Caro has every right to be critical of RFC and in particular Greg Miller.
RFC has underperformed like no other team over the last 25 years and our recuitment and development of players over the last 10 years has been diabolical (the last 5 of them with Miller at the Club).
Miller has just about performed every role at the Club in his 5 years at the helm and even decided to take a place on the Board to help his mate Clinton Casey out of a huge hole. This was a step that had significant corporate governance issues but was essentially overlooked by the RFC members who were desperate to show blind faith in anyone who could offer some glimmer of hope. And where has he (Miller) taken the Club in that time - nowhere - we are still on the bottom of the ladder. Hence Caro has every right to be critical and good on her for doing so!
Have a look at our first and 2nd round draft picks in the AFL draft over the last 10 years. IN fact the AFL only have them listed in full from 2001 so we will look at them from these years.
2001 - RFC traded away its first round pick. David Rodan was taken as our 2nd round pick - Delisted by RFC at end of 2006 and has grown a leg at Port Adelaide where he could be a premiership player in 2 days time.
2002 - Jay Schulz (1st round pick) - Still yet to deliver anything of significant value in 5 years at the Club. Has shown glimpses and some potential but overall has underperformed significantly. Traded away our 2nd round pick.
2003 - RFC traded away 1st round pick. Took Alex Gilmore as our only pick in the 2nd round. Never played a senior game and only spent 2 years on the Senior LIst at RFC.
2004 - 4 First round picks - Brett Deledio - Has performed well and should further develop. Hard to miss though with the first pick.
Richard Tambling - Has disappointed to date for pick number 4. Question marks over whether he will develop into the player we were hoping he would become.
Danny Meyer - Shown nothing at all to date and must be close to being delisted.
Adam Pattison - Shown enough for a young big man in 3 years to warrant giving him more time. Will hopefully develop into a key big man over the next 3 years.
Dean Polo - 2nd round pick - Very good first year for RFC and struggled with injury in year 2. Shown enough to suggest he will further develop and could become a good long term player for RFC.
2005 - Jarrard Oakley Nicholls - Has shown nothing to me whatsoever in 2 years to suggest that he is a worthy 1st round pick. Disposal and decision making seems very suspect. Needs to show rapid improvement over the next 12 months or could be an early exit from RFC.
Cleve Hughes - Has shown some talent in glimpses although obviously has big question marks given the fact that he was dropped from Coburg at the end of the season. Could be headed along the same path as JON.
2006 - Jack Riewoldt - Shown enough in his first year to suggest he has a future.
Shane Edwards - Similar to Riewoldt has shown good signs in his first year.
Overall our 1st and 2nd round picks over the last 10 years have been disastrous. It is little wonder that we have languished down the bottom of the ladder given the minimal output that we have received from our 1st and 2nd round picks in this time and the fact that we have often traded these picks away.
RFC has underperformed like no other team over the last 25 years and our recuitment and development of players over the last 10 years has been diabolical (the last 5 of them with Miller at the Club).
Miller has just about performed every role at the Club in his 5 years at the helm and even decided to take a place on the Board to help his mate Clinton Casey out of a huge hole. This was a step that had significant corporate governance issues but was essentially overlooked by the RFC members who were desperate to show blind faith in anyone who could offer some glimmer of hope. And where has he (Miller) taken the Club in that time - nowhere - we are still on the bottom of the ladder. Hence Caro has every right to be critical and good on her for doing so!
Have a look at our first and 2nd round draft picks in the AFL draft over the last 10 years. IN fact the AFL only have them listed in full from 2001 so we will look at them from these years.
2001 - RFC traded away its first round pick. David Rodan was taken as our 2nd round pick - Delisted by RFC at end of 2006 and has grown a leg at Port Adelaide where he could be a premiership player in 2 days time.
2002 - Jay Schulz (1st round pick) - Still yet to deliver anything of significant value in 5 years at the Club. Has shown glimpses and some potential but overall has underperformed significantly. Traded away our 2nd round pick.
2003 - RFC traded away 1st round pick. Took Alex Gilmore as our only pick in the 2nd round. Never played a senior game and only spent 2 years on the Senior LIst at RFC.
2004 - 4 First round picks - Brett Deledio - Has performed well and should further develop. Hard to miss though with the first pick.
Richard Tambling - Has disappointed to date for pick number 4. Question marks over whether he will develop into the player we were hoping he would become.
Danny Meyer - Shown nothing at all to date and must be close to being delisted.
Adam Pattison - Shown enough for a young big man in 3 years to warrant giving him more time. Will hopefully develop into a key big man over the next 3 years.
Dean Polo - 2nd round pick - Very good first year for RFC and struggled with injury in year 2. Shown enough to suggest he will further develop and could become a good long term player for RFC.
2005 - Jarrard Oakley Nicholls - Has shown nothing to me whatsoever in 2 years to suggest that he is a worthy 1st round pick. Disposal and decision making seems very suspect. Needs to show rapid improvement over the next 12 months or could be an early exit from RFC.
Cleve Hughes - Has shown some talent in glimpses although obviously has big question marks given the fact that he was dropped from Coburg at the end of the season. Could be headed along the same path as JON.
2006 - Jack Riewoldt - Shown enough in his first year to suggest he has a future.
Shane Edwards - Similar to Riewoldt has shown good signs in his first year.
Overall our 1st and 2nd round picks over the last 10 years have been disastrous. It is little wonder that we have languished down the bottom of the ladder given the minimal output that we have received from our 1st and 2nd round picks in this time and the fact that we have often traded these picks away.
