Source: The Fighting Tiger - Tony Greenberg.
How did the move to Richmond come about?
Clinton Casey and Mark Brayshaw approached me the friday after the GF out of the blue. I hadn't been thinking much about returning to the AFL...there were a few opportunities with the marketing company I was working with. But Clinton's confidence in me, in terms of the scope of the job, was certainly a factor. The role as Director of Football, overseeing the Football Department, gave me great scope to utilise my experience. Clinton also explained to me the lack of experience at the Club. It was the combination of Clinton's enthusiasm, the scope of the job and Danny Frawley, who I admire as a person, that contributed to my decision and I started on the following Tuesday.
Is there a set time-frame for your involvement here?
Not at all. It could be 5, 10, 15 years..who knows? But certainly I feel I've learnt a lot of things along the way over 25 years. Some of those ideas I think have stood the test of time in terms of success on-field and if I can pass on some of those messages, assist some of the younger people and develop some of the same feelings I was able to develop in the staff at the Kangaroos then I think I'll have made a difference.
What is your basic football philosophy?
It's just the quality of the people that you can gather around and your relationships with them. I think the players and the senior coaches are the most important people. The senior coach has to be given every opportunity to succeed. I believe in building the list, not breaking it down. I believe in a relationship with the players that they know we're doing everything possible to maximise their short time in footy. By that, I don't just mean financial - I mean the pride of playing in successful teams on an on-going basis, realtionships they're going to make that are going to be life-long relationships and, of course, investing their money in the right avenues to maximise their financial return. The behind-the-scenes people also must have a common cause or common philosophy in striving for that on-field success, which means that I will weed out selfish people. I want people here who love their involvement at the Richmond Football Club and want to have team success. So that will happen - it'll happen...
As an outsider looking in, what was your perception of the Richmond Football Club?
The on-field results have been most disappointing..most disappointing in that there's been no consistency of performances - other that consistently not making the finals! Wayne Campbell said to me when I first started, something along the lines of "you probably think the players have too much say here at Richmond". I said, "well, that's not something I actually thought". I probably think the atmosphere that's been created around this club doesn't lend itself - this is an outsider looking in - doesn't lend itself to good camaraderie - players, administration etc. The point is, it's been too stiff, too bureaucratic and not enough about people.
How did the move to Richmond come about?
Clinton Casey and Mark Brayshaw approached me the friday after the GF out of the blue. I hadn't been thinking much about returning to the AFL...there were a few opportunities with the marketing company I was working with. But Clinton's confidence in me, in terms of the scope of the job, was certainly a factor. The role as Director of Football, overseeing the Football Department, gave me great scope to utilise my experience. Clinton also explained to me the lack of experience at the Club. It was the combination of Clinton's enthusiasm, the scope of the job and Danny Frawley, who I admire as a person, that contributed to my decision and I started on the following Tuesday.
Is there a set time-frame for your involvement here?
Not at all. It could be 5, 10, 15 years..who knows? But certainly I feel I've learnt a lot of things along the way over 25 years. Some of those ideas I think have stood the test of time in terms of success on-field and if I can pass on some of those messages, assist some of the younger people and develop some of the same feelings I was able to develop in the staff at the Kangaroos then I think I'll have made a difference.
What is your basic football philosophy?
It's just the quality of the people that you can gather around and your relationships with them. I think the players and the senior coaches are the most important people. The senior coach has to be given every opportunity to succeed. I believe in building the list, not breaking it down. I believe in a relationship with the players that they know we're doing everything possible to maximise their short time in footy. By that, I don't just mean financial - I mean the pride of playing in successful teams on an on-going basis, realtionships they're going to make that are going to be life-long relationships and, of course, investing their money in the right avenues to maximise their financial return. The behind-the-scenes people also must have a common cause or common philosophy in striving for that on-field success, which means that I will weed out selfish people. I want people here who love their involvement at the Richmond Football Club and want to have team success. So that will happen - it'll happen...
As an outsider looking in, what was your perception of the Richmond Football Club?
The on-field results have been most disappointing..most disappointing in that there's been no consistency of performances - other that consistently not making the finals! Wayne Campbell said to me when I first started, something along the lines of "you probably think the players have too much say here at Richmond". I said, "well, that's not something I actually thought". I probably think the atmosphere that's been created around this club doesn't lend itself - this is an outsider looking in - doesn't lend itself to good camaraderie - players, administration etc. The point is, it's been too stiff, too bureaucratic and not enough about people.
