Miller says Tigers have raw talent (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Miller says Tigers have raw talent
05 January 2008   Herald Sun
Damian Barrett

RICHMOND football director Greg Miller sees North Melbourne of the early 1990s when he casts his well-trained eye over Richmond of 2008.

While conceding there is no Wayne Carey on the Richmond list, Miller, who put together North Melbourne's 1996 and 1999 premiership teams, said the general talent levels were comparable.

"I have been in footy a long time and I think this group is as talented as the early '90s at the Kangaroos, there is no doubt about it," Miller said yesterday as he watched Richmond players resume training after the Christmas break. "And certainly with more depth.

"It might not have a Wayne Carey, but it's got plenty of Wayne Schwasses and even a couple of Glenn Archer-types.

"And Geelong showed you don't need a Carey. Geelong showed if you have plenty of depth across all lines, which we are developing, you don't have to have a Carey."

Miller said an encouraging pre-season combined with a solid final four matches of the 2007 season gave the club strong hope it would climb the ladder this year.

The Tigers finished last season with the wooden spoon and just three wins and a draw. But two of those victories came in Rounds 19-22, against eventual preliminary finalist Collingwood and Essendon, along with brave losses to West Coast and St Kilda.

"The last four games of last year was exciting for our members to see and was indicative of what we can expect to see this year," Miller said.

"(Coach) Terry (Wallace), unashamedly, the day he arrived at the club, said this unit needed to have the same model as the Geelong Football Club, in terms of building a side.

"He said it required patience, and for people at the top of the footy club sticking together, and that is what we have done.

"We've assembled a great bunch of quality young men."

Serious injury setbacks to key players have hindered the Tigers' progress in the past two years, but most important players are expected to be ready by Round 1.

"I think with what some of the guys have been through in the past couple of years - Nathan Brown, Chris Newman, Mark Coughlan and Troy Simmonds - will actually help our leadership," Miller said.

"They've missed so much footy and been through some hard times that they appreciate every opportunity they get now, and in some ways, I think they will be better for it in terms of what they can offer not just in their football but their leadership.

"They are hungry to get back out there."

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,23007917%255E20322,00.html

[Francois Jackson]

i think miller should just keep his mouth shut.

Stay quiet like every other team and let the players do the talking.

I dont hear any other team official saying comments like that or we are modelling ourselves like geelong.

[wayne]

5-6 years ago, i'd have read this and gotten excited...

Now I just read this and cringe. Until I see some improvement on the ground I don't take any notice of articles like this anymore. It's just more ammo for non-Richmond supporters to use on us.

[Ramps]

hes trying to flog memberships and good on him. personally i think we are going to finish bottom again and we will look stupid but 3 or 4 years from now we will have the last laugh.

[Smokey]

i think miller should just keep his mouth shut.

Stay quiet like every other team and let the players do the talking.

I dont hear any other team official saying comments like that or we are modelling ourselves like geelong.

I think that we have been much quieter re: PR bulls**t this year than in past years.  All clubs do it - they have to as part of membership marketing so you will never be able to get rid of it.  You don't see/hear the other teams because you are not listening or looking for it.  Trust me, its out there just as much (or more) as ours.  Funny thing re: modelling on other clubs - when Brian Cook went to the basket case that was Geelong he made a statement that he was going to follow/build based on the West Coast model.  Worked quite spectacularly for them I think.  FWIW I think Millers article was more of an observation and has a fair bit potential truth.  The real truth can only be known in hindsight.

[mightytiges]

Wayne Schwass was traded by North to Sydney for Shannon Grant Greg lol .

Ramps is right in saying Miller is just trying to flog preseason fluff to sell memberships. I just wish we leave the out comments like our list has "got even a couple of Glenn Archer-types"  ??? and comparisons to a side from 15 years ago when footy was played differently .

[torch]

this is why we look silly ... comments like this ...

[Francois Jackson]

u dont flood me with ur defence of miller comments but he looks like a tool with articles.
You may say other teams are flooging themselves well i rarely hear teams say we have archer type players and all this crap. Its a load of crap and i aint laughing.

Im sick of all the crap and talk that we dish out year in year out. The only way to shut people  up is to show it on the field, Run, chase, tackle not this talk talk talk which results in more spoons..

all this talk is well to be honest embarassing

[HKTiger]

A simple response to a reporter enhancing ever so slightly the key point of the TW and GM plan of building a core team of like minded and similar aged players (very similar to Geelong and what Pagan and the Roo's did 15 years ago) and for some we're talking too much.

GM has been espousing the same point of building a core team for 4 yeras now and all of a sudden it's spin.

I don't understand what some of you wnat from the club.

[Francois Jackson]

A simple response to a reporter enhancing ever so slightly the key point of the TW and GM plan of building a core team of like minded and similar aged players (very similar to Geelong and what Pagan and the Roo's did 15 years ago) and for some we're talking too much.

GM has been espousing the same point of building a core team for 4 yeras now and all of a sudden it's spin.

I don't understand what some of you wnat from the club.

what do i want. finals my friend nothing more nothing less.
ive been a paid up member for god knows how many years and i think i have the right to speak my mind when it comes to richmond like yourself and every one else that is a member.
dont talk to me about re building when u pick up KK instead of a rookie and draft in mcmahon when we had a shot at some descent. Mcmahon may turn out to be a good pick but i just wonder i really do if GM and Tw knew that the likes of Selwood would still be available at pick 18, if they would still have chosen Mcmahon....I think not!!

[HKTiger]

what do i want. finals my friend nothing more nothing less.
ive been a paid up member for god knows how many years and i think i have the right to speak my mind when it comes to richmond like yourself and every one else that is a member.
dont talk to me about re building when u pick up KK instead of a rookie and draft in mcmahon when we had a shot at some descent. Mcmahon may turn out to be a good pick but i just wonder i really do if GM and Tw knew that the likes of Selwood would still be available at pick 18, if they would still have chosen Mcmahon....I think not!!

Lost me mate.  I talk about building not re-building.  I have no idea what the recruiting of McMahon and an implied criticism of GM and TW has to do with GM commenting that we are building a core team similar to what Geelong and North Melbourne did and the way this was presented (and this has been consistent) that this is the plan that TW put to the board when hired.

[mightytiges]

A simple response to a reporter enhancing ever so slightly the key point of the TW and GM plan of building a core team of like minded and similar aged players (very similar to Geelong and what Pagan and the Roo's did 15 years ago) and for some we're talking too much.

GM has been espousing the same point of building a core team for 4 yeras now and all of a sudden it's spin.

I don't understand what some of you wnat from the club.

I'm not expecting finals yet but basically all Greg needed to say was what you've just said there HKT.

There's no need for comparisons to past champion and premiership players as that just sounds silly coming from a wooden spoon club and list. Virtually every premiership team over the past 15 years has had a Brownlow medallist playing for them. They may have not had a Carey but they have had champions star for them for years in Hird, Judd, Cousins, Goodes, Wanganeen, Jonathan Brown and the fab 4 at Brissy, Ablett junior, Macleod, Riccuito, Greg Williams, etc...

Our on-field actions and results will speaker louder than saying we have Archer-types already on our list. Statements like that come back to bite the club on the bum. We all know where we are at and what the club is doing as far a building a core effectively from scratch since the 2004 draft. 

[Little Jackie]

Miller is trying to justify his position at the club and thus keep employment for another 12 months.

[Ox]

Miller is trying to justify his position at the club and thus keep employment for another 12 months.

get another comeback Jack,ffs.

[Francois Jackson]

personally i would rather hear nothing from miller and co and just put the runs on the board instead.

comparing players is embarrassing to hear to be honest. maybe in a year or 2 we can start with things like that but right now i dont want to hear that