Richmond commits to Matthew Richardson for 2010 (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Richmond commits to Matthew Richardson for 2010
Mark Robinson and Jay Clark | August 06, 2009

MATTHEW Richardson will enter hospital today for knee surgery knowing Richmond has committed to offering him a contract for 2010.

As speculation increased about Richardson's future, the Tigers last night officially committed to their most popular player at a list-management meeting headed by football chief Craig Cameron. Interim coach Jade Rawlings was also part of the list-management review.

It is believed Richardson's manager Ricky Nixon was told of the club's decision last night. He was also told to inform Richardson to allay any fears he may have had before his operation today.

"It's all positive," Rawlings said last night.

"We had a list-management meeting today. We'll talk to Matthew when he gets out of hospital, learn if he's convinced he can play again, and a contract will be offered."

Richardson has told friends he wants to play on in 2010. He will receive between $350,000 and $450,000 next year.

The decision on Richardson's future, before a coaching appointment is made, will be widely debated.

It is understood some coaching candidates undertaking the first round of talks had asked the club about Richo's position, with at least one indicating he would prefer to "clear the decks" if appointed.

The Tigers' decision-making process allows the coach just one vote and it's understood club powerbrokers were overwhelmingly in favour of Richardson playing an 18th season.

Midfielder Ben Cousins is also likely to be offered a new contract, estimated to be worth about $300,000 with incentives.

Richardson, 34, aggravated scar tissue in his hamstring playing for Coburg on Saturday, but did not re-injure the tendon on which he had surgery in May.

The club favourite of 282 games and 800 goals had scans yesterday which cleared his troublesome hamstring of any "significant damage".

Regardless, medical staff decided to draw the curtain on his season and brought forward by one month the arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

Club chiefs yesterday insisted the surgery was minor and that Richardson could be able to begin light training, hopefully, within a month.

Remainder of story at:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25890107-19742,00.html

[Jackstar is back]

Interesting he is having the op today, he was booked for the footy show tonite. He obvisously wont be appearing now

[WilliamPowell]

As I said on another thread - the media are interestng creatures

HUN says Richo gets a contract.

The Age & The Australian says it hasn't been decided

Intereting creatures indeed 

[Smokey]

Depends which forum the journo reads!   

[Tigermonk]

Depends which forum the journo reads!  

haha your a smart man smokey 

[Francois Jackson]

as much as i love Richo if the HUN are correct then we are a farce of a football club.

He should not be offered a contract till the new coach is appointed.

$350-$400 for Richo are you kidding?? As i said i love the guy but he should not be offered anything above $300k

That being said as i have reported that new coach is Rawlings so i guess you can take it as gospel that Richo will stay on next year and a new contract is just around the corner

[gtig]

if it is true I have to agree with you Dan, sends a potentially very negative message to prospective coaches... and offering Richo more than Cousins also a bit odd, would have thought closer to par makes more sense. Cousins by far easier to argue should be kept. I hope Richo is kept on, but signing him before we have our new coach announced?

[Ramps]

If contracts being handed out before the new coach is officially appointed then that is absolutely disgraceful imho. If its true that contracts have been handed out then it seems  that Rawlings is sadly over the line and RFC continues to guess its way through major decisions rather than putting in a professional process with proper criteria and seeing it through.

[Stripes]

I was recently calculating the likely delistings we would make at seasons end and cam up with Johnson, Bowden, Simmonds, Brown, Pettifer, Polak, JON and possibly Hughes plus potential trades including Raines, Schulz and potentially Tuck and that gives us up to 11 places to fill on the list. Even when you add Rookie elevations of Nahas (definite), Silvester and Browne (potentially) that still gives us a huge amount of room to recruit and trade.

With this in mind I don't believe it is as farcical as some are making out regarding contracting Richo now rather than when the new coach has been announced. It is impractical and unrealistic to believe that the club would allow such an icon as Richo to leave under such conditions. Whether Richo is in the new coaches game plan or not we have the salary cap room and flexibility to nurse Richo through another final year.

Signing Richo now ends all further media speculation which we have more than our fair share of this year don't you think....

Stripes

[TigerTimeII]

If contracts being handed out before the new coach is officially appointed then that is absolutely disgraceful imho. If its true that contracts have been handed out then it seems  that Rawlings is sadly over the line and RFC continues to guess its way through major decisions rather than putting in a professional process with proper criteria and seeing it through.

maybe jade has the job in the bank
maybe the "process" is much like the digestion process

just produces poo in the end lol

[JVT]

I was recently calculating the likely delistings we would make at seasons end and cam up with Johnson, Bowden, Simmonds, Brown, Pettifer, Polak, JON and possibly Hughes plus potential trades including Raines, Schulz and potentially Tuck and that gives us up to 11 places to fill on the list. Even when you add Rookie elevations of Nahas (definite), Silvester and Browne (potentially) that still gives us a huge amount of room to recruit and trade.

With this in mind I don't believe it is as farcical as some are making out regarding contracting Richo now rather than when the new coach has been announced. It is impractical and unrealistic to believe that the club would allow such an icon as Richo to leave under such conditions. Whether Richo is in the new coaches game plan or not we have the salary cap room and flexibility to nurse Richo through another final year.

Signing Richo now ends all further media speculation which we have more than our fair share of this year don't you think....

Stripes

Good post Stripes  And lets hope that the trades they make are for draft picks so we end up with an abundance of them!

[Francois Jackson]

I was recently calculating the likely delistings we would make at seasons end and cam up with Johnson, Bowden, Simmonds, Brown, Pettifer, Polak, JON and possibly Hughes plus potential trades including Raines, Schulz and potentially Tuck and that gives us up to 11 places to fill on the list. Even when you add Rookie elevations of Nahas (definite), Silvester and Browne (potentially) that still gives us a huge amount of room to recruit and trade.

With this in mind I don't believe it is as farcical as some are making out regarding contracting Richo now rather than when the new coach has been announced. It is impractical and unrealistic to believe that the club would allow such an icon as Richo to leave under such conditions. Whether Richo is in the new coaches game plan or not we have the salary cap room and flexibility to nurse Richo through another final year.

Signing Richo now ends all further media speculation which we have more than our fair share of this year don't you think....

Stripes

who cares about media speculation Stripes??

we need to be professional about this just like going through the "PROCESS" in our search for a coach

I love the man as much as the next bloke but we have to start doing things differently because what we have done in the past has Failed.

Even as much as a champion he has been for the club he should wait like others till the new coach is appointed.

Do we really want the struggling big man rolling around injured on $350-400k. I know i dont. I would rather remember him like he was last year.

If a new coach wants a clean out and it means we play finals then im sorry Richo. THE CLUB IS BIGGER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL.

[gtig]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25891399-19742,00.html
Sign Matthew Richardson or risk revolt: ben Cousins

With AAP | August 06, 2009 12:31pm

       BEN Cousins says there would be "blood on the streets" if the Tigers don't bring Matthew Richardson back next year.

Richardson's season is over, after he suffered a minor hamstring injury in his comeback game last Saturday.

The Herald Sun revealed today that the club had committed to offering the 34-year-old a new contract, but hasn’t formally signed one.

“There would be blood on the streets (if he isn’t re-signed),” Cousins said on Nova 100 this morning.

Cousins said Richardson’s age wasn’t an issue.

“He keeps defying logic … I’m just really looking forward to playing some footy with him,” he said.

Tigers caretaker coach Jade Rawlings today confirmed the club had a list management meeting last night, where Richardson's future was discussed.
...
"List management can make decisions (without the new coach)," he said.
...

[Stripes]

I agree with you daniel - the team/club is bigger than the individual and I also agree that the same professionalism of process should be followed with list management and Richo's future contract as we have afforded to the coaching position. You would also be happy to note that the club agrees with you and despite reports claiming otherwise, no official contract has been made.

BUT...

I still believe, given our current list management situation, his potential on field positive impact, the reverence many supporters and media afford him and the loyalty he has shown, that he above all other senior players should be given the opportunity to play on.

I have no doubt that he will be retained next year along with Cousins and regardless of his injury woes, given our extended Rookie list, he could and would not be a hindrance to the team.

Just keep him out of the forwardline please  

Stripes

[Infamy]

as much as i love Richo if the HUN are correct then we are a farce of a football club.

He should not be offered a contract till the new coach is appointed.

$350-$400 for Richo are you kidding?? As i said i love the guy but he should not be offered anything above $300k

That being said as i have reported that new coach is Rawlings so i guess you can take it as gospel that Richo will stay on next year and a new contract is just around the corner

You do realise the the interviews for the new coach are already underway and they will have been asked their position on Cousins, Richo, Brown, etc.
If all of the remaining potential coaches have said that they'd keep Richo, why not just sign him up and get it out of the way? The fact that there is talk of Cousins having been offered a new contract would suggest something similar. Interestingly there has been no talk of a new contract for Nathan Brown yet.
It's just one less issue for the media to focus on