Miller must hold firm and play long game
31 August 2004
Herald Sun
AS SAVAGE as Richmond has been in its overhaul in recent times, the policy is correct.
Bloody, yet absolutely bloody correct.
Since the Tigers finished top four in 2001 and promptly suffered delusions of grandeur, they have finished 14th, 13th and 16th. They have won 18 of 66 games. That's a rate of 27 per cent. That's embarrassing.
It's the same number of wins Fitzroy recorded in its final four years (1993-96). From two fewer games.
It has got worse rather than better. Since the Tigers sat 6-2 after eight rounds in 2003, they have won five of 36.
Terry Wallace will need to be Matthews, Sheedy, Pagan and Malthouse rolled into one to find a quick solution.
The inept, spiritless performance against Sydney at the MCG on Saturday suggested the players, like departing coach Danny Frawley, couldn't get out of the place quickly enough. Fortunately, there is a new beginning.
None of the 2004 coaching panel -- Frawley, Wayne Brittain, Darren Crocker and Paul Spargo -- is returning, and 10 or more players won't be back.
The club will go into the 2005 season with a new chief executive, football manager, recruiting manager, senior coach and two or three assistants, and a revamped player list.
Maybe even a new president. Brendan Schwab and his cronies haven't gone away, they simply have laid low for a while. That is a makeover by anyone's definition.
The constant is director of football Greg Miller, who has the faith of president Clinton Casey and, it seems, the bulk of the supporter group.
Miller has delivered Wallace after luring Nathan Brown to the club last summer. He narrowly missed on Dean Solomon.
That's the upside. The downside is the loss of further ground on the field and several indefensible recruiting decisions under Miller's governance in the past two drafts.
Justin Blumfield, sixth in Essendon's best-and-fairest in the premiership year of 2000, was worth the risk, but Billy Nicholls, Simon Fletcher, Ben Marsh, Shane Morrison and Luke Weller were football's scratchie cards; a punt in hope.
While none of them claimed early draft choices, nor did Daniel Jackson (53), Brent Hartigan (70) or Andrew Raines (76), and they are kids.
Miller's decision to commit to five years and an estimated $3 million for Wallace illustrates just how hard he believes the job will be.
What he must do from here is stay faithful to the task.
Selections 1 and 4 have to be invested in youth. That should be non-negotiable.
If an established player becomes available, Richmond has to wait until the pre-season draft or miss out.
As much as Miller likes the immediacy of a Brown and a Solomon, recent history says the long-term view must be taken.
To Frawley's credit, he is appreciative of the opportunity he got to coach and has departed without venting his spleen.
He will be remembered as a good bloke who gave it his best shot, a shot that wasn't good enough.
The indictment on the coaching panel is the lack of improvement in so many players.
Who is better than they looked like being going into 2002? Chaffey, Fiora, Hall, Ottens, Pettifer, Tivendale and Zantuck all have marked time or gone backwards.
Mark Coughlan has been the pick of the group set to emerge in 2002, but injury ruined his 2004.
The only sustenance for long-suffering supporters has been flashes of brilliance from David Rodan and the debut of six youngsters led by Hartigan and including the names of Raines and (Tom) Roach.
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