Yesterday on SEN, Richmond’s football manager Dan Richardson gave an interview that may prove to be one of the most damning ever recorded.
Richardson said that the Tigers had several years ago decided to focus on acquiring mature players with the aim of fast-tracking their return to finals, while knowing that their decision to shift focus away from developing youth would ultimately prevent them from becoming one of the league’s top teams.
Richardson said that Richmond’s current woes were the result of this list management strategy. The team has appeared in three consecutive finals series, a state of affairs that Richardson described as “a terrific achievement” despite their failure to win any of their finals matches, but has now started 2016 with a 1-5 record that looks unlikely to improve soon.
“We’re paying a price in the sense that we knew that that mature-age talent would get us to a point but not take us to the next level, which was always going to be the hardest part,” said Richardson.
“While it’s been disappointing somewhat to not win a final, it’s been a good achievement to play finals for three years in a row for the first time for 20 years for the club.”
Why would Richmond take up this strategy, knowing it wouldn’t bring anything more than mid-table mediocrity? Why would any club?
“We couldn’t take eight years to rebuild. We needed to become competitive a bit quicker than that. But at that time all the best talent basically for the next four to five years was going to be going north (to Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney),” Richardson said.
“We’re seeing the likes of GWS reap the rewards of that now. Our strategy wasn’t just to go to the draft like a lot of clubs did because we knew that would probably take six to eight years and we’ve seen that with the likes of Melbourne.
“We didn’t think Richmond fans would accept an eight-year rebuild.”
In February this year before the season began, I talked a little about the state of Richmond’s list and suggested that their focus on acquiring and playing mature-aged players might be hurting their chances of becoming a premiership threat down the track.
That’s a trap plenty of clubs have fallen into unawares in the past. But to learn that Richmond did not fall into the trap but rather jumped in by choice is unpalatable.
Richmond fans have a right to feel aggrieved and insulted here. They deserve better. They deserve to know that everyone in their organisation is focused one sole task – bringing the club its next premiership.
I can only imagine what Tigers fans who have spent years pouring money into the club through memberships or the ‘Fighting Tiger Fund’ – established supposedly as “a critical platform to support sustainable success” – are feeling right now, knowing they were funding a football department determined only to take the team to the middle of table.
How must the playing group feel when they hear a message like that, not from some media pundit but their own football boss? How can they possibly be expected to play with any level of confidence or belief when the club has none in them? Who could blame them if they asked to go elsewhere come the end of the season?
The problems with the Tigers’ list right now are plain to see. While they do have a small handful of elite players – Alex Rance, Brett Deledio, Dustin Martin and Jack Riewoldt – that small handful does not make up for the failings of the rest of the list.
I will put my hand up and say that I had the Tigers in my top eight at the start of the year, but only because I thought their defensive game plan, executed so well in 2015, would grind out enough home-and-away wins to get them there.
However the changes in the game this season have seen teams who rely on defensive gameplans die off, with Richmond and Fremantle being the best examples of this. No longer can teams cover for a lack of talent by playing negative footy, and that is a development that looks to have closed the door on the Tigers as far as finals is concerned.
Even more concerning is the fact that Richmond seems to be a club divided at the moment, with a number of high profile individuals putting out wildly differing points of view about the list and the Tigers’ position in the competition.
While Richardson says that the Tigers have been left without the talent to take ‘the next step’, CEO Brendon Gale responded last night by saying Richmond’s list “has proven that we are more than capable and I still believe in the capability of our list.”
Damien Hardwick says Richmond are “just not good enough at the moment”, and agreed with a suggestion at his post-game presser on the weekend that his players are “probably” playing dumb football. Brett Deledio on the other hand last week said he believes the Tigers’ list can win a premiership. Talk about mixed messages.
What is the next step for the Tigers? Perhaps it’s time to bring in some sort of independent audit, through the AFL or a third party, to examine why so many key individuals cannot get on the same page. Keep the parts of the club that are working, and shuffle on those that aren’t – whether that means the players, the coach, the football department or the board.
One thing is for certain, there can be no more quick fixes, no more papering over the cracks. Whatever Richmond’s next step is, they have to commit wholly to the goal of long term success.
If they don’t then they will continue to offer their supporters nothing more than a ticket on the escalator to nowhere, a ride that inevitably ends in a messy, unpleasant fall.
hal
Guest
No attempt at humor just parroting what the callers on SEN are saying.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
No, pretty much 5th was where they were going to stay even if they lost that match and the other aunties didn't suddenly grow beards.
Milo
Roar Rookie
There are a couple of things here. A few of the team have definitely reached their ceiling and aren't getting better. Players like Chaplin, Hunt, Hampson, Morris spring to mind but there's more. You could even throw Ivan into the mix much as I hate to admit it, but he's definitely slowing. Astbury is slow, Houli still gets caught and chokes it up too much, McIntosh disposal often lets him down etc. And todays game IS more a quick movement through the middle but what this needs is a higher skill level to execute. And we don't have sufficient players to execute to a similar plan. So we're stuck with a list that's more used to playing a defensive type of brand where teams are chopping us up on the offense. So while that's not the players fault per se, its the type of players we have that is at 'fault' in this instance. That said, I agree with Benny G who said the other night there is no single particular reason and its a combination of things coming together which have left us behind.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Theres a lot of truth in that mattyb but whether you like it or not, the AFL is a direct follow on from the VFL competition. It was simply a name change at the end of 1989 with no clubs leaving or coming on board then. Its completely understandable that older Victorian clubs refer to their history and the fans who remember the pre 1990 times in order to generate support today. I agree the shift in following is occurring right now. It is clubs like Hawthorn that are building generational dynasties now. Collingwood had the benefit of the 1927-1935 years where so many supporters came on board then and brought generational support with them. But unless premiership success is emulated within say any given 20 year period today, its likely that todays 'now' generation becomes less engaged and more likely to follow winners if they follow footy at all given so many other options in which to spend their time.
Milo
Roar Rookie
Seems like you just have a serious grievance about the RFC mate. Seeing as your team has not lost to the Tigers since 2006 why the cynicism hiding in an attempt at humour?
Milo
Roar Rookie
The vitriol about Richmond Hal! What happened in a previous life - did a Tiger supporter cut your lunch or something? :) And the arrogance of KB? Seriously??? Surely you understand his tongue in cheek humour when he sends himself up? Or the deliberate out-there comments designed to open up debate about his favourite game? I've met the man and you couldn't meet a more generous, warm and funny person who genuinely cares about the people around him and the game that has shaped his life. But when he's serious he's a smart thinker of the game too and one of the, if not the first to flag the need for a serious reduction in I/C amongst other things. Catch him on Marngrook which is also a good footy show btw.
true blue
Guest
P.D: That is correct. It was a huge mistake for Carlton not to honor Waite's request for a two year contact extension. No wonder he walked out. It was also a mistake to get rid of Mitch Robinson as he provided plenty of grunt in the mid field.
hal
Guest
Hardwick must be sacked now! He is not a Richmond man. We need a past club champion to coach us. Mick Malthouse is available so we should pursue him. We should lure Sheedy back to the club. We should also get Neil Balme in. Brendan Gale knows what he is doing as he is tigers through and through; he bleeds yellow and black. We need K.B down at the club, he could be our new list manager. Jealous opposition fans will call him Mr Magoo, but let me tell you he is no Magoo, he tells it like it is. Prestia wants to come to Richmond. We should get Travis Cloke, as his dad played for the Tigers. Tomlinson would also be good. We do not need to rebuild as we have a top list, a team of champions who are poorly coached by an Essendon man. Send Hardwick back to Bomber land where he belongs. All we need is a new coach, Richmond old boys running the club, and GWS and Suns cast offs to top up our magnificent list and we will be playing finals in no time. Big four clubs do not need to rebuild, that is for loser clubs like St Kilda. Might I add Yarran is yet to play, he will give us plenty of dash off half back.
hal
Guest
Matty B: Totally correct. Richmond have done stuff all since 1980. They hang their hats on knocking over Essendon in a final in 1995 only to skittled by Geelong the following week and making a preliminary final in 2001. They live in the past (1960's, the early 70's, and 1980). These big four clubs always hark back to the VFL because they have nothing to show for themselves since the inception of the AFL. Richmond have not won one AFL premiership. Richmond are by far the worst of the four. Carlton have been a shambles but they have won some finals in recent years, the best Richmond could muster is an threepeat of losing elimination finals. What really bugs me is the arrogance of K.B (Mr Magoo) and co. Tick tock...we are a long way off Tiger time.
Simoc
Guest
No he's a pathetic person to have in seniority. Such a dumb thing to say. Basically telling the players they're not up to it but thanks for turning up. Richmonds problem has always been and continues to be the coach. He just brings nothing new to the table compared with all his contemporaries when first appointed. Like John Worsfold he is as predictable as a brick is oblong, and his players are good enough.
Chris
Guest
That sounds pretty spot on. Surprised though no one in the press has mentioned the deliberate out of bounds rule, from all the sidewards kicking Richmond do and go out to stoppages on the boundary this has completely changed how defensive football is played (eg Vlastin and the pinch win from Collingwood) Don't think we have adapted to this which is funny because when Hardwick first started coaching he had commentators mention that at a time when everyone is trying to emulate Collingwood's game plan under Malthouse, here is a coach doing a different thing and going up the corridor. I could only dream of Richmond being an arrogant and confident corridor team.
Pumping Dougie
Guest
You could be right Arky. Self-preservation is a strong human attribute. But if you are right and he made this remarks without the consent of club powers, there might be some brutal disciplining going on internally right now.
Arky
Guest
What incentives for tanking? You can't honestly look at Carlton or Melbourne and say there's incentives for tanking. Tanking is schmuck bait for people who think that drafting a couple of picks higher than they would do anyway is going to make up for creating a losing culture and messing up the development of their young players. When priority picks were automatic, there was an incentive because it was an extra pick and a great one at that. Collingwood and Hawthorn both benefitted highly from just one bad year because of that (meanwhile Scully and Trengove, Deledio and TAMBLING, whoops). Since they got rid of that I don't think there's any real incentive to it.
Arky
Guest
If not for North tanking round 23, Richmond would have been what, 8th? North's reserves were beating Richmond at half time for crying out loud, before North put the cue in the rack even further. That game's effect on the ladder ended up misleading a lot of people who weren't paying attention.
Arky
Guest
Pretty clear that Richardson is getting out ahead of any attempt to scapegoat him for Richmond's list woes by saying "Don't blame me, this strategy is what the club decided to do even though I knew all along it wouldn't get us to a Grand Final". Not in order to stay at Richmond, because he's just tipped a steaming bucket over Richmond, but in order to get another job in the industry. Surely some heads will now have to roll over this decision, though. Compare this strategy to North, which has pursued a premiership window over the past few years no matter how slender rather than tearing the whole thing down for a "someday" which may never come. Wouldn't you rather have not just North's present, but North's future with a bunch of excellent finals-experienced players 25 and under to provide the core for the next generations of draftees, while Richmond's equivalents have never won a final and the likes of Deledio and Jack Riewoldt are too old for another 5 year plan?
Arky
Guest
That was Dan Richardson smelling the wind, realising he was going to be made a scapegoat, and telling the entire industry "I didn't suck at recruitment- I carried out the strategy the club decided on".
Don Freo
Guest
Maybe Chris should consider procreating.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Yeah and there's talk they are going to go down the Travis Cloke path next! They just don't learn Richmond.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Actually, another factor too is that both Waite and Robinson are new dads. Maybe that's helped put a lot of life in perspective and given them a fresh lease on things. It's easy to sit back and carp at Richmond for trading pick 19 for Yarran, but if they'd started the season well we'd all be saying something totally different. 6 weeks ago no-one was saying their list was stuffed. Yarran is only 25 and has plenty of time to still prove he's got the skills that led to him being drafted as high as he was originally.
Milo
Roar Rookie
I think that's right Paul D, but he certainly had a lot of chances at Carlton and couldn't do it. Often its a case of the leopard doesn't change its spots. Id be happy to see him perform but it still irks me that we've given up pick 19 for him when we could've got young talent.