Memo to the players

[Rosy]

I’m concerned about Greg Miller's statement earlier in the year that Richmond can't be competitive in regard to getting the right players for the future if they don't increase their revenue through memberships.

We are in a pretty bad way in that regard. The team really needed to win the last 2 games to have any hope of selling memberships.

They let the supporters down but they also let the RFC down by not getting the points the last two weeks.

Not all players, but certain players. The ones who have hardly raised a sweat all season. The ones who play at the elite level because believe it or not they do have talent, but are content to be selected and do nothing week after week. Where is your pride guys? Don’t you realize the future of the club we love is in your hands?

Richmond virtually “bought” 1000 memberships this year by throwing in a phone. That increased numbers this year but I suspect a lot of the people who took that offer aren't people who'd renew next year if this season is yet another fizzer.

Losing games that should be won doesn't help, but neither does looking at the list and with the possible exception of Jay, seeing no players of the future waiting in the wings.

It's so important for the team to be competitive for the rest of the season to give people hope and belief.

I hope at the end of the season they get rid of the dead wood and the players who simply haven't put in this year, and recruit well.

There are certain players who have let the club and themselves down this year. When the club is rock bottom injury wise they should have lifted a cog rather than continue on their merry way just filling space.

It might take time to build Richmond up to be a power again and the sad fact is people have waited a long time already and are sick of waiting.

All the club has done the last 20 or so years is treaded water. Promised a lot but delivered little.

Come on players, you’ll know who you are. Use the second half of the season to give it everything you’ve got. Give the fans a reason to buy memberships again.

Geez, you can even give us a premiership. ;D

 

[Tigerdog]

ALL PLAYERS MUST HAVE ABSOLUTE PRIDE IN BEING GIVEN THE HONOUR OF PLAYING IN THE RICHMOND GUERNSEY!! EVERY TIME!!

Until we get that week in week out from 22 players we will always struggle.

 

[julzqld]

ALL PLAYERS MUST HAVE ABSOLUTE PRIDE IN BEING GIVEN THE HONOUR OF PLAYING IN THE RICHMOND GUERNSEY!! EVERY TIME!!

Until we get that week in week out from 22 players we will always struggle.

Amen.

 

[mightytiges]

It might take time to build Richmond up to be a power again and the sad fact is people have waited a long time already and are sick of waiting.

That's the problem the club has got itself into over the last 20 years. If the club comes out now even if it's Miller who's only been here 6 months and says we need to rebuild and there may be short term pain, many supporters will turn back and say "well WTF have we been doing the last 20 years". The patience of many supporters has run out and imo that's reflected in the poor membership numbers. We are probably 2-3 thousand behind the budgeted figures (KL would know better). That's around $2-300,000 down . That's money no club can afford to lose and money that would have been possibly spent on areas such as extra people to improve our recruiting for example.

We desperately need a good second half to the year as you say rosy.

 

[TigerFurious]

Its the short term fixes that have occured especially over the few years that are killing us. And the supporters have had enough. It doesn't take much to see that we are nowhere near winning a premiership yet the club persist with topping up the list with aged players and rejects.

I can only speak for myself but I know I would be a lot more forgiving towards the club if they came out and admitted that the list is simply not up to it and needs rebuilding.

If the club showed some direction and started rebuilding the list I for one would tolerate the poor performances that come with it. What I can't stand (and obviously alot of ex-members as well) is what's happening now. Recruiting players like Cameron, Hudson, Nichols, Johnson, Fleming, Blumfield Stafford are all short term fixes yet Miller comes out and tells us all to be patient and its going to take time. Well which one is it??

The club has knowone to blame but itself for the poor membership numbers. Its time the coaches and administrators looked beyond the length of their current contract and implemented some long term direction and planning to make us an onfield power again.

Just one more thing. While our club has been going nowhere for the last 10 years Brisbane have gone from wooden spooners to premiers. Essendon finished 15th in 97' and won a premiership 3 years later. Collingwood were spooners in 99', GF 3 years later. And just to add insult to injury it looks like Freo and St Kilda are getting their *smile* together and what has Richmond done in that time???

 

[Skyfire]

If the club showed some direction and started rebuilding the list I for one would tolerate the poor performances that come with it. What I can't stand (and obviously alot of ex-members as well) is what's happening now. Recruiting players like Cameron, Hudson, Nichols, Johnson, Fleming, Blumfield Stafford are all short term fixes yet Miller comes out and tells us all to be patient and its going to take time. Well which one is it??

I'm clinging to the hope that Millers statement indicates that starting from this years draft/trade period we will start to rebuild/look long term in our recruitng.
Maybe that was what he was getting at?

I swear another year of short term recruitng and we are
officially ******.

 

[JohnF]

Yeah well said TigerFurious.

I think that after our 2001 season spud and crew had the impression that we were on the verge of a premiership in the next couple of years and drafted in the hope that we could get there with short term fixes.

Firstly just let me say that I cannot understand how they could have thought this way unless they were engaged in the most severe form of self deception ever. The fact is that we had a near injury free 2001 with a lot of players having their best seasons ever and we still managed to get thumped by Brisbane and Essendon in the finals. If this wasn't suggestive that we were still miles off the pace, then I don't know what would have suggested it.

So what has happened since then? Well we've had 2 years of injuries and recruiting of hacks and no hopers and we've neglected to stock up on any kids.

Getting young talent is crucual. Even if they may not seem worthy at the time, you never know how they are going to react when given the opportunity to play at the highest level; as we've discovered with Newman and Coughlan who were anything but priority picks. So even if they are high number draft picks they should be given a go. Drafting the Hudsons, Nicholls and Flemings of the world is useless.

Placating supporters by finishing 7th, 8th or 9th is also useless. What good is it to be a middle rung team? You get the impression Frawley will be happy to get just close enough, which is all that he figures he needs to do in order to keep his job. But if you're not a shot at the permiership (and Richmond clearly isn't), then you have to bite the bullett, make the hard decisions and re-assess the list to get us to where we can win a premiership.

Frawley is going to get us no where persisting with the Kings and Kellaways and Biddiscombes. We might as well play all the kids, finish last and get the good draft picks at the end of the year. People often say players like Clinton King and Duncan Kellaway are good because they lay their hearts on the line, do the team things etc. But the fact of the matter is that they are not good enough to play in a premiership team. And if they aren't good enough to play in a premiership team then they are not worth persisting with. Might as well get an 18 year old who can do the same job they do in the reserves and then come in and get 5 kicks a game when we get injuries in the firsts. Who knows the 18 year olds may even become something. King and Kellaway (just examples) never will.

To be able to win a premiership you need someone ruthless at the helm who is willing to make the hard decisions. Not Mother Theresa. Anybody heard of the saying "good guys finish last?" Exactly right. That's just the way it is folks. And we are not ruthless enough. We are short sighted and sit on our laurels thinking we are getting somewhere by finishing 6th. LMAO, it means NOTHING!

Now don't get me wrong, finishing 6th or 7th or 8th is no guarantee that you won't win the premiership. You can do it, you can wing it like that, footy is a funny game sometimes. Collingwood almost pulled it off last year. But by and large you have no hope. And in Richmond's case its plain and obvious for all to see that we are not good enough to do it.

TURF OUT AT LEAST 10 PLAYERS AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND LETS GET SERIOUS.

 

[Harry]

TURF OUT AT LEAST 10 PLAYERS AT THE END OF THE YEAR AND LETS GET SERIOUS.

And get Terry Wallace as coach ;D

Well said Johny boy - well said.

Greg Miller - I hope your listening to the hearbreak and the anguish that is seeping out of the soul of young John.

 

[DragicevicFan]

Spot on John

Build a team that can win a premiership, not one that might scrape into the finals and finish 8th this year.

If the club came out and told us they are going to rebuild, then i'll be happy with that, but they appear to have no plan at the moment. Trying to rebuild, but drafting mature recruits.

I understand that there isnt much to promote from the VFL at the moment with all our injuries, but we have brought that on ourselves, going into a season with a list which is 3 short, simply because we have a salary cap at bursting point. We cant blame anything for our inflated TPP but ourselves.

 

[zacs56]

But look at the bright side, Carlton and Hawthorn both said if they don't improve by the end of the year they will get rid of the non performers.So don't hesitate Richmond here is your chance to grab some more old, slow, skinny,stand back and watch, injury prone performers.While the two clubs use our draft picks to get untried 18 year olds to play seniors.But wait we will have to give the rejects a pay rise and a 3 year contract just because we look after our duds at Richmond. ;D ;D

 

[julzqld]

So what's the dark side?