Dont forget the players!

[Jackstar]

I wonder how the players are feeling at the moment, especially after watching Joel Bowden on the couch the other night.
 I am glad that the posters at ONE EYED havent taken the stance that other websites have where certain individuals are basically bigger than the club, what is even more funnier that Brendan Schwab was going to go on chatrooms, oh please
 Brendan mighten have the capacity to be a successful leader and if he had the club at heart, what was his excuses when on the board for not turning up for some board meetings.( someone with nothing us better to do will see this and find out how many times no doubt)
I dont agree with the way the club is run and am all for change. With the new CEO on board soon, you will see a dramatic improvement in the way the club operates.As for the ""Mickey Mouse "" alternative ticket, you have to be joking Brendan, Where has Bryan Wood been for the last 8 years? Not at the MCG thats for sure ! I am glad that common sense has prevailed today with the truce.
If there was a really good alternative that would be great,

People forget if it wasnt for Clinton Casey sponsorships in certain areas of the club, the club would be down the drain. Yes a company called Laguna Keys sponsors the main coach at Richmond or have we forgotten
People have very short memories, you wouldnt have this years best and fairest winner at the club if it wasnt for Clinton, yes Nathan Brown, you will find that one of the resasons he came to Richmond was to learn the Building and Development game and learn from Clinton and his various companies or have we all forgotten.
He actually stated this in the press and on TV.
The current board has made mistakes and they are aware of this.
I actually feel sorry for Clinton. You dont get paid anything being President, its a love job, I am sure his wife and kids would be really pleased him spending 30-40 hours a week in football club matters and trying to run his other businesses.
I just wonder how the players really feel about all this. Joel was pretty upset in what was happening and it must take its toll on the player group.
The players do read the papers, lets not forget about them. How many of you who have worked for a company and they have had stife at Management level,it isnt good.

[mightytiges]

At the end of day the current board (which includes Casey and which also previously included Schwab and Welsh) have overseen three straight years of financial losses with each loss significantly larger than the previous year (the 2002 budget was put into the black only with an injection from the JDF. From memory this is correct accounting procedure so I'm not suggesting deception. Just stating that we really made a loss that year if you only counted how the Club itself performed). You can't tolerate the Club returning 10% losses ($2 mill out of a $20 mill turnover) in a year no matter how much time someone puts in (Danny worked his guts out as coach but he wasn't up to it so he will be going). We'd go under in a few years if that kind of loss kept repeating. Plus these board members were responsible for the appointments of now ex-CEO's Brayshaw and Campbell.

Add to that the number of errors in regards to the footy department. Signing Gas and Holland to large $$$ and long-term contracts. Schwab was there in 99 when we signed Daffy et al to similar ridiculous contracts.  Adding a get-out clause in Danny's last contract which encouraged short-term saving of one's backside rather than correct long-term decision making. Pumping $800K extra into a failing footy department in the hope of buying success both on (finals) and off the field (larger gate receipts, more sponsors, etc). The list of terrible decisions goes on! 

It's bloody hard to believe in what any former or current long-term board member has to say. Casey, Turner, Cameron, Schwab, Welsh and Humphris all carry baggage from the past.

The players themselves must also take some responsibility. Insipid performances don't help the Club. Feel for our youngsters. Welcome to Tigerland kids  .

Finally we are members and supporters in the main must take some responsiblity over the past 20 years for continually demanding success in such a short space of time and then demanding change when the inevitable failure sets in due to poor and short-sighted decisions.

[Jackstar]

Totally agree with everything you say MT.
Very factual and honest assesment

[Tiger Spirit]

Haven’t forgotten about the players Jackstar.  Actually, the only reason I still bother is because of the young players coming through now.  Otherwise, I could happily give up the farce that is our footy club.

We have nothing but bad decision after bad decision.  And then when that gets too much for people we have the scenario that is playing itself out now, where disgruntled people think they can do better.  If they are so disgruntled and concerned then nominate for the Board and do something about things, instead of going down this track every other year.  It’s as tedious to talk about as it is to go through.

It’s hysterical that when Schwab was on the Board he couldn’t convince anyone of anything and couldn’t effectively deal with the other egos on the Board.  Yet he now wants to pump himself up as our saviour.

Can you imagine Schwab coming up against the likes of Eddie McGuire, Ian Collins and any other Club president who has half a clue?

While Schwab is busy dotting his i’s and crossing his t’s, the Eddie McGuires of the footy world will be signing deals and moving on to the next one and we will be left wondering what happened.
 
I accept that Casey has made mistakes, like anyone before him, and the good thing to come from this whole situation is that Casey and his Board have had to re-assess things and ensure that things are done as they should be, if they weren’t already.

Unlike previous administrations, Casey has been less conservative and has gone out to get people who can help RFC to again be competitive, both on and off the field.  The decisions and appointments made haven’t all been a raging success, but at least he did more than others before him and has been prepared to have a go.  If that’s a bad thing then we’re all just wasting our time.  Because Schwab will just take us back to the conservative approach that got us absolutely nowhere.

Sorry about the rant people, I’m just soooooooooooo frustrated with these mindless games that repeatedly get played out at RFC that it just makes my blood boil. 

Meanwhile, back to the players.   I think the more senior players would take a lot more notice of what goes on at Board level and would have some genuine concerns about how things are run.

My main concern is that while we’re busy being a rabble, we never get to see any of our players at their best.  And there’s always a doubt about our ability to get the best out of them.  If players can see that the Club is putting together a coaching structure that gives them the opportunity to get the best out of themselves and provides an environment for them to be able to do that then those coming out of contract would be more inclined to re-sign with Richmond if they knew they had the same opportunity as players at other well administered Clubs.

Personally, I couldn’t blame them if they did what to go somewhere else.  If players such Coughlan, Krakouer, Newman, Jackson, Hartigan, Roach, Raines and others don’t get the opportunity they deserve then they should just close the doors on the place.  Because it’s a waste of talent and players’ careers by them and anyone else being at Richmond.       

[WilliamPowell]

I wonder how the players are feeling at the moment, especially after watching Joel Bowden on the couch the other night.

The players do read the papers, lets not forget about them. How many of you who have worked for a company and they have had stife at Management level,it isnt good.

IMO opinion this is another important reason for this truce.

We are coming up to draft time and we will be drafting more kids. Forgetting the Clokes because they are not like your normal draftee family  other families would have been looking and thinking - I dont  want my child going there. Remember as part of this process of recruiting young players, clubs go and speak to families - board upheavals don't paint the Club in the best light. It can have a direct impact on our ability to recruit. I know most kids just want to get the chance to play AFL but it would have to play on their or at least their families minds.

I mentioned on the other thread about Joel Bowden on the other thread and it was clear how much he loves this Club (more that I've ever given him credit for I must say). As he said his family has an incredible connection to the place and he would have pretty good understanding of what has happened over the last 20 odd years. I remember at the last THC luncheon when he sat with his Dad he couldn't take his eyes off the 1969 premiership team. The last few weeks and in particular the past few days must hurt him like it hurts all of us - our Club remember

My hope now is we get this coaching appointment right and we learn to manage the players better so we can all enjoy watching them develop and playing to the best of their ability

[Tiger Spirit]

My hope now is we get this coaching appointment right and we learn to manage the players better so we can all enjoy watching them develop and playing to the best of their ability

 

Through all the upheaval that goes on, the players are the ones that ultimately suffer.  Because while past players, administrators and whoever else chooses to become involved, are trying to win the power struggle at the Club, the on-field team loses out.

No one considers the damage it does to our ability to recruit the best coaches and therefore how that impacts on the development of the players.

Because of our track record, our last coach was all but chosen for us and not by us.  That’s not his fault, but the fault of all those who collectively (over a number of years and different administrations) set us up for that situation.

The result being that our playing list, through all the barren years, has failed to achieve anything of any great significance.

We need a coaching structure that knows how to take players from the beginning of their AFL careers and can support them through each step in their development, to become the players they are capable of being.

While the better administered Clubs put together coaching structures that are capable of doing that, move with the times and go about building playing lists, we’ve had coaches who have always been under pressure to deliver results and have had to deal with inner turmoil and a lack of resources and overall support from anywhere.

Unless we can convince people that we are mending our ways, our ability to attract a coach of substance, is limited.  Because coaches, and especially experienced ones, know the sort of off-field structure, resources and environment needed to have any chance of developing a consistent and competitive on-field team.

These Boardroom antics are primarily responsible for the situation we’re in.  And Greg Miller would now know first hand the uphill battle RFC has faced to be competitive, on and off the field.

These well-meaning people, time after time, contribute to stifle the ability of Richmond to move forward and provide the environment that can allow our players to develop.  Simply because they think they can do better and not because they’re thinking of the long-term effects their actions have on the Club and, ultimately, its players.

[mightytiges]

These Boardroom antics are primarily responsible for the situation we’re in.  And Greg Miller would now know first hand the uphill battle RFC has faced to be competitive, on and off the field.

These well-meaning people, time after time, contribute to stifle the ability of Richmond to move forward and provide the environment that can allow our players to develop.  Simply because they think they can do better and not because they’re thinking of the long-term effects their actions have on the Club and, ultimately, its players.

Well said TS.

It's funny how people jump into us about how many coaches we've had in the last 25 years but don't point the finger at how many boardroom brawls we've had in that time once the implementation of plans doesn't provide quick success. Patience isn't a virtue at Tigerland!