Frawley tenure at heart of turmoil

[Tigerdog]

Tigerdog

I think if another 2 people resign from the board MC that the problem is more with the President and the direction he insists on taking the club.

MC24

Matter of opinion there TD.

By putting 'I think' at the start of my sentence I thought that would indicate it was a matter of opinion. Perhaps I should have written IMO.


Walster

Well it seems to me that Casey is running this club the way he sees fit and the board are nothing more than a "paper tiger".

MC24

Unless you’re in the know then we’re just fumbling in the dark here. But what if Casey is doing just that? And what if that’s what this Club needs – someone to give it some direction and to get people behind him to do that?

How do we know it isn't Casey that is fumbling around in the dark?
We have had 2 resignations from the board so far and may have more shortly.
These are respected Richmond people with REAL concerns who ARE privvy to the inner workings of the club.
How do we know that an autocratic style isn't in place down there?

OK Picture this. Ten associates are canoeing down a river when they come across a reasonably large waterfall.
The leader of the group wants everyone to stay in the canoe and plunge straight over the waterfall figuring that although quite risky and fraught with danger this is CLEARLY the ONLY way to navigate the waterfall.
He seems to have the support of only three other members of the canoe.
While the other 6 members are at pains to point out that it would be a much better plan to paddle to shore and carry the canoe down the hill and place it back in the water downstream from the waterfall.
Although they admit this would take time and involve hard work, it surely was the only sensible method of navigating the waterfall and keeping the members safe from harm.

The point is, just because the leader wanted to go straight over the waterfall, doesn't mean he was heading in the right direction.

Slavinskisp

Clinton Casey believes in the club and its values. If the board who have been to happy in the past to get rid of coaches, don't agree with the hard path forward, then let them leave. Let us have a set of directors that are happy with the way Clinton is taking the club.

See above. ;D


Of course all comments I make in PRE are my opinion only. 8)

 

[MC24]

How do we know that an autocratic style isn't in place down there?

TD, at this stage, we don’t have any substantial evidence to support either argument. On that basis, I don’t why people would want to divide a Club when they don’t know for sure what has taken place. How do any of us know, with any certainty, that we’re not barking up the wrong tree with this?

Do we cause division first and ask questions later?

OK Picture this. Ten associates are canoeing down a river when they come across a reasonably large waterfall.
The leader of the group wants everyone to stay in the canoe and plunge straight over the waterfall figuring that although quite risky and fraught with danger this is CLEARLY the ONLY way to navigate the waterfall.

The point is, just because the leader wanted to go straight over the waterfall, doesn't mean he was heading in the right direction.

So, was the leader a kamikaze pilot, a suicidal maniac, a dare devil or did he actually know what he was doing? 8)

 

[1980]

The timing says it all. Directors dont resign a week before the first game of the season because they want the coach sacked. There are obviously many issues that need to be addressed at board level, they've probably been submitted for some time, nothing has been done, so Schwab, knowing fully well that resigning now will bring more attention to his resignation, than resigning midseason, did just that.

What I read in all this is that its not just the supporters unhappy with the way things are going. There are other people on the board that agree with a lot of things TJ had to say after he was off the board.

My bet is that although there are a number of issues, the biggest one will be that they're arguing over who should be responsbile for conducting the search for the 2005 coach. And I'm betting Casey wants himself to be the one that makes this decision.

 

[Hungry]

Hate to throw a firecracker in here, guys, but can anyone explain why we should stick up for a board that has been demonstrably pathetic for several years?

I for one am not worried about long-term board members going, because chances are they have been part of our problems for a very long time.

If it's true that board members are leaving because they want to sack Frawley mid-season then good riddance! I don't care if we only win three games - I don't want any mid-year sackings and cr@ppy caretaker coaches this year!

Our board has been dysfunctional for too long. If it takes a few noses out of joint to pull them into line then so be it.

 

[dcstar]

Tigerdog, I think if you were to have 4 resignations from the board within a week, Casey would have no option but to step down, call an Extraordinary General Meeting and spill all board positions.
He could continue as a caretaker President until the EGM. I've got no idea about the constitution, but that would be the honourable thing to do, IMO.

An EGM - for a specific purpose- can be called by a petiton of 100 current members, 200 have to turn up to have a quorum, and any specific resolution can be carried on the votes (including proxies) at the EGM.

The EGM could be called to vote on replacing each board member, it could be called to change our colours to orange!, but the specific reason(s) for the EGM must be on the petition.

 

[Hungry]

Isn't all this EGM talk getting a bit carried away at this point?

 

[Rosy]

.... But what if Casey is doing just that?  And what if that’s what this Club needs – someone to give it some direction and to get people behind him to do that?

That approach is going to involve making unrealistic demands of people and being unpopular.  What those demands are, I don’t know, but on the surface of it, if we want to turn our Club around then we need to get beyond having a Board that’s merely a “boys’ Club” and turn it into one that’s proactive and gets out there and moves us forward.

I don’t have a problem with that.  Maybe if I knew more I might, but right now, I don’t.

Should I duck? 

Nah stick to your guns MC.   

I wish I could just think of the board members who retired as spoilt brats leaving because thet didn't get their own way.

I wish I could think everything is fine and doesn't need to be addressed.

I wish I could think that it's better to do nothing rather than rock the boat.

But I can't. 

I can't believe that members of the board would resign just because the game wasn't being played their way.

I wish I could say that there's no need for revolution, that gradually year after year voting will cause natural attrition anyway.

I'm really angry this has happened, but in another way if it had to happen so be it.  I'd rather that than to not have a club left to vote for.

I'm more worried about the future of Richmond and having it still there for future generations than I am about the upheaval of getting to the bottom of this.

Maybe the board members have resigned with no real cause so soon after an election.  Then again maybe they did have cause and I'd rather find the answer now.

 

[GoldCoastTiger]

Our poor club.

I'm 29 YO and my only memory of GF day 1980 was of my uncle (by marriage) crying on the toilet for the entire 2nd half.

I dont remember the game, I dont remember KB kicking 7. I only know of this from Video-Cassette (remember them) and legend.

All my life I have felt proud to be a Tiger... A Birthright!!!

Ive never seen success, I was at the G sept '95, and caught a glimpse...Matty Knights' 3 inspirational goals, single-handedly keeping us with a HOPE at half time.

Scotty Turner CRUNCHING the opposition into total and utter submission.

And to be honest, this is pretty much all I have after following Richmond for 29 years.
Sure there've been other memories that are meaningful and enhancing to the life experience, but when it comes to the crunch, this game is the only moment where I felt Richmond to be What They're Meant To Be.

Powerful, Tough, Unrelenting, PROUD, Courageous, Passionate, and above all else..

THE MIGHTY F()#$*)G TIGERS


For a couple of years Ive felt that something was rotten at the club. Nothing new, just that for such a mighty force as the Tigers to have been down so long, something must be very very sick.

2 Board members resigning at this stage of the game does, and should, ring alarm bells.

A fireman hears an alarm bell, and rushes to assess whether it is indeed a genuine fire, or just a false alarm..

They dont sit back at the fire station moaning and bit(hing, wondering whether its a real fire or a false alarm, discussing who is to blame for the (yet unkown whether to be real or false) Alarm Bells.


Something rotten only exists a short time, it will disintergrate into nothing but a memory....

Like a tooth that used to be there, or a time when 40 cents bought you a pack of cigarettes, not merely the papers for the cigarettes.

Sorry to say, but I don't think Richmond could survive Save Our Skins MARK II (who's Mark some might ask?)
(or is that MACH, or is that for when your really fast and Santa comes every 2 sleeps)

And dont think Collingwoods model will work for us.... There isn't enough Supremely Powerfull ego's in Melbourne to support TWO clubs.

Ed's a bit of a freak.

 

[MC24]

I wish I could think everything is fine and doesn't need to be addressed.

Crikey Rosy, sounds like I could be delusional.    I realise we have issues and that things could be much better than they are and have been.  I just believe there are other ways of going about this.  Issues can be resolved without the need to split a Club and possibly negate any work that has been done in recent times to get things moving in the right direction.

Sons of guns close for Richmond's opener
By Jake Niall
March 23, 2004

The Tigers have endured recent off-field tumult, with director Brendan Schwab joining Welsh in a boardroom exodus. Schwab was unhappy with the direction of the club and is understood to have clashed with finance director Garry Cameron over financial issues at a recent board meeting before his resignation. Casey privately welcomed Schwab's resignation, and is clearly shoring up his authority within the club on the eve of a challenging season.

While he told The Age his resignation was "very reluctant", Schwab will not detail his concerns about the club until the board has a chance to "act upon" the reasons he outlined for his resignation in a confidential letter.

Whatever the situation is, according to these comments, it would seem that it is retrievable.  If things do not change then we will hear about it.

Until such time, any unwarranted upheaval can only do more harm than good to RFC.

I wish I could say that there's no need for revolution, that gradually year after year voting will cause natural attrition anyway.

That’s the way it should work and if it doesn’t, why not?  Maybe that’s a major cause for concern and has been the cause of some of our issues.

I'm more worried about the future of Richmond and having it still there for future generations than I am about the upheaval of getting to the bottom of this.

I agree Rosy and it's not that I believe things are perfect, but that I believe there are other ways to go about it than the way we seem to.  Ways that are less harmful to our Club.

My main concerm is Richmond and if people want to wage war on one another, go right on ahead, just don’t do it at the expense of RFC.

 

[praying manton]

For all you people that argued about keeping Frawley for stability, and the off field setup was now good, I hope you're happy.

Good point - you can't have stability with the wrong people in charge.  If anything it will create a greater instability than imaginable. 

Where are those pacifists that saw keeping Spud in the job as a back bone to stability...havent we had enough of the over protectiveness offered by Clint to Spud?...and for that matter we have the trouble maker Miller trying to exert his influence on our club...like for 18 years he guided the roos to success...like what success?...yes they won a couple of flags but if you look deeply the real success comes with support and what have the roos acheived?...zilch...nothing...they dont even know where their playing next...maybe they can try Coober Pedy...like wake up!!!!!! guys.....it might get them the 4 extra members and the 10 extra people through the gate to watch them...like who says that he was successful at the Roos?...what do you gauge success on?...i ask this of Miller

 

[praying manton]

If Spud was a true tiger he would have walked by now but all he wants is to stay in a job...he knows that if the tiges show him the door, he will be back on the farm. Where are you big Mal?..where are you Graeme Richmond?...we need some head kicking to happen here.

Even sheeds is laughing at us with the Miller thing...our own sons are telling us that the guy is a lemon...lets get with it tigers!!!!!!!!!!!!!