28 June 2003 Herald Sun
THE media couldn't get enough of Danny Frawley during 2002.The big bloke with the homely Irish head was every journo's dream assignment. He was coach of a major AFL club and ever so obligingly made himself available on request, carrying his heart on his sleeve in all appearances.
He had an opinion on anything and everything and was perfectly located in the middle of town, too. The problem, though, was Frawley's Richmond didn't enjoy a great year in 2002. Third in 2001, 14th the next. Honeymoon over.
Between seasons, the club took what the coach calls a helicopter view. Result: Frawley the recluse. No, he says, he hasn't been gagged. Simply, there's a more appropriate structure in place since Greg Miller's arrival as director of football and Greg Hutchison's move from the coaching box to the office of football manager.
Frawley happily has confined himself to coaching, and post-match media conferences and the minimum number of appearances at other times.
Even when the Tigers raced to 6-2, he maintained his silence. Happier than ever. Finally, he agreed to speak to me on the record and at length during the break. He had a couple of scores to settle, too, and let me know along the way.
I could sense he was a trifle edgy, that he had been encouraged by Miller and company to front up. In the end it was Frawley as I've come to know him: talkative, disjointed and passionate. We have had a healthy relationship over a long period, and, hopefully, it survives. It will from this end.
I don't have a problem with him eyeballing me and letting me know he sees me as a Richmond basher. Or, chiding me for making so much of Greg Stafford's style of play.
Coaches go to bat for their club, their players; critics have a more dispassionate view.
They're opinions; we've all got them, and we're all entitled to them.
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Where have you been? You're football's Howard Hughes? Look, I've probably done too much media in the past. We decided at the end of the year (2002) that I'm to talk on footy issues, anything on-field. I think I got away from that last year, doing too much.
Now we've got (director of football) Greg Miller, (football manager) Greg Hutchison talking about injuries, anything to do with off-field.
There's no gag on Danny Frawley. My domain is to talk about team performance. Once a week before the game, after the game.
Last year I was probably doing two or three before the game and it was far too much. There was no doubt, if there was an issue to do with Richmond, "wheel Danny Frawley out". There was no doubt it was out of whack. Too much.
I don't want to be seen to be commenting on, you know, how many people the Russians send into space. It interests me, but I don't want to be seen to be commenting on those type of things. It's not in my jurisdiction.
My total focus is about our team and our list and making sure our supporters can go to a game of footy knowing that the Tigers are going to be a competitive bunch out on the ground and that any team that plays Richmond know they're going to get a contest.
I totally believe at the end of last year people would have said 'No, you won't get a contest out of Richmond'.
That's the major step forward this year.
Was the media thing your call or Greg Miller's?
That was my call. We took a helicopter view of our year and the common denominator was that my head was in the media too much.
So, your initiative or someone else's?
It was a club initiative, yeah.
I think there's no doubt I learnt a hell of a lot from last year. I'm a lot better in that area.
THE media couldn't get enough of Danny Frawley during 2002.The big bloke with the homely Irish head was every journo's dream assignment. He was coach of a major AFL club and ever so obligingly made himself available on request, carrying his heart on his sleeve in all appearances.
He had an opinion on anything and everything and was perfectly located in the middle of town, too. The problem, though, was Frawley's Richmond didn't enjoy a great year in 2002. Third in 2001, 14th the next. Honeymoon over.
Between seasons, the club took what the coach calls a helicopter view. Result: Frawley the recluse. No, he says, he hasn't been gagged. Simply, there's a more appropriate structure in place since Greg Miller's arrival as director of football and Greg Hutchison's move from the coaching box to the office of football manager.
Frawley happily has confined himself to coaching, and post-match media conferences and the minimum number of appearances at other times.
Even when the Tigers raced to 6-2, he maintained his silence. Happier than ever. Finally, he agreed to speak to me on the record and at length during the break. He had a couple of scores to settle, too, and let me know along the way.
I could sense he was a trifle edgy, that he had been encouraged by Miller and company to front up. In the end it was Frawley as I've come to know him: talkative, disjointed and passionate. We have had a healthy relationship over a long period, and, hopefully, it survives. It will from this end.
I don't have a problem with him eyeballing me and letting me know he sees me as a Richmond basher. Or, chiding me for making so much of Greg Stafford's style of play.
Coaches go to bat for their club, their players; critics have a more dispassionate view.
They're opinions; we've all got them, and we're all entitled to them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Where have you been? You're football's Howard Hughes? Look, I've probably done too much media in the past. We decided at the end of the year (2002) that I'm to talk on footy issues, anything on-field. I think I got away from that last year, doing too much.
Now we've got (director of football) Greg Miller, (football manager) Greg Hutchison talking about injuries, anything to do with off-field.
There's no gag on Danny Frawley. My domain is to talk about team performance. Once a week before the game, after the game.
Last year I was probably doing two or three before the game and it was far too much. There was no doubt, if there was an issue to do with Richmond, "wheel Danny Frawley out". There was no doubt it was out of whack. Too much.
I don't want to be seen to be commenting on, you know, how many people the Russians send into space. It interests me, but I don't want to be seen to be commenting on those type of things. It's not in my jurisdiction.
My total focus is about our team and our list and making sure our supporters can go to a game of footy knowing that the Tigers are going to be a competitive bunch out on the ground and that any team that plays Richmond know they're going to get a contest.
I totally believe at the end of last year people would have said 'No, you won't get a contest out of Richmond'.
That's the major step forward this year.
Was the media thing your call or Greg Miller's?
That was my call. We took a helicopter view of our year and the common denominator was that my head was in the media too much.
So, your initiative or someone else's?
It was a club initiative, yeah.
I think there's no doubt I learnt a hell of a lot from last year. I'm a lot better in that area.
. 
