Head cases
Mark Stevens | April 21, 2009
RICHMOND president Gary March has swung the blowtorch from coach Terry Wallace to the players, questioning their mental toughness.
Wallace's future will be high on the agenda at a board meeting tonight, but March also wants answers on the players' ability to handle expectation.
"We've got to get to the bottom of why our group isn't mentally strong enough," March said yesterday.
Asked if the players had struggled with the pressure of the club being regarded as a likely finalist, March replied: "Is that one of the problems? They can't deal with expectation? Maybe it is."
March missed Sunday's disastrous loss to Melbourne to attend a wedding of a long-term friend on the Gold Coast, but he was due to watch a replay last night. "I've been warned it's not very pretty viewing," he said.
March has pointed to the mental issue because so many key players have suffered a dramatic drop in form.
"There are too many talented players not playing well at the moment," March said.
"'We've got to come up with a solution as to why at the moment our players aren't getting the best out of themselves.
"I can't see how a side that won 11 1/2 games last year - and we've actually bolstered our list if anything since - can go out and play the sort of footy they're playing.
"Our form's terrible at the moment and we've got to do something to snap them out of that."
Tigers great Kevin Sheedy raised expectations, saying in a stirring address at the club's March 18 season launch that it could win a flag.
March denied that the Sheedy speech was, in hindsight, regrettable.
"Taken in context, he challenged the players to get the best out of themselves," March said.
"At the moment, Kevin would be as disappointed as Terry and everyone else."
March declared Wallace would be in charge when the Tigers confront North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
"Unless he is struck down by some mystery virus, Terry will be coaching," he said.
"He's contracted to coach for the season."
March said a review of the football department was continuing.
The Tigers are sticking by their plan not to reach a conclusion on the review until mid-season.
"When we finish that review, we'll make our decision about the future," March said.
"I don't see any benefit at the moment in changing that.
"Nathan Buckley commented last week if you change your processes, you fall apart.
"We've gone down a process and people might not agree with what we're doing, but we've been very disciplined in the last 12-18 months in following through the processes."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25362103-19742,00.html
