Wallace begins his Tiger purge
By Jake Niall, Stephen Rielly
September 1, 2004
www.realfooty.com.auEssendon premiership player Justin Blumfield was among a quartet of Richmond players who were given their marching orders yesterday.
Blumfield, Adam Houlihan, Marc Dragicevic and Ben Marsh were all told their services were no longer required by the Tigers. Another two players are to be axed today, while coach Terry Wallace speaks to the remainder of the playing group for the first time this afternoon.
Blumfield, who only four years ago was among the best afield in Essendon's 2000 premiership side, was last night told of his fate by Richmond football director Greg Miller, who has presided over a massive cull of the Richmond football department that has now spread to the players.
Wallace's address to the players, his first since he was appointed coach, is a sign of the urgency that has gripped Punt Road since the new coach came on board, with the entire coaching panel having been cleaned out, along with Richmond recruiting manager Greg Beck. The commitment to a long-term overhaul, reflected in Wallace's five-year contract and the cleanout of players yesterday, is expected to be further underlined today by the appointment of Brian Royal as an assistant coach for at least three years.
The Tigers are expected to confirm the arrival of Royal this afternoon, the first of several appointments Wallace is to make as he rebuilds a football department that effectively has been levelled.
Blumfield, 26, was acquired by the Tigers in the dying minutes of the trading period of 2002 as Essendon was forced to shed players to get under the salary cap. Traded for pick 28, Blumfield appeared to be a bargain-basement deal in the Essendon fire sale. But injuries have robbed him of much of the athleticism that made him such a valuable player at Windy Hill and an important contributor to the Bombers' last premiership.
Houlihan was brought in to "top up" the Tigers following their preliminary final appearance in 2001 but he, too, failed to have the impact the club sought.
Marsh, a former Adelaide premiership ruckman, was drafted by Richmond at the end of last year as insurance for the talented but injury-prone ruck combination of Brad Ottens and Greg Stafford.
Dragicevic, 23, was brought up from the rookie list this year and managed to make it back into the senior team for two games but has not made up the ground he lost since he had two knee reconstructions.
