Wallace edges towards the exit door
Tim Clarke | May 29, 2009 - 10:33AM WST
Soldier on... Terry Wallace is comfortable with his situation at Richmond.
Terry Wallace is resigned to accept whatever the club decides.
Richmond coach Terry Wallace has admitted 2009 will be his last year as coach of the Tigers - whether tomorrow's clash against Fremantle will be his last game in charge is what he is not sure about.
A manic two weeks, which saw Wallace lose 4kg in weight while the dramas swirled around his "non-sacking", will take another high-profile twist tomorrow when Ben Cousins returns to play in Perth for the first time since his sacking by the Eagles.
Arriving in WA on Thursday for his involvement in his 500th game for Richmond as player or coach, Wallace joked he had brought Cousins with him to take some of the heat off himself.
But Wallace also says he knows the deadly serious nature of the AFL dictates a heavy loss to the Dockers could force the Tigers' hand - and he is ready for it.
"I know where I am going - this will be my last year at the Richmond football club. When or where that occurs is probably the unknown landscape at the moment," Wallace told radio 6PR.
"The last thing I wanted was this to turn ugly in terms of club versus coach - and it won't do that.
"I will do what the club wants me to do in any point in time. If that is coach on, I will coach on, if that is step aside
well so be it.
"The reality is I am not going to be there next year and I have sort of said that publicly.
"I think we all know that is the situation, and so I have said to the club I have no issue with them starting to advance themselves to do what they need to do for their future
get their house in order.
"I am comfortable to support a club that gave me a five year contract to do what is necessary.
"If they thought a caretaker coach was the best way to go than I would stand aside and let a caretaker coach come without any issue."
While Wallace is resigned to his fate, the coach has also said a number of his senior players would be playing for their careers in the coming weeks - with forward Nathan Brown chief amongst them.
And Wallace said the playing future of Matthew Richardson would also depend on how he returned from his serious hamstring injury.
"With Nathan in the next ten weeks (he needs to show) whether he can show his body can hold up week in, week out," Wallace said.
"When he gets it right he can play two or three really solid games and play the type of football we know Nathan can play.
"Then all of sudden something gives way.
"Purely and simply, if you knew he was able to get onto the park and play 16 to 18 games his value is there.
"If he is only going to be able to play eight to 10 games then I dont think any coach is going would be able to take any player in that circumstance.
"(And with Richardson) it will depend on his body, clearly it will depend on how he comes up."
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/wallace-edges-towards-the-exit-door-20090529-bpoz.html?page=-1