wrennyboy
3 Mar 2004, 18:20
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/files/tigers.jpg DANNY Frawley will coach Richmond to the end of 2004 - no matter what. As the embattled Tigers bunkered down last night, president Clinton Casey guaranteed Frawley's job until end of the season.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,325265,00.jpg
Job to do: Danny Frawley gets on with business at Richmond training.
Picture: George Salpigtidis
Following Tony Jewell's comments in yesterday's Herald Sun, Casey said Frawley could even coach beyond this year.
"Danny's position with me and the club is very clear," Casey said from London last night.
"We have said to Danny that we will sit down at the end of the year and no decision will be made on his future until the end of the year.
"I'm going to say this early and I'm going to say this clearly. If we win the first 10, we won't be drawn to the negotiating table to re-sign him. If we lose the first 10, we won't be drawn to the table to make any change.
"Danny will coach the entire year."
He said Frawley's future -- he is contracted until the end of this season -- did not hinge solely on the win-loss factor this season.
"It's not a matter of saying he's going to be there for the rest of his life, and it's not to say he won't be," Casey said. "We have an understanding we'll sit down and review the position and until that point in time, don't deviate, put your head down and get the job done."
Yesterday, Frawley refused to attack Jewell who, the day before, criticised Frawley's game plan and questioned his self-confidence.
In a prepared statement, Frawley said he was not "unduly perturbed by comments made by the former director and the club's most recent premiership coach (1980)".
"That's Tony's opinion -- and he's entitled to it," Frawley said.
"It's a distraction that we could do without, but that's life in AFL footy. You move on. All I'm concerned about now is beating Collingwood in Round 1.
"We've got three weeks to work on the areas that let us down last Sunday (against St Kilda) and I remain very positive about our chances in the 2004 season."
Jewell's comments inflamed strong debate from Richmond fans who again yesterday bombarded talkback radio and websites.
They did the same on Monday after the Tigers lost to St Kilda by 62 points in the Wizard Cup.
In a fierce attack on Frawley and the Tigers, Jewell said, in part, that most of the directors didn't understand football and that the club, as a whole, was "terrified" of its supporters.
An angry Casey yesterday rang Jewell and discussed his comments, while it's believed Jewell tried to talk to Frawley last night.
Casey also planned to talk to Frawley last night.
Earlier, talking on two radio stations, Casey was flabbergasted by Jewell's outburst.
"From what I can gather there's a few comments that confuse me," Casey said. "He's been a huge supporter of Danny's to the board and to the point where he wanted to stay on this year.
"He feels it's a big year for the club and wanted to support Danny through the year, so I'm just at a bit of a loss at this point as to why that would be a comment he's made.
"I'm sure Danny, like me, is disappointed in what he read."
Casey criticised Jewell for not being as forthcoming as he should at board meetings.
"The bloke wears five watches (and) he won't tell you what time it is," Casey said.
"Often he was a little bit like that to the board; things would happen in the footy department that he'd hold very close to his chest. So to give an open and frank interview like he's done, I'm really at a bit of a loss."
He said that at a pre-Christmas meeting between himself and Jewell, Jewell was "enormously supportive" of Frawley.
"Game plan-wise we think the boys are really heading in the right direction, so this has come a little out of left field," the president said.
Casey also rejected Jewell's claim the club made decisions while trying to placate supporters.
"We certainly take a poll on what we feel is the general perception of the members, but to infer that we are petrified or scared is wrong," he said.
"We're trying to be a voice of the members."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,325265,00.jpg
Job to do: Danny Frawley gets on with business at Richmond training.
Picture: George Salpigtidis
Following Tony Jewell's comments in yesterday's Herald Sun, Casey said Frawley could even coach beyond this year.
"Danny's position with me and the club is very clear," Casey said from London last night.
"We have said to Danny that we will sit down at the end of the year and no decision will be made on his future until the end of the year.
"I'm going to say this early and I'm going to say this clearly. If we win the first 10, we won't be drawn to the negotiating table to re-sign him. If we lose the first 10, we won't be drawn to the table to make any change.
"Danny will coach the entire year."
He said Frawley's future -- he is contracted until the end of this season -- did not hinge solely on the win-loss factor this season.
"It's not a matter of saying he's going to be there for the rest of his life, and it's not to say he won't be," Casey said. "We have an understanding we'll sit down and review the position and until that point in time, don't deviate, put your head down and get the job done."
Yesterday, Frawley refused to attack Jewell who, the day before, criticised Frawley's game plan and questioned his self-confidence.
In a prepared statement, Frawley said he was not "unduly perturbed by comments made by the former director and the club's most recent premiership coach (1980)".
"That's Tony's opinion -- and he's entitled to it," Frawley said.
"It's a distraction that we could do without, but that's life in AFL footy. You move on. All I'm concerned about now is beating Collingwood in Round 1.
"We've got three weeks to work on the areas that let us down last Sunday (against St Kilda) and I remain very positive about our chances in the 2004 season."
Jewell's comments inflamed strong debate from Richmond fans who again yesterday bombarded talkback radio and websites.
They did the same on Monday after the Tigers lost to St Kilda by 62 points in the Wizard Cup.
In a fierce attack on Frawley and the Tigers, Jewell said, in part, that most of the directors didn't understand football and that the club, as a whole, was "terrified" of its supporters.
An angry Casey yesterday rang Jewell and discussed his comments, while it's believed Jewell tried to talk to Frawley last night.
Casey also planned to talk to Frawley last night.
Earlier, talking on two radio stations, Casey was flabbergasted by Jewell's outburst.
"From what I can gather there's a few comments that confuse me," Casey said. "He's been a huge supporter of Danny's to the board and to the point where he wanted to stay on this year.
"He feels it's a big year for the club and wanted to support Danny through the year, so I'm just at a bit of a loss at this point as to why that would be a comment he's made.
"I'm sure Danny, like me, is disappointed in what he read."
Casey criticised Jewell for not being as forthcoming as he should at board meetings.
"The bloke wears five watches (and) he won't tell you what time it is," Casey said.
"Often he was a little bit like that to the board; things would happen in the footy department that he'd hold very close to his chest. So to give an open and frank interview like he's done, I'm really at a bit of a loss."
He said that at a pre-Christmas meeting between himself and Jewell, Jewell was "enormously supportive" of Frawley.
"Game plan-wise we think the boys are really heading in the right direction, so this has come a little out of left field," the president said.
Casey also rejected Jewell's claim the club made decisions while trying to placate supporters.
"We certainly take a poll on what we feel is the general perception of the members, but to infer that we are petrified or scared is wrong," he said.
"We're trying to be a voice of the members."