Premierships aren’t won exclusively on the field

Richmond coach Terry Wallace looks on during a Richmond training session at Punt Road Oval, Melbourne. Slattery Images

Building a side capable of winning a premiership requires significant investment in off-field areas that support both the playing group and the senior coach.

You could see that with Geelong in 2007, with Hawthorn in 2008 and – not wanting to be presumptuous or anything – with St Kilda in 2009.

But here’s an interesting question, in light of recent events: could you see it with Richmond in the early years of Terry Wallace’s reign?

As Herald Sun journo Jon Ralph wrote this week, “For his first two seasons at Punt Road he had a bare-bones recruiting staff led by Greg Miller, and no development manager until triple Brisbane Lions premiership player Craig McRae joined the club in October 2006.”

“Even yesterday he said the club’s lack of resources had never allowed him to flourish as a coach at Richmond.”

Wallace’s frustration also came out during his candid interview with Sam Newman on The Footy Show this week, saying he was not one to assume all the roles within a coaching department.

Just like the recruiters are there to recruit, and assistants are there to assist, in his mind his job as coach was to do just that – coach. It’s odd to hear now, with reports of a “bare-bones” recruiting team and the lack of a development coach, that despite playing such a crucial role, the resources around Wallace were scarce.

Ralph’s article drew a contrast, like so many others have over the years, with Hawthorn.

In a way it is a cruel comparison, as the Hawks have achieved success with a speed that no one in the game could’ve anticipated. But the two clubs were, nonetheless, re-building at the same time as each other, so it is fair game.

At the Hawks, high priority was given to installing the right people to surround their coaching appointment Alastair Clarkson. They brought in Damien Hardwick – now considered one of the top coaches-in-waiting – and Todd Viney – who has since been poached by Adelaide – as assistants.

Perhaps more crucially, there was a solid recruiting team in place during the re-building phase, something that was highlighted during the post-grand final euphoria of last year.

The Hawks’ general manager of player personnel and strategy Chris Pelchin summarized the club’s commitment: “We kept bringing back that 40-page document that had been presented to the board in 2005 and the guys stuck to it so well – whether it be the coaches, development staff or most of all the board – and you don’t build a premiership on one person.”

Executing their detailed plan required people power, something lacking not only in sides like Richmond, but even in perennial contenders.

Consider the premiership-starved Geelong of 2004-2006, as their development stagnated and slowly faded.

Despite some amazing recruiting – their highest draft pick was no. 7 – the club often fell short. 2004 will be remembered for the night the young Cats showed they could mix it with the big boys but agonizingly fell away in the final quarter of their preliminary final against the Brisbane Lions.

2005 will be remembered for the night Nick Davis went absolutely nuts.

2006 will be remembered for a somewhat more subtle heartbreak – they didn’t make the finals. That season prompted an in-depth review that saw the appointment of Neil Balme, plucked straight from the offices of the Lexus Centre, as general manager of football operations.

The reasoning behind the move was that Thompson was too burdened by fulfilling roles that didn’t involve coaching, and the load needed to be shared.

The experienced Balme brought with him a breath of fresh air. Whilst there was more to it than just one recruitment, providing Thompson with the support he needed was a key factor in the club’s remarkable turnaround.

Now this year, it is St Kilda enjoying being thrust into premiership contention.

They aren’t premiers yet – there’s still a long time between now and September – but if we’re talking about sides capable of winning a premiership, they deserve to be acknowledged.

The Saints’ major off-field change during the break was the introduction of former Geelong assistant Leigh Tudor. He and his experience have given the players, in particular the forward line he oversees, the leg-up they needed to take their game to a new, pressure-fuelled level.

It’s just another example of how off-field support can be the difference between success and otherwise.

And it’s something worth remembering now for Richmond, as they enter some form of re-building once again.

Thankfully, and perhaps ironically, some of the recruitment in Wallace’s latter years as coach hasn’t been too bad. Trent Cotchin, in the little we’ve seen of him, has shown tremendous potential.

This year’s crop of first-gamers – involving the likes of Robin Nahas and Alex Rance – are also showing promise.

In effect, the re-build is already well and truly underway.

For Terry Wallace, it has come a little too late. But for whoever inherits this team, so long as the stronger support continues, it could be the start of some much happier days at Punt Road.