peterbuch74
Norm Smith Medallist
- Oct 10, 2007
- 5,711
- 10,729
- AFL Club
- Richmond
- Other Teams
- Denver Broncos, Liverpool
Dear Richmond FC,
Wowee! How quickly the fortunes have faded.
Feeling the hairs on the back of our necks stand on end as the Tiger Army belted out the theme song prior to our first finals match in 13 seasons.
The feel good stories about how great preseason was going, about how our new recruits have fitted in with the club, about having members signing up before the first bounce, about momentum and striving to be better and challenge for a top 4 position.
POP!
Back to reality...
It's just Richmond... or so I'm reminded every time I walk back into work to begin another week. It was bound to happen. I'm reminded that we're crap. I'm reminded that we played above ourselves last year. I'm reminded that we had an easy draw, and that we were always going to fall away again, because we're Richmond.
What the heck is going on?? When will we be a force again? Surely we're on the right path? Aren't we?? So we're being told... we have the structures in place, we have a plan and a vision... so why isn't it working?
I've been stewing on this for a couple of weeks now... And a few questions need to be asked.
Once again the club turned to it's fans with the Fighting Tiger Fund... I was there for the Save our Skins campaign. I rattled tins out at Waverley begging Collingwood and North Melbourne fans to dig deep and save our club. I stood out in the traffic on the corner of Hoddle St and Victoria Pde raising money for the club with mates on the day that Jack Dyer pleaded for us to dig deep and save the club.
We've been there and done that. This time was a little different though. We weren't saving the club, we were strengthening it.
We were told we were building a "war chest", we were eradicating the clubs debt, we were bolstering the football department, we were improving training facilities...
Debt has been sorted I believe - TICK!
War Chest?
Improved training facilities - Doesn't appear to be working
New surface on Punt Rd Oval - TICK!
The one that has me confused is the Football Dept side of things...
We lost 2 important Assistant Coaches over the off season. Wayne Campbell left to take up the post as the Umpires Boss, and Leppa rightfully stepped up to take on the Lions coaching gig.
So with all of this money the club now has and the promise of bolstering the football dept, what happened? My understanding is that we didn't replace these guys... Am I wrong? Has the load simply been spread amongst the coaches that remained?
Is that the problem?
What's happened to the conditioning of the players?
Is that the problem?
Or are they simply content with the sole finals appearance last year? Happy to turn up and take their pay each week.
I'm not going to pot individual players here, because as a team we suck. And they can all wear that together.
There's been a few that can probably hold their head up (not high, but up), and many that would be disappointed with their efforts this season. And if they're not, they can go.
I've worked in many an organisation where as a manager I've had to hold performance reviews and continuous improvement and training plan meetings. And there's many an employee who I've had to let go because they simply didn't cut it. Some take the tap on the shoulder and get their act together and turn things around, and there's those who continue on their merry way. Sure they were nice enough people, who I got along with nicely, but when a job needed to be done that required a team to achieve a set goal there was no room for passengers.
I don't believe the message is getting through this season. I don't believe we have the mongrel in the playing group this season. I don't believe (from a fans perspective anyway) that there is enough accountability on individuals once they step over the white line.
Why? I have no idea... I'm not inside the club.
What can be done about it? I'm not sure... I'm not inside the club.
What I would like is some transparency with the fans. What is the problem? If we're not good enough, I'll cop it... but why? What's the plan going forward?
There's a lot of questions...
What I DO NOT want to hear is an apology to supporters. I DO NOT want to hear "We let our fans down" again. I DO NOT want to hear about how we will respond "next week" with tenacity and that old Tiger fighting spirit.
I don't want to hear about it anymore... just show us!
I love this club. It means so much to me.
It pains me that we're in this position again.
I'm frustrated. And I'll bounce back. I just hope that we ALL can again... and soon.
Still roaring...
PB74
Wowee! How quickly the fortunes have faded.
Feeling the hairs on the back of our necks stand on end as the Tiger Army belted out the theme song prior to our first finals match in 13 seasons.
The feel good stories about how great preseason was going, about how our new recruits have fitted in with the club, about having members signing up before the first bounce, about momentum and striving to be better and challenge for a top 4 position.
POP!
Back to reality...
It's just Richmond... or so I'm reminded every time I walk back into work to begin another week. It was bound to happen. I'm reminded that we're crap. I'm reminded that we played above ourselves last year. I'm reminded that we had an easy draw, and that we were always going to fall away again, because we're Richmond.
What the heck is going on?? When will we be a force again? Surely we're on the right path? Aren't we?? So we're being told... we have the structures in place, we have a plan and a vision... so why isn't it working?
I've been stewing on this for a couple of weeks now... And a few questions need to be asked.
Once again the club turned to it's fans with the Fighting Tiger Fund... I was there for the Save our Skins campaign. I rattled tins out at Waverley begging Collingwood and North Melbourne fans to dig deep and save our club. I stood out in the traffic on the corner of Hoddle St and Victoria Pde raising money for the club with mates on the day that Jack Dyer pleaded for us to dig deep and save the club.
We've been there and done that. This time was a little different though. We weren't saving the club, we were strengthening it.
We were told we were building a "war chest", we were eradicating the clubs debt, we were bolstering the football department, we were improving training facilities...
Debt has been sorted I believe - TICK!
War Chest?
Improved training facilities - Doesn't appear to be working
New surface on Punt Rd Oval - TICK!
The one that has me confused is the Football Dept side of things...
We lost 2 important Assistant Coaches over the off season. Wayne Campbell left to take up the post as the Umpires Boss, and Leppa rightfully stepped up to take on the Lions coaching gig.
So with all of this money the club now has and the promise of bolstering the football dept, what happened? My understanding is that we didn't replace these guys... Am I wrong? Has the load simply been spread amongst the coaches that remained?
Is that the problem?
What's happened to the conditioning of the players?
Is that the problem?
Or are they simply content with the sole finals appearance last year? Happy to turn up and take their pay each week.
I'm not going to pot individual players here, because as a team we suck. And they can all wear that together.
There's been a few that can probably hold their head up (not high, but up), and many that would be disappointed with their efforts this season. And if they're not, they can go.
I've worked in many an organisation where as a manager I've had to hold performance reviews and continuous improvement and training plan meetings. And there's many an employee who I've had to let go because they simply didn't cut it. Some take the tap on the shoulder and get their act together and turn things around, and there's those who continue on their merry way. Sure they were nice enough people, who I got along with nicely, but when a job needed to be done that required a team to achieve a set goal there was no room for passengers.
I don't believe the message is getting through this season. I don't believe we have the mongrel in the playing group this season. I don't believe (from a fans perspective anyway) that there is enough accountability on individuals once they step over the white line.
Why? I have no idea... I'm not inside the club.
What can be done about it? I'm not sure... I'm not inside the club.
What I would like is some transparency with the fans. What is the problem? If we're not good enough, I'll cop it... but why? What's the plan going forward?
There's a lot of questions...
What I DO NOT want to hear is an apology to supporters. I DO NOT want to hear "We let our fans down" again. I DO NOT want to hear about how we will respond "next week" with tenacity and that old Tiger fighting spirit.
I don't want to hear about it anymore... just show us!
I love this club. It means so much to me.
It pains me that we're in this position again.
I'm frustrated. And I'll bounce back. I just hope that we ALL can again... and soon.
Still roaring...
PB74
