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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
Hi all, This is my first post, and I thought that I would give my two cents worth on what I believe is wrong with the Richmond Football Club. (Please note that I have been a supporter since 1977). The Age recently ran a story which says it all:
These figures relate to the 2006 season:
Player Payments - 12th
Recruiting - 16th (This is a real concern)
Membership - 11th
Football Revenue - 14th
Coaching Staff - 14th
Total Football Spending - 15th
Non Football Revenue - 3rd
In a nutshell, unless you drastically improve these numbers, the club is going nowhere. There is no point speculating on whether at 32 Richo can improve his kicking, or whether the umpteenth 5 year plan is going to work,or whether you should get rid of the coach, or whether schulz is a forward or a backman, on field success will only follow off-field success.
How did a powerful and feared club, that won 5 premierships in 13 years, (1967 to 1980), get into this position?
For those of you who are not old enough to know, this is what happended. At the end of 1982, Richmond got into a costly war with Collingwood, whereby they started pinching players off each other. (For example we pinched John Annear, Peter McCormack, Craig Stewart, Wally Lovett, Noel Lovell, Neil Peart, Phillip Walsh, etc)
By 1986, this war nearly bankrupted both clubs. The significance here is that just as the new interstate clubs were coming into the competition, Richmond was virtually bankrupt. So therefore from day 1, we have disadvantaged ourselves in competing against these powerful interstate sides, (of which there are six now).
(I remember reading an article by Kevin Sheedy in Inside Football in 1987, warning that the Melbourne clubs were going to be in trouble, competing against these interstate clubs). I agreed with Kevin back then, and even more now). It dosn't take rocket science to understand why:
In Melbourne, 10 clubs are competing for sponsors, fans, members, etc
In Perth for example until '95, West Coast had no competion for sponsors, fans, members etc. Throwing in draft
concessions and favourable home team umpiring, makes it even more difficult.
Isn't it ironic that the first interstate game in 1987 was between Richmond and West Coast at Subiaco, which Richmond lost, after leading by 33 points at three quarter time ?
Richmond supporters in general, have been looking for obscure reasons, as to why we are no good. For example:
- We always cop 'milestone games", so we have got no hope,
- We can't win wearing white shorts,
- We wont be any good until we get rid of the "duds". We've been getting rid of duds for 25 years, and it
hasn't made any difference !
- We won't be any good until we sack the coach,
- We wont be any good until the latest batch of youngsters comes through. I remember the first time I heard
this in 1988, when Knights, Free, Lambert, Nicholls, Hogg started, and once again it made no difference.
- We wont be any good until KB comes back to the club.
My point at the end of the day, is that until Richmond lifts itself off the field, nothing will change. We can't continue to be last in recruiting, and expect to become a serious contendor on the field.
So how do we lift the off field performance? The answer is to look at Collingwood, and look at what Eddie McGuire has been able to achieve. In other words we need a high profile person, who is able to bring along
his high profile mates to pour money into the club, so that we can spend more money on recruiting, coaching staff, facilities, membership drives, etc etc. Only when this happens, we will become a serious contendor.
Who is this high profile person going to be ? I've heard rumours Crazy John is interested ? If his success in business is anything to go by, then he may be the answer.
In the meantime, fellow RFC supporters, there is no point "knashing your teeth", each weekend, looking for obscure answers and ringing SEN demanding knee-jerk reactions. Its proven over time that this approach
doesn't work.
These figures relate to the 2006 season:
Player Payments - 12th
Recruiting - 16th (This is a real concern)
Membership - 11th
Football Revenue - 14th
Coaching Staff - 14th
Total Football Spending - 15th
Non Football Revenue - 3rd
In a nutshell, unless you drastically improve these numbers, the club is going nowhere. There is no point speculating on whether at 32 Richo can improve his kicking, or whether the umpteenth 5 year plan is going to work,or whether you should get rid of the coach, or whether schulz is a forward or a backman, on field success will only follow off-field success.
How did a powerful and feared club, that won 5 premierships in 13 years, (1967 to 1980), get into this position?
For those of you who are not old enough to know, this is what happended. At the end of 1982, Richmond got into a costly war with Collingwood, whereby they started pinching players off each other. (For example we pinched John Annear, Peter McCormack, Craig Stewart, Wally Lovett, Noel Lovell, Neil Peart, Phillip Walsh, etc)
By 1986, this war nearly bankrupted both clubs. The significance here is that just as the new interstate clubs were coming into the competition, Richmond was virtually bankrupt. So therefore from day 1, we have disadvantaged ourselves in competing against these powerful interstate sides, (of which there are six now).
(I remember reading an article by Kevin Sheedy in Inside Football in 1987, warning that the Melbourne clubs were going to be in trouble, competing against these interstate clubs). I agreed with Kevin back then, and even more now). It dosn't take rocket science to understand why:
In Melbourne, 10 clubs are competing for sponsors, fans, members, etc
In Perth for example until '95, West Coast had no competion for sponsors, fans, members etc. Throwing in draft
concessions and favourable home team umpiring, makes it even more difficult.
Isn't it ironic that the first interstate game in 1987 was between Richmond and West Coast at Subiaco, which Richmond lost, after leading by 33 points at three quarter time ?
Richmond supporters in general, have been looking for obscure reasons, as to why we are no good. For example:
- We always cop 'milestone games", so we have got no hope,
- We can't win wearing white shorts,
- We wont be any good until we get rid of the "duds". We've been getting rid of duds for 25 years, and it
hasn't made any difference !
- We won't be any good until we sack the coach,
- We wont be any good until the latest batch of youngsters comes through. I remember the first time I heard
this in 1988, when Knights, Free, Lambert, Nicholls, Hogg started, and once again it made no difference.
- We wont be any good until KB comes back to the club.
My point at the end of the day, is that until Richmond lifts itself off the field, nothing will change. We can't continue to be last in recruiting, and expect to become a serious contendor on the field.
So how do we lift the off field performance? The answer is to look at Collingwood, and look at what Eddie McGuire has been able to achieve. In other words we need a high profile person, who is able to bring along
his high profile mates to pour money into the club, so that we can spend more money on recruiting, coaching staff, facilities, membership drives, etc etc. Only when this happens, we will become a serious contendor.
Who is this high profile person going to be ? I've heard rumours Crazy John is interested ? If his success in business is anything to go by, then he may be the answer.
In the meantime, fellow RFC supporters, there is no point "knashing your teeth", each weekend, looking for obscure answers and ringing SEN demanding knee-jerk reactions. Its proven over time that this approach
doesn't work.