Wallace sadly pays price for Tigers' failure
Rohan Connolly | June 1, 2009
MARK Harvey has his own issues after Fremantle blew another home game on Saturday night, but the Dockers' coach wouldn't have begrudged his opposite number in the Richmond box a rare post-game smile in a year from hell.
Harvey has spoken more than once this season of the sort of personal toll the hysteria that surrounds the life of an AFL coach can take.
And while Terry Wallace's association with Richmond has been coming to an end for a while, it was still a bit of a shock to hear the tone of resignation in his pre-game chat with 3AW.
Not just about this season. But about what's ahead. And that's not coaching. All a little hard to believe about a bloke who, after all, is only 50, and until relatively recently, continued to be bracketed with his former Hawthorn teammate Rodney Eade as being at the pointy end of football coaching.
But the relentless pursuit of a single, easy scapegoat for Richmond's disappointing season has found the mark.
While he told 3AW he was keen to pursue an active involvement in the game perhaps as a football manager, in coaching terms Wallace is damaged goods, and he knows it.
"I think when the coaches turn over at the end of the year, clubs are not going to be looking for somebody who has been through an unsuccessful period over four or five years," he said. "That's just the way footy is, it's not right or wrong."
But isn't it wrong? The Tigers haven't failed these past five season only because of their coach. It's too pat, too easy, to sheet home to one man the blame for poor list management, the failure of senior players and the overall culture surrounding a club that still has an uncomfortable need to pay continual homage to its golden era now some 35-odd years ago.
Yes, Wallace has run his race at Punt Road. But why should that mean he couldn't be considered for another senior position elsewhere, perhaps even a season or two down the track?
He's not exactly in line for the old-age pension. And football knowledge and tactical nous doesn't suddenly just evaporate because of some losses.
He's a confident man, Wallace, but his self-belief has been clearly shaken by the pounding his reputation has taken this season.
Sad, really. But if you're going to cop the sort of caning Wallace has lately, why would you hang around to cop it all over again?
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/wallace-pays-for-tigers-failure/2009/05/31/1243708351316.html
