New era dawns at Tigerland
realfooty.theage.com.au
September 5, 2004
Richo
Now that the season is over for Richmond, there has been time to reflect on what has been a really disappointing year. A lot of good people have been shown the door in the past week, and the first thought that comes to mind is that the playing group has to take responsibility for the season.
It would be easy for those of us who are staying to wash their hands of the whole thing and handball the blame to those who have already moved on, but that's not the case.
We know that this season was unacceptable, and that every individual needs to raise the bar next year.
The club's move into a new era officially began on Wednesday when new coach Terry Wallace spoke to the playing group for half an hour. He made it clear that he would demand an immediate lift, and that everyone at the club needed to think like winners.
His message was that it would not be about gradual rebuilding and taking time to turn the club around. It had to start right now.
The fact that he had committed to a five-year contract should not be viewed as a sign that the club was embarking on a five-year plan, with a premiership somewhere in the distance.
The length of his term was about bringing stability to the club - it had nothing to do with giving him or us time and breathing space to re-establish a winning culture.
It was reassuring for players such as Wayne Campbell and myself to hear that the plan is for finals football next season, not just in the long term.
Terry mentioned that everyone in the room should consider themselves part of that plan to move the club forward - although trade week might change that for some players, which everybody knows and understands. He also emphasised that his reason for acting so quickly on delisting players was so that he could look everyone in the eye at Wednesday's meeting and tell them they could be a part of the new Richmond.
After the meeting, each player was asked to make a time for a one-on-one meeting with Terry over the next month.
The guys will look forward to that because it gives you the certainty of knowing where you stand, and exactly what is expected of you. It gives you a chance to start your mental and physical preparation, and to work on the areas that are identified in that meeting.
All of us had medical screenings to establish who needed surgery and/or rehabilitation, and the team physiotherapist outlined to me the need to keep my hamstring strength up during the next couple of months, and designed a program to help me achieve that.
Pre-season training begins in mid- to late-October, although a few more experienced players will have a couple of extra weeks off. Most players have plans to make the most of the break by taking holidays to recharge the batteries. Some of us are headed to north Queensland and others overseas. Kane Johnson and I have plans to take our girlfriends to Brazil for a few weeks.
I noticed last week that the mood at the club was more positive. Just a matter of days after claiming our first wooden spoon for 15 years, there was a real optimism about the future.
It has been a hard road since it was announced mid-season that Danny Frawley was in his final season at the club, and I can only imagine how tough it was for Danny himself. Particularly after his replacement was named with a few matches still remaining - as unavoidable as the situation might have been. Even Danny acknowledged on Saturday that it had been a difficult situation.
I was pleased that we could have a beer with him at a Prahran hotel after the game to acknowledge his five-year stint at Punt Road, with all of the assistant coaches there as well.
Danny maintained all along his belief in the playing group and he supported us to the hilt. He certainly believed that we were a better team than we showed this season.
That was also the first thing that Terry made clear to us on Wednesday: that he had faith in us, and that with some hard work, we could make an immediate improvement over the next 12 months.
So again the responsibility rests with the playing group - accept that challenge and to not dwell on what has been an awful year.
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