Richmond learns lessons from historyJon Ralph | August 27, 2009FIVE years ago new Richmond coach Terry Wallace fronted his first press conference and declared the club would develop its own champions. Not for Richmond the quick fix, but rather the patient, methodical rebuild.
The Tigers surged up the ladder with 21 wins in the next two years and Wallace recruited eight recycled players - Mark Graham, Kent Kingsley, Patrick Bowden, Jordan McMahon, Mitch Morton, Ben Cousins, Adam Thomson and Tom Hislop.
Don't expect Damien Hardwick to make the same errors.
Richmond must recruit via the draft, and it must go backwards before it goes forward. And it will.
Hardwick, who has seen the bottom-out principle at Hawthorn, said yesterday he wanted to win Richmond its 11th premiership.
Richmond's list is not capable of delivering a flag, so as much as supporters want immediate success they will have to wait.
But Hardwick has what no recent Tigers coach has had: a cashed-up football department, a stable administration and time to rebuild the club's list.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25986889-19742,00.html