Warring Tigers call a truce
29 July 2004
Herald Sun
Mark Robinson and Mark Stevens
RICHMOND'S warring factions have called a truce, clearing the path for the club to up the ante in its talks with prospective coaches Terry Wallace and Rodney Eade.
The waters were calmed yesterday when Tigers president Clinton Casey and wannabe president Brendan Schwab compromised on four key points.
Schwab, however, is confident Casey will step down, averting a post-season rumble for control of the club.
In a two-hour emergency meeting at Casey's offices, called to avert a potentially catastrophic next few months, it was agreed:
PREMIERSHIP player Bryan Wood, a member of Schwab's seven-man alternative ticket, would join the Tigers sub-committee looking for a new coach;
MIKE Humphris, another Schwab man, would be given access to the club's financial and commercial information;
BOTH parties would continue to negotiate a "smooth transition" to a new board of directors and;
ANY leadership challenge would be put on hold until the annual general meeting, which has been brought forward from January to December.
The Tigers, however, baulked at Peter Welsh, a former Tigers director and now a key member of Schwab's ticket, joining Wood on the coaching sub-committee.
Casey last night said he was confident the Tigers could now land their preferred candidate to replace Danny Frawley as coach.
"I can't now put a time frame on it, but it just now means that any obstacles with the appointment have been removed," Casey said.
"It is important for a new coach to know that whatever happens, his job is going to be safe.
"The process was certainly being slowed up by the uncertainty."
The sub-committee, which has already interviewed Wallace and Eade, now comprises Tigers football director Greg Miller, former AFL coach David Parkin and Wood.
It's understood Wallace is the preferred candidate of Miller who, earlier this week, threatened to quit over the inevitable instability an immediate leadership challenge would create.
Wallace also has voiced his concern about the turbulent political climate, not just at the Tigers but also at Hawthorn, where it's believed he was interviewed for the vacant coaching job yesterday.
On Tuesday, Casey was emphatic he would not step aside for Schwab so it would appear a December election is more than probable But Schwab, who described the meeting as a success, said last night he believed Casey would surrender the presidency.
"Clinton gave a commitment today to act in the best interests of the club and I would see that as being consistent with that," Schwab said.
"We would like to avoid the need for an election, but we're more than happy for the matter to go to the members if that is necessary, but I think the process we've set in place gives the opportunity for that to be avoided."
Casey made it clear he did not buckle to Schwab's demands. He said the board met on Tuesday, devised a game plan, and was proactive yesterday in the best interests of the club.
Michael Pahoff, who collected 100 signatures in a plan to force an emergency general meeting, has now put down his weapons.
"There's no need for me any more. Hopefully things can run a good course now," Pahoff said last night.
Tigers captain Wayne Campbell yesterday welcomed the compromises and said the club could devote its full attention to securing a coach.
"The most important person at a footy club is the coach and we need the best possible coach available for next year," Campbell told Channel 10.
Yesterday's meeting started hours after AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou called on breakaway factions to stop "destabilising" administrations.
"Hawthorn, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs are not travelling well on the field . . . but that shouldn't give rise to instability and people who believe that the best way to resolve those issues is to organise a coup to replace the board," Demetriou said.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,10276157%255E20322,00.html
