In the spirit of the recent sorry day, Richmond president Gary March has forwarded a letter to all Richmond members, to apologise for all their heartache, pain and humiliation over the past 20 years.
I move:
That today we honour the indigenous peoples of Punt Road, one of the oldest continuing losing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Wallett generations - this blemished chapter in our club's history.
The time has now come for the club to turn a new page in the AFL's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the drafts and club policies of successive Richmond boards and coaching staff that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Tigers.
We apologise especially for the removal of Richard Tambling and Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls from their local clubs, their communities and their families, because that's where they should have stayed.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Wallett generations, their descendants and for their families who follow Richmond, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of hope and faith, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud supporter base and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the board of Richmond respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the Richmond Football Club.
For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great club can now be written...by 2012.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Tigers into a winning culture...one day.
A future where this club resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.
We also apologise to those who were from the Frawley generation. For the humiliation they suffered and the sense of self loathing, we say sorry.
The apology looks to be well received by the club supporter base, however a sorry message from Andrew Demetriou saw supporters turn their back, following claims the clubs failures were half their fault anyway.
I move:
That today we honour the indigenous peoples of Punt Road, one of the oldest continuing losing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Wallett generations - this blemished chapter in our club's history.
The time has now come for the club to turn a new page in the AFL's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the drafts and club policies of successive Richmond boards and coaching staff that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Tigers.
We apologise especially for the removal of Richard Tambling and Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls from their local clubs, their communities and their families, because that's where they should have stayed.
For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Wallett generations, their descendants and for their families who follow Richmond, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of hope and faith, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud supporter base and a proud culture, we say sorry.
We the board of Richmond respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the Richmond Football Club.
For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great club can now be written...by 2012.
We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Tigers into a winning culture...one day.
A future where this club resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.
We also apologise to those who were from the Frawley generation. For the humiliation they suffered and the sense of self loathing, we say sorry.
The apology looks to be well received by the club supporter base, however a sorry message from Andrew Demetriou saw supporters turn their back, following claims the clubs failures were half their fault anyway.
