Defiant Wallace backs Tigers captain
Staff Reporter | May 22, 2009 - 11:36AM
A defiant Terry Wallace has strongly defended Tigers captain Chris Newman amid suggestions he should step down after delivering a message from players that they wanted Wallace removed as coach of Richmond.
Wallace today held his first press conference since it was incorrectly reported on Tuesday he had been sacked as senior coach.
He told reporters today there was no rift in his relationship with Tigers captain Chris Newman and his leadership team of players.
Wallace confirmed conversations had taken place with Newman on Monday, but declined to divulge what they were about.
"Whether they are private conversations after the game on Sunday, whether they are private conversations between me and my captain, whether it's private conversations at our team meeting on
Tuesday ... they are private conversations," Wallace said.
"The week started with a non-story which became a story ... people have been reading things into everything all week."
Asked about his conversation with Newman, who reportedly told Wallace on Monday that players wanted him removed, he said: "That's up to Chris to answer."
"It was a private conversation and we shook hands at the end of the conversation," he said.
He said it was "outrageous" to suggest that Newman should stand down as captain.
"He's been asked to step down on the background of private conversations he'd had with me," he said.
"I'm sitting here saying I've taken no offence to things that Chris Newman has spoken about.
"Chris Newman's been very unfairly tainted in this whole situation.
"I put him in as part of the process of the club, the players backed him as captain, and I had a part in that decision.
I'm rapt with the job he's doing as captain."
Asked about the club's leadership group, Wallace said: "I've got every confidence in the senior group, that's why we had our meeting on Tuesday and that's why we continue on."
Asked about Tuesday's meeting with players and club officials, and whether there was any lingering bad blood, Wallace said: "We resolved everything we needed to on Tuesday and we moved on.
"When you're sitting at a record that we're at, everything is serious because you're losing games of footy - it's a big industry, it's important to people."
He said he and every other person at that meeting had the best interest of the club at heart.
"All we were trying to do is say, 'OK it's not working, what can we do, can it work or can't it work, let's get on the same page'.
"I've seen it happen as a player in losing environments, I've seen it happen as an assistant coach and now
I've seen it as a senior coach. It's just the reality of life."
He said people had read too much into his absence at Tuesday's training session as speculation swirled that he had been sacked.
"Virtually all I missed was a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon," he said, downplaying the importance of the training session.
Wallace said it was impossible to respond to all the rumours and reports that had swirled around the club this week.
"We can't as a football club sit back and say 'That's right, that's not right, that's a private conservation'.
"When things blow up like this, you can't give answers to everything they want."
Speaking ahead of tomorrow night's blockbuster Dreamtime at the 'G match against Essendon, Wallace said the Tigers were determined to post a win against the Bombers.
The Tigers have won one of their first seven matches, and last week suffered a narrow defeat to Port Adelaide after a nail-biting final quarter at AAMI Stadium.
"You're talking about a game of millimetres here," Wallace said of the club's recent losses.
"We had a couple of instances in the Port Adelaide game where things are just marginally different and you don't get the results."
"We're not talking about 90-point losses, we're just talking about tricking things up to get the results."
Wallace said he understood supporters were probably frustrated with the turmoil at the club this week but pleaded with fans to come along tomorrow and support the Tigers.
"The week in its entirety, it shows the resolve of the playing group that we're not far away at all in an interstate venue, but (tomorrow) we have a really big challenge on our hands with a fantastic side.
"We're hoping as big a week as what it is and probably how frustrated our supporters get with Richmond's lot, we hope they all come along and see our resolve and see how the players handle the occasion."
"I've seen it happen as a player in losing environments, I've seen it happen as an assistant coach and now I've seen it as a senior coach. It's just the reality of life."
He said people had read too much into his absence at Tuesday's training session as speculation swirled that he had been sacked.
"Virtually all I missed was a couple of hours on Tuesday afternoon," he said, downplaying the importance of the training session.
Wallace said it was impossible to respond to all the rumours and reports that had swirled around the club this week.
"We can't as a football club sit back and say 'That's right, that's not right, that's a private conservation'.
"When things blow up like this, you can't give answers to everything they want."
Speaking ahead of tomorrow night's blockbuster Dreamtime at the 'G match against Essendon, Wallace said the Tigers were determined to post a win against the Bombers.
The Tigers have won one of their first seven matches, and last week suffered a narrow defeat to Port Adelaide after a nail-biting final quarter at AAMI Stadium.
"You're talking about a game of millimetres here," Wallace said of the club's recent losses.
"We had a couple of instances in the Port Adelaide game where things are just marginally different and you don't get the results."
"We're not talking about 90-point losses, we're just talking about tricking things up to get the results."
Wallace said he understood supporters were probably frustrated with the turmoil at the club this week but pleaded with fans to come along tomorrow and support the Tigers.
"The week in its entirety, it shows the resolve of the playing group that we're not far away at all in an interstate venue, but (tomorrow) we have a really big challenge on our hands with a fantastic side.
"We're hoping as big a week as what it is and probably how frustrated our supporters get with Richmond's lot, we hope they all come along and see our resolve and see how the players handle the occasion."
http://www.realfooty.com.au/articles/2009/05/22/1242498907125.html
