Oppo Camp Graham Wright (Once loved, now loathed).

[TheGreatGrundy]

The board has a long list of alarmists and hysterics, and Kirby isn't on it.

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask some questions about why the bloke at the helm of out footy dept won't be at the helm for 6 months, and what the implications of that might be.

The notion that there's not really anything important for him to do during a footy season seems naive.

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But if Kirby is having a nervous breakdown then I think we should be supportive.

So it's finally revealed - he is having a nervous breakdown. Can we run with that then as the reason behind his 6th months sabbatical?

 

[Fat Jesus]

That’s simply not true mate.

A large part of his job is done in the actual season. He is the football manager and our list manager.

During the season proper he runs the football department which is a massive task. Even more importantly he is list manager and that involves an ongoing responsibility for monitoring players of interest and their contract status.

For instance, this board is generally excited about having a crack at Bailey Smith. That’s going to take a lot of work behind the scenes. He won’t be here to do that.

I can see your point of view brother and agree with you.
He'll be back fresh, fit and firing. We will get a better version of him if that is at all possible. I think he has hit a wall, feeling burnt out from years in the AFL system.
A 6 month break will do him good.

Importantly he will still be available to give advice.
I'm doubting we will go after Bailey.
Perhaps someone like JUH or even Darcy would be my preference and I also doubt we can land one of them.
Naughton would be a possibility I reckon.
Not sure though of his contract situation.
I would have been livid if Wright had retired.
The main thing is he will be back.

 

[Doc1763]

He has said he and his wife want to tour through Europe, before they get much older. Having been there a few times now, I can confirm its a lot easier to get around at 55 than 65.

The best time to go to Europe, unfortunately, is during our football season.
The Club are OK with it. We have enough competent people there now that we can cover him for 6 months.
That's all it is, 6 months. And its not as if he's just dropped this on the Club now, he's been discussing it with Ned for a while.
All this talk about his role mustn't be too important if he can take 6 months off after only being here 2-3 years, and boo-hoo poor Wrighty needs some time off is just ridiculous, childish and selfish.
The Club has changed. We are now an inclusive, family orientated club that actually cares about its people, be they players or off-field staff.

 

[jathanas]

I can see your point of view brother and agree with you.
He'll be back fresh, fit and firing. We will get a better version of him if that is at all possible. I think he has hit a wall, feeling burnt out from years in the AFL system.
A 6 month break will do him good.

Importantly he will still be available to give advice.
I'm doubting we will go after Bailey.
Perhaps someone like JUH or even Darcy would be my preference and I also doubt we can land one of them.
Naughton would be a possibility I reckon.
Not sure though of his contract situation.
I would have been livid if Wright had retired.
The main thing is he will be back.

I suspect the same. We're speculating here but he's been doing the same job for a long time and got to the age where he might be reflecting on what the next chapters look like for him.

Any work can get stale, especially the cut-throat environment of top level sport.

Hopefully a 6 month break helps him find his mojo.

Life > football.

 

[Bianconeri]

The main concern is in terms of a recruiting perspective, this is the time to be fostering relationships with opposition players. He’ll also miss the MSD.

At the end of the day though, if Wright needs a break he needs a break.

What are the alternatives? Force him to work until he quits? Sack him to get someone else?

I think Wright going on leave is preferable.

 

[jathanas]

He has said he and his wife want to tour through Europe, before they get much older. Having been there a few times now, I can confirm its a lot easier to get around at 55 than 65.

The best time to go to Europe, unfortunately, is during our football season.
The Club are OK with it. We have enough competent people there now that we can cover him for 6 months.
That's all it is, 6 months. And its not as if he's just dropped this on the Club now, he's been discussing it with Ned for a while.
All this talk about his role mustn't be too important if he can take 6 months off after only being here 2-3 years, and boo-hoo poor Wrighty needs some time off is just ridiculous, childish and selfish.
The Club has changed. We are now an inclusive, family orientated club that actually cares about its people, be they players or off-field staff.

What would be your thoughts about Fly taking 6 months off during the season?

EDIT: I support the notion of letting people go if they feel a need to take a break but the realities of the caper would force limits on how far the club can go with that. GW is too important to lose so if he needed the break then the club had to comply else it ran the risk of him retiring from his role.

 

[jathanas]

The main concern is in terms of a recruiting perspective, this is the time to be fostering relationships with opposition players. He’ll also miss the MSD.

At the end of the day though, if Wright needs a break he needs a break.

What are the alternatives? Force him to work until he quits? Sack him to get someone else?

I think Wright going on leave is preferable.

I think the club took this same pragmatic approach and I'm glad they did.

 

[Occidental]

People can pretend whatever they want. I'm currently pretending we're on leg one of a fourpeat.

You can say we've got a massive hole, you could say there's a big opening for Wrights colleagues. It's all true.

Make of it what you want. There's definitely huff going on, no need for it.

If the clubs comes out and says "we're ****ed, game over for the foreseeable future" that doesn't help.

Len Smith (bro of Norm and maybe his brainstrust) was coach of Richmond, invented tall wingers. He died, his inexperienced and inarticulate assistant got the job [rolleyes] people forsaw a trainwreck and they won 4 flags. Tommy Hafey was a legend born of a disaster.

We don't know what this is, support and not doomsaying help the club in my view.

Tommy Hafey was never Len Smith’s assistant.
Smith suffered a heart attack early 1965 and stood down as coach.
Richmond appointed club stalwart Jack Titus to coach the remainder of 1965.
Hafey at that time was coaching in Shepparton.
Hafey then got the job in 1966.
Len Smith suffered a second and fatal heart attack mid 1967, missing Hafey’s first flag by a few months.

 

[Doc1763]

What would be your thoughts about Fly taking 6 months off during the season?

Good question!! Clarkson took time off last year when everything going on got too much for him. If someone needs time off, they need time off.
The Wright situation is obviously not ideal, but people and their families come first, regardless of what what their job is, or what industry they are in.

 

[Markfs]

So when the 6 months is up there is a chance he will then add paid paternity leave to it all! And after that? Will there be more?

well there are some agreements where you accrue leave while you are taking paid parental leave....he might have the right to take further leave if he can show that he is the main carer of the newborn....so he'll have to put the wife to work...its a complicated issue, GG, he might be gone until 2040

 

[Markfs]

People can pretend whatever they want. I'm currently pretending we're on leg one of a fourpeat.

You can say we've got a massive hole, you could say there's a big opening for Wrights colleagues. It's all true.

Make of it what you want. There's definitely huff going on, no need for it.

If the clubs comes out and says "we're ****ed, game over for the foreseeable future" that doesn't help.

Len Smith (bro of Norm and maybe his brainstrust) was coach of Richmond, invented tall wingers. He died, his inexperienced and inarticulate assistant got the job [rolleyes] people forsaw a trainwreck and they won 4 flags. Tommy Hafey was a legend born of a disaster.

We don't know what this is, support and not doomsaying help the club in my view.

dont let the truth get in the way of a good story....

How the Hafey legend began

In October 1965, one of the most significant events in Richmond’s history took place . . . the appointment of former player Tommy Hafey as the Tigers’ coach.

www.richmondfc.com.au

 

[Doc1763]

What would be your thoughts about Fly taking 6 months off during the season?

EDIT: I support the notion of letting people go if they feel a need to take a break but the realities of the caper would force limits on how far the club can go with that. GW is too important to lose so if he needed the break then the club had to comply else it ran the risk of him retiring from his role.

This is true. The Club would have to decide if the specific role the person filled could be covered by others or not. The role of senior coach would obviously be different than GW's role in that regard. In this case, the Club are comfortable that GW can be covered for 6 months, and so should we be.

 

[Markfs]

if geoff walsh had asked to take leave for 3 minutes leave, I would have said, take 3 decades if you like mate...

 

[Apples]

I have to say it did seem a rather odd decision when news came through. I got the news when I was at a Christmas party last night. My first reaction was that there was something wrong.

Has he promised his wife this once in a lifetime holiday for many years only to put it off time and again?
Is his wife ill and is this the best time to go?
Is GW himself ill?

The thing is, we don't really know. We've been told he's taking a break and that the club will cover his absence as best it can.
We have many full time and part-time people who can work to cover his absence. Ned will be one of those. He has a big job as CEO but will probably be more than happy to get involved in the contracts side of things. Do we really believe he had no input last year? It's his bread and butter.

There's never a perfect time for a DOF to take leave, so we will cover the absence and move on. I hope they have a great six months in Europe - imagine having the time, inclination and means to do that? Good on them.

And Graham, if you happen to be reading this, when staying at any of those glitzy, resort-style destinations, "Never trust the gays."

 

[petrie pie]

I can understand the angst about him wanting a sabbatical after 2 years, but I would much prefer a fit and refreshed Wright after a 6 month break than losing him altogether.

He with the massive help of others have turned around the fortunes of the club in 2 yrs almost unheard of but they have,since joining we have a flag and but for a couple of goals could have 2 just fairytale stuff really.

I am not sure I like him going away all season but we are in the very fortunate position of having very strong leaders to help us in this 6mths break what I do not want to see is it being a transition from the Wright era to someone different, that is to avoided at all costs.

 

[Cyclops]

dont let the truth get in the way of a good story....

How the Hafey legend began

In October 1965, one of the most significant events in Richmond’s history took place . . . the appointment of former player Tommy Hafey as the Tigers’ coach.

www.richmondfc.com.au

Thanks for the correction, my fading memory had Hafey as Smiths assistant.

 

[Apples]

if geoff walsh had asked to take leave for 3 minutes leave, I would have said, take 3 decades if you like mate...

I would have been first in line to roll out the red carpet.

 

[petrie pie]

What would be your thoughts about Fly taking 6 months off during the season?

EDIT: I support the notion of letting people go if they feel a need to take a break but the realities of the caper would force limits on how far the club can go with that. GW is too important to lose so if he needed the break then the club had to comply else it ran the risk of him retiring from his role.

It is a no brainer really, Fly has just had 2 months off so he is fine for a few more yrs but Wright has made a massive difference to the clubs operations and I would be loathed to lose him.

When he came here we were a laughing stock but now they fear what we could become, from top to bottom we are 1st class operation brilliantly run,led and coached and most of that would not have happened without Wright.

It was the best news ever when we heard he was coming home and just looked at our change of fortune since since, he moved Nathan on and we brought a brilliant replacement in and great new CEO.

Whatever Wright wants to do as long as he comes back with fire in the belly for another decade I am good with,incidentally who would be much better than Ned for knowing what is going on players so we are very fortunate in that regard.

 

[Mostfamousclub_Pies]

His specific role is more important in the off season.

Debatable

 

[WalterBlaknWhte]

LOL 76 seems someone can't let of Ed hate never mind you like most of us have moved on the others can stew in their own juices as much as they like.

Come back jonbe!

I got excited thinking you had returned then I saw the time stamp

We could trade JB1975 to Nick’s for you

Throw in Kirby as a steak knife

 

[Mollythedolly]

The main concern is in terms of a recruiting perspective, this is the time to be fostering relationships with opposition players. He’ll also miss the MSD.

At the end of the day though, if Wright needs a break he needs a break.

What are the alternatives? Force him to work until he quits? Sack him to get someone else?

I think Wright going on leave is preferable.

As Covid has shown us, it’s very possible to work remotely. Wright can still continue to have discussions with player managers etc via email and video calls while the grunt work can be undertaken by his team in consultation with him. I’d assume elements of what he already does is actually done that way. The discussion over his leave is a bit over the top.

 

[sr36]

However, this leaves a massive whole to fill. How can this be denied?

It can be denied because if it is whole, it is already complete and shouldn't be filled.

 

[Markfs]

It wont be until the season starts and develops that we'll find out whether people at the club have grabbed the premiership cup and are now sitting back on the couch taking it easy....It's wonderful to hear the bruzzmeister say that the whole club is hungry but you have to wait to see whether they'll scramble over hot coals to get to the tucker....The wright thing might be a bad thing or it might open up opportunities so that we're not reliant on handful of people.

It's time for BF to put their predictions in writing so that they can brag about their knowledge in 12 months time....

 

[Vicky Park]

I tend to agree with Kirby.

When I first saw this, I thought WTF?

Wright is the architect of our success. He set it all in motion. He got us ‘sorted’.

I don’t begrudge him a break, even a long break, but six months and effectively the whole of next footy season?

The only thing keeping complete panic at bay is the faith I now have in the club and its management. Have to hope they have this under control and well planned. But it’s not ideal.

 

[Markfs]

It can be denied because if it is whole, it is already complete and shouldn't be filled.

you're not going on leave, are you? We need to keep some experienced people...