus.
With three of six leaders missing and captain Kane Johnson restricted by injury, Richmond was powerless to stop the Cats running away with the game. "Exciting times, then down times," said director of football Greg Miller, who looked as if he had slept no more than the coach. "It's the nature of youth."
By Monday morning, the Tigers were preparing to look the world in the eye again. Wallace read the papers, listened to the radio, absorbed some of the backlash. His first thought was for his family. After 30 years in the game, he was sure he was strong enough himself to withstand the inquisition. But his family could easily become collateral casualties.
Richmond's next game now was only five days away, in Adelaide. President Gary March would deal with media on Monday; Wallace, Miller and Johnson with the football. The Tigers play in Adelaide twice in a row, and originally had thought to spend the intervening week there, bonding. It was as well that they had abandoned that plan; in the circumstances, it would have looked like hiding.
One of football's virtues is that there is always next week. Richmond was beaten by 100-plus points three times last season, but each time gave a good account of itself at its next outing. The sounds emanating from the Tigers gym yesterday afternoon were as upbeat and industrious as ever. "We have to go out next week and show that that wasn't us out there," Johnson said.
Still, the club had to negotiate "Tuesday with Terry", the weekly media briefing. Usually, it is convivial, the coach and perhaps one other in the boardroom, humour aplenty. Yesterday, it was coach, captain, president and football director, but not even an incidental laugh.
The Tigers excoriated themselves publicly: "Inexcusable." "Embarrassing." "Appalling."
Then they tried to give it context. Richmond's list had been a "car wreck" when he arrived in 2005, said Wallace. The club was 2˝ years into the process of rehabilitation, said March, and unlike previous administrations would not be panicked out of seeing it through. Proper process necessarily was laborious: look at Carlton.
Fallout from Gaspar's shock retirement last week? "None whatsover," said Johnson. Lack of key position players? "Only in the ruck," said Wallace. The recruiting of Kent Kingsley? "To challenge Jay Schulz and Cleve Hughes," said Wallace. Tambling instead of Franklin in the 2004 draft? "In the early rounds," said Miller, "you always take the best player."
Soft? "The first five weeks showed we're not soft," said Johnson. Unlucky? "Twenty-eight fractures in 2˝ years," said Wallace. "They're not soft tissue injuries." Underfunded? "$1.4 million more this year than last," said March, and as much as the club could bear next year. Wallace? "Every confidence," said March.
Youth policy? "None," said Wallace, other than if the choice was between a 19-year-old and a 28-year-old in identical form, he, of course, would play the younger man. Injuries had given the side a young aspect, he said, and overburdened youngsters predictably had been able to make no impact as the Cats ran riot on Sunday. "But they don't stay 19 forever," said Wallace.
Changes? Two compulsory, up to four others, said Wallace.
With that, the hair shirts were packed away, the bed of nails folded up. "I don't want to think about that game too much more," said Johnson.
The Tigers were making yet another new beginning.
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