Get off your high horse Caro!

[Bennnny]

Caroline speaks because she cares.

She usually has facts in hand when she speaks.

As fans we should be ropeable that the club that we love has been so ineptly led.

As fans we should be ropeable that the club that we love has fallen so far over so long a period.

As has been said many times Richmond is the Former Republic of Yogoslavia held together by Marshall Graham Tito Richmond.

Since then we have descended into being run by different fiefdoms a la Croatia, Serbia and on the change of leadership we have had ethnic cleansing.

We have had the AFL (United Nations) trying to help but we have insisted on running our agendas.

Brendan Gale, Gary March and co have started to run things properly behind the scenes.

Getting all the factions together to unite. The off field issues have to be sorted so that we become a united club that the players can have confidence in.

It may be time for a tell all book on what has gone on at Richmond. Get rid of the demons that have plagued the club for far to long.

In a sense we have to burn it down so we can rebuild. And demolishing the social club, the meeting place of all the factions may be a great start.

 

[Mappa]

It is very interesting to hear Caro go on about the club in this way. One could say that it was her fathers' fault that we have ended up in this state, he was president when we went into full attack on the Collingwood playing list after they recruited Cloke and Raines. This whole vendetta issue started us on the slippery slide and we have never looked like recovering until now.

In fact it is this large debt, a lack of money, and a failure by the club to realise that they could not go on being run with a seventies and eighties mind set that is still causing us problems today.

The game of football went from a primative train hard, recruit everyone on form fours and you will win premierships to a scientific based, skill driven sport and we kept trying to do it the old way.

As for the line in the sand yes its time particularly for us supporters we can not do anything about the past we can only CONTRIBUTE to the future, and in that regard we can do it in a positive or negative way it is your choice.

If we want our club to be a success we can not burden March, Gale and Hardwick with the past history of the club. They must be given the stress free space to do their jobs in a positive and progressive way, if we are to improve and once again become competitive.

We are the ones who carry the scares, but in a way we need to take a Nelson Mandella view, in that to move forward we must forgive the sins of the past and live each day helping us and the club succeed, not looking to pull down everything that is put infront of us.

We may not be great on the field, but what i see in March, Gale, Hardwick and the team is a professional, logical, balanced and focused team.

I for one thing for the first time we have actually realised what it takes to be successful in todays football and have put the bricks in place to ensure this happens.

I ask myself what can I do? We need money in the bank to eliminate debt and allow us to continue to add skilled personnel to our coaching and development teams. So i think i'll start by buying another membership just for the hell of it.

And as for Caro and anyone else for that matter.....we will have our day in the sun.

 

[TOT70]

It is very interesting to hear Caro go on about the club in this way. One could say that it was her fathers' fault that we have ended up in this state, he was president when we went into full attack on the Collingwood playing list after they recruited Cloke and Raines. This whole vendetta issue started us on the slippery slide and we have never looked like recovering until now.

In fact it is this large debt, a lack of money, and a failure by the club to realise that they could not go on being run with a seventies and eighties mind set that is still causing us problems today.

The game of football went from a primative train hard, recruit everyone on form fours and you will win premierships to a scientific based, skill driven sport and we kept trying to do it the old way.

As for the line in the sand yes its time particularly for us supporters we can not do anything about the past we can only CONTRIBUTE to the future, and in that regard we can do it in a positive or negative way it is your choice.

If we want our club to be a success we can not burden March, Gale and Hardwick with the past history of the club. They must be given the stress free space to do their jobs in a positive and progressive way, if we are to improve and once again become competitive.

We are the ones who carry the scares, but in a way we need to take a Nelson Mandella view, in that to move forward we must forgive the sins of the past and live each day helping us and the club succeed, not looking to pull down everything that is put infront of us.

We may not be great on the field, but what i see in March, Gale, Hardwick and the team is a professional, logical, balanced and focused team.

I for one thing for the first time we have actually realised what it takes to be successful in todays football and have put the bricks in place to ensure this happens.

I ask myself what can I do? We need money in the bank to eliminate debt and allow us to continue to add skilled personnel to our coaching and development teams. So i think i'll start by buying another membership just for the hell of it.

And as for Caro and anyone else for that matter.....we will have our day in the sun.

I couldn't agree more. Well said.

Just ont he point of buying another membership, did anyone catch the Dermie nonsense over the weekend/ last week he pontificated about how he would tear up his mmebership card if HAwthorn lost to Essendon. When asked about it after the game, he said something along the lines that it won't be a big deal because he buys 8 memberships every year and he will just get in on another one.

No wonder they have 52,000 members and an average home game attendance of about half that.

That might have been what Jeff Kennett was writing on the whiteboard after the game: the full names and addresses of their actual members.

 

[Jack]

I thought everything she said was about right.

Anyone who thinks we are not in a terrible terrible position right now and can turn it around easily are fooling themselves.

In my posts, I have been very positive about the direction the club is heading. I have also been very realistic about where the club is now.

But the situation is going to only get worse before it gets better. We will only win one or two games, or quite possibily no games this year. Next year will be the same.

Our clean out is only half done. We still have 5 or 6 list cloggers to delist at seasons end ( we all know who they are like Simmo etc ) and, some tough decisions to make on some younger players who might not make it, or be worth keeping ( like Tambing, Edwards etc ).

We will make another huge amount of changes to the list at seasons end, and in 2011, be even younger, smaller, thinner, less experienced than this year.

And because we can't get any good draft picks, it is going to be massively hard to rebuild fast.

So you think is is tough times now? Well get used to it. They are set to last a while yet. Sorry to break it to you if you haven't realised it till now.

And, because we are stuffed on field, the club is going to find it hard off field. Selling memberships, getting sponcers etc is going to be tough too.

If people like Carro can publically make people aware of our current situation and plight, then good. I am glad to hear that the AFL are concerned for us, rather than not giving a stuff.

I just hope we put a submission at least to the AFL for draft help. If we don't get it, then fine. But we should at least ask.

You just can't pretend we don't need help, or be too proud. The club has stuffed up over and over for years, and is well and truely paying for it now. Clubs like Carlton were not too proud not to win wooden spoons to help themselves despite their pround history. We should do what we can too to help ourselves.

 

[Tigerbob]

It is very interesting to hear Caro go on about the club in this way. One could say that it was her fathers' fault that we have ended up in this state, he was president when we went into full attack on the Collingwood playing list after they recruited Cloke and Raines. This whole vendetta issue started us on the slippery slide and we have never looked like recovering until now.

In fact it is this large debt, a lack of money, and a failure by the club to realise that they could not go on being run with a seventies and eighties mind set that is still causing us problems today.

The game of football went from a primative train hard, recruit everyone on form fours and you will win premierships to a scientific based, skill driven sport and we kept trying to do it the old way.

As for the line in the sand yes its time particularly for us supporters we can not do anything about the past we can only CONTRIBUTE to the future, and in that regard we can do it in a positive or negative way it is your choice.

If we want our club to be a success we can not burden March, Gale and Hardwick with the past history of the club. They must be given the stress free space to do their jobs in a positive and progressive way, if we are to improve and once again become competitive.

We are the ones who carry the scares, but in a way we need to take a Nelson Mandella view, in that to move forward we must forgive the sins of the past and live each day helping us and the club succeed, not looking to pull down everything that is put infront of us.

We may not be great on the field, but what i see in March, Gale, Hardwick and the team is a professional, logical, balanced and focused team.

I for one thing for the first time we have actually realised what it takes to be successful in todays football and have put the bricks in place to ensure this happens.

I ask myself what can I do? We need money in the bank to eliminate debt and allow us to continue to add skilled personnel to our coaching and development teams. So i think i'll start by buying another membership just for the hell of it.

And as for Caro and anyone else for that matter.....we will have our day in the sun.

Probably the best post I have ever read on this or anyother Richmond forum.

Brilliant, couldn't agree more.

 

[Barnzy]

And, because we are stuffed on field, the club is going to find it hard off field. Selling memberships, getting sponcers etc is going to be tough too.

I think that's incorrect. We had a terrible year last year and still managed to get 41,000 members this year as well as sponsorships. Probably because Richmond get more exposure than any other club, despite the results.

 

[Tigers of Old]

So you think is is tough times now? Well get used to it. They are set to last a while yet. Sorry to break it to you if you haven't realised it till now.

And, because we are stuffed on field, the club is going to find it hard off field. Selling memberships, getting sponcers etc is going to be tough too.

Well said as usual Jack.
If Caroline Wilson wants to be productive she should look forward and encourage fans to show support during this very tough time.
Currently however her energies are wasted in looking back and writing about Cousins social activities. :spin

 

[IanG]

I think that's incorrect. We had a terrible year last year and still managed to get 41,000 members this year as well as sponsorships.

Can't be complacent though.

Just on March, KB and Patrick Smith discussed that very issue this morning with Smith taking the view that Caro should have included March if she was going to have a go at Casey et al.

 

[IanG]

If Caroline Wilson wants to be productive she should look forward and encourage fans to show support during this very tough time.
Currently however her energies are wasted in looking back and writing about Cousins social activities. :spin

If her aim is to put pressure on the AFL to provide some draft concessions then I would call that productive. Besides with the Cousins issue I reckon she has ended up being largely right, she was just wrong in some of the detail where she made assumptions.

 

[tigerjoe]

Maybe I didn't make my point clear to start with.

Caro made out that the future of the RFC was in jeopardy. That we are in such dire straits that we may not get out of them.
That despite Hardwick and Gale and the club's vision, we are terminally ill.

My point was that she is right to blame Wallace, Miller etc they are the culprits.

But this club survived 1990's SOS and despite being a basket case on the field, finally has it's off the field matter's in place to rectify the on field.

And with the support of it's magnificent loyal members will come out of this sooner rather than later.

The Hawks were going to be an incredible dynasty 2 years ago, they now sit with us on the bottom of the ladder, as do adelaide who were flag favourites for some this year.

It might be early days but Freo have turned the corner, can you believe that?

The saying a week is a long time in football is forgotten way too quickly

 

[Jack]

I think that's incorrect. We had a terrible year last year and still managed to get 41,000 members this year. We also managed to keep or get new sponsors, probably due to the fact Richmond gets more exposure than any other club, no matter our results.

True. But I would say we have done a good job this year to achieve those things.

But it will be very hard to repeat next year. Especially if we don't win a game ( or only one game ) this year.

We will get a poor draw marketing wise ( no Fri nights etc ) and therefore find it very hard to attract sponcers and members etc.

Its getting to a point where it is embarrassing to have anything to do with Richmond. Sponcers want exposure, and to be linked to winners.

As for supporters and members, it just has to be hard to retain them. I have heard many people in their 30's and 40's say it is hard to keep their kids Richmond supporters ( me included ). My oldest ( aged 7 ) started to cry at qtr time Sunday. She just said ' dad we can't even kick one goal '. What can I say to her? She loves footy, but feels embarrassed to be a RFC supporter. I also feel like letting her changed clubs, because it was the same for me when I was a kid, and I don't want her to go though what we have all been through. ( But it won't happen, she will stay a RFC supporter )

My wife and I were talking in bed last night after FC and saying how it just seems like all the RFC supporters have given up. We were saying how in years gone by supporters would be angry and flooding talk back demanding answers, and heads to roll.

But is dosen't happen now. I think it is a combination of supporters understanding our current situation, and just plain being over it. We have been there done that so often. We have been angry, but just can't be angry any more. It is more just depression these days ( thats how I feel too )

I just think it will be very hard for the club to attract new supporters, and keep all the ones we have now. If they can, then good work, and credit to them for that.

Having said all that, one day, one day far away, our club will be a very exciting club when the wheel starts to turn. We will again have the appeal we once did because of our passion.

 

[Mr Magic]

Caro was simply self promoting her article that appeared today. She cares more about her job and what that requires her to do than she will ever care about Richmond.

 

[Tiger74]

Well said as usual Jack.
If Caroline Wilson wants to be productive she should look forward and encourage fans to show support during this very tough time.
Currently however her energies are wasted in looking back and writing about Cousins social activities. :spin

personally i thought the afl being worried about us, and the implications that brings, has a lot more relevance for us today than revisiting the past.

good post oldie

 

[Barkdog]

it's looking likely that we will get pick 4 this year and probably 4 & 6 next year if I'm not mistaken. So it's really imperitive that we pick 3 guys that are going to better than handy, 10 year type players with these picks. As well as develop the decent kids we have now....

 

[Baloo]

We are the new Fitzory, we are a sh!t club (and maybe for the next 2 to 3 years), we got ourselves in the mess, we are a basket case, I hate it, & I'm embarrased.

No, we're a *smile* team at the moment. The club is in way better position than Fitzroy ever was. There is a difference.

 

[B1 and B2]

I watched a bit last night and heard what she said last night..

[size=10pt][size=10pt]Whats wrong with this woman!!![/size][/size]

Richmond have admitted they have got it wrong over the past 10 years...

They are working on it and it will take time. What part is it that she finds it hard to understand..

Does she think it is going to change in a pre season??

We will be very ordinary on field for the next 2-3 years and yes Caro we still may make mistakes but hopefully less.

Now leave us along Caro and stop always hunting for things that Richmond fans and people already know...

We are a strong club and do not need people like you. Will be interesting if we can get a couple of wins together soon what she has to say..

Move on Caro and find another club that will put up with your trash talk..

Richmond will not bite at you as we are better than that..

:clap B2

 

[Tiger Crikey]

It is very interesting to hear Caro go on about the club in this way. One could say that it was her fathers' fault that we have ended up in this state, he was president when we went into full attack on the Collingwood playing list after they recruited Cloke and Raines. This whole vendetta issue started us on the slippery slide and we have never looked like recovering until now.

In fact it is this large debt, a lack of money, and a failure by the club to realise that they could not go on being run with a seventies and eighties mind set that is still causing us problems today.

The game of football went from a primative train hard, recruit everyone on form fours and you will win premierships to a scientific based, skill driven sport and we kept trying to do it the old way.

As for the line in the sand yes its time particularly for us supporters we can not do anything about the past we can only CONTRIBUTE to the future, and in that regard we can do it in a positive or negative way it is your choice.

If we want our club to be a success we can not burden March, Gale and Hardwick with the past history of the club. They must be given the stress free space to do their jobs in a positive and progressive way, if we are to improve and once again become competitive.

We are the ones who carry the scares, but in a way we need to take a Nelson Mandella view, in that to move forward we must forgive the sins of the past and live each day helping us and the club succeed, not looking to pull down everything that is put infront of us.

We may not be great on the field, but what i see in March, Gale, Hardwick and the team is a professional, logical, balanced and focused team.

I for one thing for the first time we have actually realised what it takes to be successful in todays football and have put the bricks in place to ensure this happens.

I ask myself what can I do? We need money in the bank to eliminate debt and allow us to continue to add skilled personnel to our coaching and development teams. So i think i'll start by buying another membership just for the hell of it.

And as for Caro and anyone else for that matter.....we will have our day in the sun.

This is the best post I have read and it is great to read something
that has so much factual meaning. I don't think you should invest in another membership ticket again. :welcome :gotigers

 

[IanG]

I watched a bit last night and heard what she said last night..

[size=10pt][size=10pt]Whats wrong with this woman!!![/size][/size]

Richmond have admitted they have got it wrong over the past 10 years...

They are working on it and it will take time. What part is it that she finds it hard to understand..

No offence but I reckon you are not understanding her. As has been said in this thread she was not having a go at the club. If anything its part of a campaign to benefit the club.

 

[B1 and B2]

No offence but I reckon you are not understanding her. As has been said in this thread she was not having a go at the club. If anything its part of a campaign to benefit the club.

Thanks Ian, maybe l should stop flicking stations. On the couch to Classified..

Or maybe l just do not like her..

B2

 

[Tigers of Old]

If her aim is to put pressure on the AFL to provide some draft concessions then I would call that productive.

Not it's not. She is just pushing her agendas again.
AFL handouts clearly is not the direction that the club has chosen to take. Caros wants us to go looking for them.
She may even be right but we need the club to be united and look ahead and that means putting faith in those in charge to do their jobs uninhindered.
Wilson however wants us to go in a different direction which may or may not be in our best interests. That's not constructive IMO.