It started with a kiss ... of death ...
RICHMOND'S most recent premiership coach, Tony Jewell, has questioned the game plan and self-confidence of coach Danny Frawley.
To which Mal Brown -- on 1116 SEN -- graciously and fondly observed ...
"Tony is a braindead simpleton who -- if it wasn't for Richmond -- would have nothing in his life. He's the dumbest person ever to be involved in football."
Today -- not surprisingly -- there's more.
Patrick Smith ...
Richmond, home of the blithering idiots.
That's the kind part.
Mike Sheahan ...
What would have been a frank appraisal of a football club by a departing director on Friday grew into a giant incendiary over the weekend.
Skiving from her main gig -- potting the Dee Mons -- Caroline Wilson ...
Which raised the question at Tigerland yesterday: With friends like T. J., who needs enemies?
Worse news to follow, The Australian ...
Speaking yesterday from Europe, Tigers president Clinton Casey said Frawley's position was guaranteed.
"As a board, we are hugely supportive of Danny and we're on track for where we want to be," Casey said.
The Herald Sun ...
"Danny Frawley will coach Richmond until the end of the season. That position is quite clear with the club and Danny."
For those unaware of the intricacies of Footy Speak, allow me to paraphrase ...
"We totally support our coach ... the board is fully united behind him ... he's doing a fabulous job ... we'll be appointing a new coach tomorrow"
I NEVER exaggerate, so I stand by what I've said a MILLION times -- Frawley can't coach.
If you don't kick it to them, the Tiges can't get it. He has no idea how to make the play and relies almost entirely on the other team spraying it into their forwardline so the Tiges -- with an extra man back -- can play rebound footy. Schoolboy stuff.
The prediction.
PS: Product Alert: Tiger Talk Back. 3AW online after a Friday night fiasco when the Tiges have been flogged. Champagne Comedy.
Does TJ hold some kinda record as being the only dual winner of wooden spoons at two different clubs?
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/03/2004 at 06:45 PM
Your not wrong about Tiger Talk Back. That is gold.
Posted by: Scott Wickstein | 03/04/2004 at 01:22 AM
Ah, it's always a pleasure to hear of the Tigers eating their own so early in the season. Music to the ears of many a Carlton supporter, I'm tipping.
Is my memory failing, BR, but didn't Tony Jewell coach the Tiges to their last flag in 1980?
Also, any bets on how long before Richo blows out a knee or does his back?
Posted by: The Hack | 03/04/2004 at 11:25 AM
Hack - you're on the money - TJ did coach our (being a Richmond supporter) last premiership side in 1980 - and what a side it was .... those were the days.....
As a RFC supporter who doesn't have a background of constantly, or at the drop of a hat, bagging
the coach (though I made an exception with Robert Walls), I read TJ's comments and found myself agreeing with his assessment of Frawley.
Yes, Frawley seems to have little self belief, and yes, he seems to have no confidence in the game plan he sets out to put in place for the Tigers - and therefore changes tack pretty quickly and unnecessarily if things start looking ordinary early in a game.
But I also agreed with other things TJ said in the article - that Richmond's past recruiting has been shithouse and its only been in the last 18 months (since Greg Miller came on board) that things have started to change - but that's going to take until another 8-12 players who are deadwood are purged from our list at the end of 2004.
It's also true Frawley "doesn't have the cattle" as TJ said, so Frawley can't take the blame for all of this. The players on the paddock are shitful .... and many will be gone at the end of the season.
I also agree the delivery to Richo is shithouse (swap him and another forward from another club, and quickly watch the other forward's confidence and ability go downhill when Richmond players kick the ball at his feet or over his head about a dozen times a game), and agree that J Bowden is underachieving horribly.
Personally, until we get rid of some of this deadwood, we ain't going anywhere - Frawley or no Frawley. Shit, I'd be happy with 10 wins this year and a bit of rebuilding in the lead up to 2005.
Posted by: chris88 | 03/04/2004 at 12:08 PM
Answer my question, dammit!?
:)
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/04/2004 at 08:03 PM
Or maybe I will have to answer it myself...
Well, I found it damn nigh on impossible to find an VFL/AFL site that lists ladder positions and coaches over the years.
What I could glean from cross referencing about 4 different sites (and I may be totally wrong) is that Tony Jewell “won” wooden spoons for St Kilda in 1983 , and with Richmond in 1987.
Does anyone know of any other coach who has “achieved” a similar feat?
(And no, Hack, Chris: “Jewell won a flag for Richmond in 1980” is not a valid answer”.)
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/05/2004 at 01:35 AM
Big, I knew TJ coached the Saints to a woody, but although I knew he went back to the Tiges, I didn't know he ALSO did the deed there.
I think none other than the great Ronald Dale coached woody's at two clubs. Melbourne in 1981 and the Pinks in 1994.
Hack, did you see in the Addy, Tim McGrath bagging out Richo? And he doesn't even barrack for the Tiges.
Chris, the Tiges need a game plan. I see them as being a bit like Hawthorn, playing rebound footy. But I reckon the Hawks are smoke and mirrors, they don't get the ball on it's merits just like Richmond. Watch the other teams clamp down on Dennis the Menace ... err ... Sam Mitchell this year. He was their only close-in ball winner last year. Wallace will give them one, but it revolves around setting up the loose man. No good when the heat's on come finals time. Malthouse would stiffen them up, but it's debatable whether he could give them a cutting edge. They passed on Daniher in 1997 and went instead for the Geesh. Bad mistake. I think they need someone like Sheeds, Laidley or Lethal. Timing's everything though. Imagine if they'd taken Sheeds at the end of 1981 instead of Francis Bourke. Pity Melbourne didn't. They went for Barass instead. Ahhhh, hindsight. What about Rocket Eade? He's free and highly thought of.
Posted by: Tony.T | 03/05/2004 at 07:02 PM
Barass.
How could I have forgotten!
(If memory serves me correctly, he has the 2nd worst win / loss record of any premiership winning coach.)
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/05/2004 at 07:48 PM
According to this site...
http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=history&spg=chronology
...it seems he was appointed as RFC coach in 1986, won the SPOOOOOOOOON in 1987, and was replaced by Hungry Bartlett in 1988.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/05/2004 at 07:53 PM
Did'nt The Swans let Eade depart because they would'nt include him in their rebuilding plans last year? And Did this legend once play alongside Peter Hudson??
Posted by: Brett Pee | 03/06/2004 at 04:27 AM
Big, he would have been way up near the top if he didn't finish at Melb and the Pinks. Talk about "ruining your figures". I love it the way Hungry has refused to go back to the Tiges.
Yeah, Brett, Eade would have played alongside Huddo in 1977. I think. Maybe Eade started in 1978.
Posted by: Tony.T | 03/07/2004 at 10:37 PM
He could replace Worsfold if we have , as predicted , a dire season.
Posted by: Brett Pee | 03/07/2004 at 11:10 PM
TonyT.
I agree totally. Especially with regards to him going to the Swans.
Even though he unfortunately managed to win the spoooooon, he ultimately turned them around. They made The Granny only 2 or 3 years later(?)
And thanks for not taking the bait and not asking… Robert Walls is the worst "winningest" Premiership coach I can find.
Roy Boys, Bears, say no more.
... waiting for someone to uncover an obscure 1940s Premiership winning coach with a worse record.
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/07/2004 at 11:39 PM
Sounding rather pessimistic, Brett. I reckon the Eags over-achieved last season, but they'll still make the eight. All those home games will see to that. I reckon they'll finish 7 to 9.
Big, don't forget Wallsy was at the Tiges. I was there one night when Melb beat the Tiges in 1997. It was one of only four wins for the year. The Tiger ferrals near the coaches box nearly killed him. I think he was sacked that week.
Posted by: Tony.T | 03/07/2004 at 11:46 PM
Oh yeah, and I meant to mention, Barass was a good recruiter at the Dees too. We made the finals for the five years after he left. Not a bad efort considering we hadn't done so for 23 years. Just his name was enough to recruit players, pity his coaching style was ten years past it's use-by.
Posted by: Tony.T | 03/07/2004 at 11:48 PM
Bah!
Posted by: Big Ramifications | 03/08/2004 at 01:50 AM
Home or away, makes no difference to us. We will travel better this term i reckon- especially as i'm threatening to attend Melbourne game for 1st time ever!!!
Posted by: Brett Pee | 03/08/2004 at 04:04 AM
Second year coaching blues.
Posted by: Tony.T | 03/08/2004 at 11:53 AM
So, are the Lions going to prevail again? I bloody hope not, need a new face at the top this term.
Posted by: Brett Pee | 03/09/2004 at 06:21 AM
Danny Frawley has a game plan?
Posted by: Brett Pee | 03/17/2004 at 03:37 AM