Tigers have contingency plan
April 20, 2009 - 12:50PM
Under-fire Richmond coach Terry Wallace's future remains unclear, with club president Gary March saying the club does have a contingency plan in place should he not see out the AFL season.
Wallace ruled out resigning after an eight-point defeat by last year's wooden spooners Melbourne left the Tigers winless in their opening four matches this season.
Wallace arrived at the club's headquarters on Monday morning to be greeted by a barrage of television cameras.
He was expected to meet with March and football operations boss Craig Cameron later in the day.
March confirmed Wallace was likely to attend the club's regular board meeting scheduled for Tuesday night, though he denied that was anything out of the ordinary.
"That's our regular board meeting, it wasn't a specially called for meeting," March told Melbourne radio station SEN.
"Terry normally comes and makes a presentation."
March, who missed Sunday's defeat to attend a wedding on the Gold Coast, said should Wallace decide to walk away the club had a back-up plan in place, though he refused to divulge what it was.
But he said Richmond remained committed to a mid-season decision on whether Wallace would remain beyond the end of his current contract this year.
"As a club, you've got an obligation to have contingency plans in place," he said.
"We've thought through those things and we have got some plans in place.
"We are going through a process (beyond 2009), and we are not going to play it out in the media.
"He (Wallace) is contracted through to the end of the 2009 season and ... we've said we do a review of our coaching position mid-season.
"That's still ongoing, so nothing's changed."
But March categorically ruled out luring four-time Essendon premiership coach Kevin Sheedy, who is employed at Richmond in an ambassadorial role, into a comeback if a caretaker was needed.
March also said he was mystified by his club's start to the year, saying the players' dreadful performances this season may be a "mental issue".
"At the moment they're just playing awfully - I think that's probably the only way you could describe it," March said.
"Our form's terrible at the moment and we've got to do something to snap them out of that."
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