By Patrick Smith, Greg Denham and Michael McGuire of The Australian
March 23, 2004
THE Richmond boardroom crisis is expected to deepen with as many as two more directors likely to resign within a week.
Vice-president Brendon Schwab resigned on March 12 and fellow board member Peter Welsh followed last week, leaving a board of seven.
The demanding leadership style of president Clinton Casey is expected to claim another two scalps.
This would give Casey at least four directors' vacancies at Punt Road as he moves to revamp his board.
Casey would not comment to The Australian on the resignations of Schwab and Welsh, other than to say: "The timing of these things is difficult. We have a big year ahead.
"If you are not up to it, then it's best you move on."
Casey yesterday denied his strong ties with coach Danny Frawley had any part in the resignations of Schwab and Welsh.
It is believed that a quarrel with Casey over his guarantee of coach Danny Frawley's 2004 tenure influenced the resignations of the two directors over the past fortnight.
Schwab yesterday neither confirmed nor denied the rift with Casey over the position of Frawley who is in the final year of his coaching contract.
"That rumour greatly simplifies the situation," Schwab said. "My concern goes to the heart of the duties and responsibilities that attract to the role of a director of a public company such as Richmond Football Club.
"I made the decision most reluctantly given I have a lifelong commitment to the club. I don't think it is appropriate to detail the reasons set out in my letter (to the board).
"I think it is up to the board to deal with these matters but I considered them fundamental enough to resign."
Casey publicly supported Frawley's role as senior coach until at least the end of the season following an attack on Frawley from long-time mentor and board member Tony Jewell earlier this month.
Jewell, a former football director who was voted off the board in the January election, questioned Frawley's ability to coach.
Jewell also questioned Frawley's game plan and said he was prone to waver in his views because he had neither the self-belief to back his own judgment nor the right background to succeed.
Casey reacted by declaring Richmond would honour Frawley's contract.
"As a board we are hugely supportive of Danny and we're on track for where we want to be," Casey said earlier this month.
"Danny Frawley will coach Richmond until the end of the season. That position is quite clear with the club and Danny."
Welsh was unavailable for comment yesterday.
A Richmond source has confirmed that Frawley was so gutted by Jewell's criticism that he was unable to publicly respond for several days.
It is believed that not all directors wanted Frawley's position guaranteed, rather favouring a position of on-going review.
Schwab, Welsh, Jewell and Casey formed part of the Richmond board which changed Frawley's latest performance-based contract and gave him an escape clause for this season.
Under the original terms of his deal, Frawley could have been sacked last year as the Tigers missed the finals for the second year running.
It was revealed in The Australian last July that Frawley's incentive-based contract initially contained a special clause that said he could have been sacked if the Tigers failed to contest the finals in either 2002 or 2003.
Richmond finished 14th in 2002 and 13th last year.
The non-finals clause was inserted by the board at the end of 2001, providing them with an option of not extending Frawley's three-year deal into a final year due to poor performance.
It was struck off on the insistence of the club's new general manager of football operations, Greg Miller.
A Richmond source confirmed that former player Emmett Dunne will be seconded on to the board as football director, with direct access to the football department.
Over the past two years the Tigers have won just 14 of 44 games. They play Collingwood on Friday night at the MCG in the season opener.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9044905%255E2722,00.html
March 23, 2004
THE Richmond boardroom crisis is expected to deepen with as many as two more directors likely to resign within a week.
Vice-president Brendon Schwab resigned on March 12 and fellow board member Peter Welsh followed last week, leaving a board of seven.
The demanding leadership style of president Clinton Casey is expected to claim another two scalps.
This would give Casey at least four directors' vacancies at Punt Road as he moves to revamp his board.
Casey would not comment to The Australian on the resignations of Schwab and Welsh, other than to say: "The timing of these things is difficult. We have a big year ahead.
"If you are not up to it, then it's best you move on."
Casey yesterday denied his strong ties with coach Danny Frawley had any part in the resignations of Schwab and Welsh.
It is believed that a quarrel with Casey over his guarantee of coach Danny Frawley's 2004 tenure influenced the resignations of the two directors over the past fortnight.
Schwab yesterday neither confirmed nor denied the rift with Casey over the position of Frawley who is in the final year of his coaching contract.
"That rumour greatly simplifies the situation," Schwab said. "My concern goes to the heart of the duties and responsibilities that attract to the role of a director of a public company such as Richmond Football Club.
"I made the decision most reluctantly given I have a lifelong commitment to the club. I don't think it is appropriate to detail the reasons set out in my letter (to the board).
"I think it is up to the board to deal with these matters but I considered them fundamental enough to resign."
Casey publicly supported Frawley's role as senior coach until at least the end of the season following an attack on Frawley from long-time mentor and board member Tony Jewell earlier this month.
Jewell, a former football director who was voted off the board in the January election, questioned Frawley's ability to coach.
Jewell also questioned Frawley's game plan and said he was prone to waver in his views because he had neither the self-belief to back his own judgment nor the right background to succeed.
Casey reacted by declaring Richmond would honour Frawley's contract.
"As a board we are hugely supportive of Danny and we're on track for where we want to be," Casey said earlier this month.
"Danny Frawley will coach Richmond until the end of the season. That position is quite clear with the club and Danny."
Welsh was unavailable for comment yesterday.
A Richmond source has confirmed that Frawley was so gutted by Jewell's criticism that he was unable to publicly respond for several days.
It is believed that not all directors wanted Frawley's position guaranteed, rather favouring a position of on-going review.
Schwab, Welsh, Jewell and Casey formed part of the Richmond board which changed Frawley's latest performance-based contract and gave him an escape clause for this season.
Under the original terms of his deal, Frawley could have been sacked last year as the Tigers missed the finals for the second year running.
It was revealed in The Australian last July that Frawley's incentive-based contract initially contained a special clause that said he could have been sacked if the Tigers failed to contest the finals in either 2002 or 2003.
Richmond finished 14th in 2002 and 13th last year.
The non-finals clause was inserted by the board at the end of 2001, providing them with an option of not extending Frawley's three-year deal into a final year due to poor performance.
It was struck off on the insistence of the club's new general manager of football operations, Greg Miller.
A Richmond source confirmed that former player Emmett Dunne will be seconded on to the board as football director, with direct access to the football department.
Over the past two years the Tigers have won just 14 of 44 games. They play Collingwood on Friday night at the MCG in the season opener.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9044905%255E2722,00.html
