Sent this to Vlad and Adrianna, wont make a difference but made me feel better........
Having supported the Richmond Football Club for 36 years and as a lifetime follower of the VFL/AFL I feel compelled to express my concern at the lack of equity in AFL policy. There is no denying that Richmond have nobody to blame but themselves for the current state of the playing list and the resultant on-field performance. The club has made poor decisions over a number of years, especially in the recent decade. Poor recruiting in the draft, looking for short term fixes in trading picks for mediocre players, holding on to players who were not up to AFL standard and failing to develop talent are but a few of many poor decisions.
Our current predicament is the fault of the club and that is acknowledged by any reasonable follower of the game. However this is no different to any club that has found itself in a similar situation over the last decade. Each of these clubs has been "rewarded" for their mediocrity by the AFL and most have in fact gone out of their way to ensure their results put them in a position to maximise the AFL's benevolence.
The AFL has set the precedent and now as a result of nothing other than unfortunate timing the Richmond Football Club is not being treated equally. Why should the club be punished for the same mistakes others have made and been rewarded for?
This is not asking for preferential treatment for Richmond, only for the same assistance given to other clubs. The team that finishes last should receive the same first pick in the draft others have received. A team that wins less than five matches should be given the same priority selection before the second round of the draft as others have received. A team that wins less than 8 matches over 2 years should be given the same priority pick before the first round of the draft as others have received.
The decision to introduce expansion clubs should have not mean that because of nothing other than timing Richmond is treated unfairly compared to other existing teams. Carlton were punished for salary cap rorting then rewarded with draft privileges. Melbourne made fools of the AFL last year in their endeavours to ensure they received the same benefits as Carlton. St Kilda have built a Grand Final team around priority picks.
It is a gross injustice that Richmond will not receive the same assistance.
Even worse than this gross injustice is the pig-headedness of the AFL in refusing to acknowledge this injustice. The unbending approach to the altered draft rules over the next couple of years clearly demonstrates the pig-headedness of this administration. The quote in The Age 4th May 2010 attributed to the AFL Chief Executive Officer highlights how far removed from reality the organisation has become.
Demetriou firm in his belief that to grant the club discretionary priority picks ''sets a very poor precedent for teams who've made mistakes in the past. That would be up to the commission, but I have to say it's unlikely to happen and I must add that Richmond haven't asked for any favours,''
To claim that granting Richmond discretionary priority picks 'sets a very poor precedent for teams who've made mistakes in the past' is laughable as the AFL is itself responsible for this precedent existing in having introduced the priority system. The mistakes made by Richmond are no different than those who have been rewarded by the priority system. To then go on and say 'Richmond haven't asked for any favours' is a pathetic attempt to try and deflect the issue. As the governing body of the competition the AFL has a duty of care to ensure that all clubs receive equal treatment and this is nothing but lip-service trying to deflect the inequality back onto Richmond. Possibly the most offensive part of this statement is the use of the word 'favours'. The implication being that to give Richmond a priority pick would be doing them a favour. No it would not, instead it would be maintaining the same standards that have been in place for a number of years.
Failure of the AFL to recognise the anomaly is embarrassing. Failure to act is downright reprehensible.
