At least the message is getting through...

[Steve76]

Tigers blushing after leak
By Peter Ker
July 24 2003





Richmond was left red-faced yesterday after a leaked club memo said the Tigers would face a massive membership revolt unless fortunes quickly improved.

The document said supporters' faith in coach Danny Frawley was at an all-time low, and the club would struggle to attract members next season.

"Make no mistake, our supporters are angry. In particular, their ire is being directed at Danny Frawley. The opinion of Danny is widespread and at an all-time low," the document reads.

"We are approaching a critical time in terms of membership retention and acquisition for next year: if the mindset of the average supporter doesn't improve between now and October-November, selling memberships will be nigh on impossible - regardless of how good the offer is."

The document, released on a program co-hosted by David Hookes and Gerard Healy on 3AW last night, outlines four key guidelines for the club and Frawley to follow in a bid to boost supporters' morale:


- The Richmond supporter base must be spoken of in "glowing" terms, while terms like "fickle" and "bandwagon" should be avoided at all costs.

- All comments about Frawley's future to be delivered with a "measured mixture of support without a perceived 'blind faith' ". The document gives a template answer for club officials to use when asked about Frawley's future.

- The direction of the club to be spoken about with "a measured mixture of support and expectation", while stressing that Greg Miller should be spoken of as a leader in Richmond's revival.

- Frawley himself must show some palpable "emotion" and "passion" for Richmond and its supporters.

Richmond is believed to be furious at the leaking of the memo.



Good to see they've been reading BigFooty !!!!

But still is embarassing that they all have to be taught what to say, and makes Danny look very much the sitting duck for letting go at end of 2004.

 

[CaptainCustard]

Would love to wake up one morning and the headlines are:

"Richmond Premiers"

"Richmond gets top 5 kids in AFL draft"

"Richmond's Coach is nominated for Coach of hte Year"

"Richmond's unrivalled management scores another coup"

"Richmond reaches 50,000 members"

Nice dreams hey?

 

[nut]

No wonder we a farking angry. We have overpaid underperformed players on our list that are taking up 4 spots that could be for young players that may give us Hope.

We have no hope at all in this situation. Sure our best 22 on the park we are a top eight side, but so is everyone elses best 22.

How long does it take for our club to get it right. It looks as thought they all are relying on " blind Faith" both from the football department and the administration.

Why do they feel they have to walk on egg shells when the all average Richmond Football Supporter wants is -

1. Honesty. Read Salary cap situation and why the heck we have 36 on our list when we finished 14th last season. This is what is holding as back. Daffy's and Bourkes contract being paid by our membership tickets when they are playing for someone else.

2. Commitment. To develope our players and install a level of commitment from them that will wont us to support them. As a group of supporters I believe we have shown the most commitment through our lack of success than any other side in the competition and this should never be questioned ( read Miller).

Quote:-
The Richmond supporter base must be spoken of in "glowing" terms, while terms like "fickle" and "bandwagon" should be avoided at all costs.

----------------------------------------------- If they ever used those terms then I would never ever buy a membership ticket again unless everyone from the current board was gone. The fact they would even consider calling us Fickle or bangwagon supporters makes my blood boil. Where were those Farkers in 90'.

Originally posted by Steve76

The document said supporters' faith in coach Danny Frawley was at an all-time low, and the club would struggle to attract members next season.

"Make no mistake, our supporters are angry. In particular, their ire is being directed at Danny Frawley. The opinion of Danny is widespread and at an all-time low," the document reads.

Iam more angry at our current list being 36. We cant even afford to elavate a rookie.

Originally posted by Steve76
[B
- Frawley himself must show some palpable "emotion" and "passion" for Richmond and its supporters.

[/B]

The fact that he doesn't??????????



Enter Wake up call. Frawley I think you better enjoy your last few games as a senior AFL coach.

 

[peejay]

My mail is that someone at the club has been given the job of finding out how long and how secure Denis Pagan's contract is.

 

[Steve76]

interesting

hadn't ever thought of pagan at RFC - but he would want $$$$ - mind you compared to Carlton, Richmond would be a much easier job. Wouldn't he have many years left on his CFC contract?

 

[CJH]

Originally posted by peejay
My mail is that someone at the club has been given the job of finding out how long and how secure Denis Pagan's contract is.

Actually, I did have a similar thought last year when Jack got the heave-ho and Collo came in. Once it became apparent that a) Carlton were in financial trouble and b) their list was rooted and would remain so for a while I thought that Pagan as a long term proposition there would be limited.

I guess Collo's view would be that paying so much money to Pagan for little return does not represent any economic viability. I think he would prefer to get someone cheaper who could develop the list before bringing in a 'Premiership' coach.

 

[CJH]

Originally posted by Steve76


...

The document, released on a program co-hosted by David Hookes and Gerard Healy on 3AW last night, outlines four key guidelines for the club and Frawley to follow in a bid to boost supporters' morale:

...

Did I ever mention before that I am a natural born cynic?

I've long since learnt to treat anything that 3AW say in terms of 'news' with a grain of salt. Add in the name Gerard Healy to the mix and I am doubly doubtful. I would not be surprised if this was a hoax, similar to the Spud letter of resignation that did the circuits early last week.

This kind of information only gets a life because we believe it is likely to be true.

(Although, FWIW, I also don't think Danny has much of a long term future left with us!)

 

[Rodgerramjet]

Coaches

Pagan wont come to Richmond, but Sheedy might be the man but it wont be at the end of this season. Miller has been to vocal about his determination to keep Frawley for next year and it would be to damaging for him now to go back on his word he would lose to much credibility and would have to re-sign himself if the board went against his wishes, because it would make nothing of his position.

The only way we will not have Frawley next year is if Frawley walks himself, maybe someone at the club is trying to get Frawley to do just that, maybe it was a calculated leak buy who ever.

Frawley's contract ends next year, Sheedy's contract ends next year. We can only dream and hope can't we.

 

[Itze]

Spud

This whole scenario is turning out just as I thought it would. As follows:
* Greg Miller (on behalf of the RFC) shows full support to Frawley by saying he will unequivocally be the coach next year, thus showing the general public that the club's days of acting rashly with coaches and not giving them enough time to produce the goods are gone.
* Meanwhile, performances on the field, internal memos, supporter disatisfaction, etc; are placing hardship and pressure on Frawley to the point where he may feel enough is enough and resign at end of season before contract expires (particulary if we don't win another game for the rest of the season, which is a distinct possibility).
* Mark Harvey says that he will leave Essendon at season's end to find a senior coaching position because he hasn't got a future at the club with Sheedy in the top job.

Now, this is what I hope happens........

* Essendon miss out on a finals berth after being defeated by Collingwood by 100 points in Round 22, and the Essendon Board hastily decide that they don't want to lose Mark Harvey and want him to be senior coach for next year.
* Frawley resigns from Richmond due to overwhelming pressure from supporters, media, etc.
* Sheedy is pushed out of the Essendon job, and takes over as senior coach of the Tigers for the next 4-5 years.

Tell me I'm not right???

 

[CJH]

Re: Spud

Originally posted by Itze
This whole scenario is turning out just as I thought it would. As follows:
*
...

Tell me I'm not right???

That is a somewhat cynical but nonetheless, reasonably accurate summation of what is going on!

 

[kretchy]

Does anyone think that maybe Sheedy's time as a coach has passed?

I reckon we've missed the boat the ideal time would have been when we first appointed spud.

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Originally posted by kretchy
Does anyone think that maybe Sheedy's time as a coach has passed?

I reckon we've missed the boat the ideal time would have been when we first appointed spud.

He wants to coach till he's 60.

 

[tigerT]

to be honest i dont want sheeds now, he was the man to lead us after we did the dirty on northey, and by jingoes we almost got him, offered him 5 years and he seriously considered it, b4 essendon told him he was required and he stayed, thats it for me, he made his decision and we should stop hoping for him, i think hes past it and he doesnt seem to have te fire he once had..........


wallace is the one i want, with some of the left footers in our side hed have us up and running as one of the most skilful and hard running sides in the comp in one pre-season

 

[GhostofJimJess]

I gotta agree TigerT ... I think the Sheedy ship has well and truly sailed as far as Richmond coach is concerned. He had his big chance back in 99 when we threw a five-year contract at him - that illustrated quite clearly where his emotions lay, and to whom he most felt allegiance.

As for coaching, he doesn't seem to be doing a great deal over at Essendon. With Shaw, Harvey etc.. in the box, he seems to exist merely as a "co-ordinator of coaching" at Bomberland, not to mention chief marketing officer.

Maybe it is in this latter role that he may one day be of some use to the Tigers.

Our next (or current?!) coach should be the next Sheedy, as the last one appears to be past his prime. He's peaked.

 

[Rodgerramjet]

Sheedy

Just a few thoughts on sheedy

1. He is not passed it.
2 Age has nothing to do with success, desire and determination have everything to do with it.
3. If sheedy is indeed waning then the challenge at Richmond just might be the tonic he needs to reignite the fire.
4. In 1999 sheedy had been at essendon, what, 19 years and had also gone through some tough times with them and that club stuck by him at those times, his own integrity would have told him to stay with them at that point in 1999 and returned the faith that they had shown him.
5. He has always had in the back of his mind to return to Richmond because of his mother. It really hurt his mother when he went to Essendon. He will come back but in what capacity is the big question and coaching is not an unpossibility.
6. Sheedy genuinely loves Richmond and that is the sort of person we need to coach and lead our players.

Just some thoughts on wallace personally i wouldn't touch him with a barge pole, he is not that good as a coach and he gets most of his profile by his exposure in the media not his ability as a coach. Because he can be such a good communicator in the public eye people gain the wrong or incorrect assumption that he is a good coach. A good communicator doesn't = a good coach, the world is full of good salesman who sound absolutely magnificent but when it comes to the actuall practise fail miserabley.