Terry Wallace coached Richmond to snag Trent Cotchin
Mark Stevens and Jon Ralph | July 21, 2009 11:37pm
FORMER coach Terry Wallace did "absolutely nothing" in a game in 2007, knowing a win would cost the Tigers prized recruit Trent Cotchin.
As the AFL continues to deny tanking exists, Wallace told the Herald Sun last night he was compromised as the Tigers took on St Kilda in Round 22, 2007.
"It was a no-win situation for everyone in the coach's box," Wallace said.
"We decided the best way to operate was just to let the players go out.
"I didn't do anything. I just let the boys play. There weren't any miracle moves in the last couple of minutes."
Richmond led by nine points 12 minutes into the final term, but the Saints kicked the last three goals to win by 10 points.
Wallace stressed he did not tank, but the comments are the biggest revelation on the subject since Tony Liberatore claimed last year Carlton threw matches to get ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.
Wallace found himself in the insidious position of knowing the Tigers needed a loss more than a victory in the MCG clash.
Aware the club would be rewarded with Cotchin and a priority pick if it finished last, Wallace barely made a move.
But Wallace said the Tigers would not have come back from six goals down earlier in the match if he had been hell-bent on tanking.
Instead, he let the match take its natural course.
While his moves did not cost the Tigers the game, he did not make moves to win it either.
A reluctant Wallace did not want to comment on possible solutions or fuel the tanking debate, but said he could not "shy away" from the scenario he was thrust into.
The issue is set to be a topic of discussion at the AFL Coaches Association's October meeting, with coaches under increasing scrutiny for list management methods.
The confirmation of Wallace's "non-actions" came as Geelong coach Mark Thompson called on the AFL to consider changing its priority pick system if West Coast can win a premiership, then receive a priority pick within two years.
The Eagles' poor 2008 season gave them a priority pick at the start of the draft's second round last year, and if they don't win another game this season, they will be handed a prized choice before the first round.
Three other clubs -- Fremantle, Melbourne and Richmond -- are also in the running for priority picks this year, provided they don't win more than four games. The tanking speculation continues to undermine the competition's integrity, but AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou was emphatic on the weekend there would be no change to the system.
But Thompson told the Herald Sun the league should keep its options open.
"The league needs to keep an open mind to change things based on current circumstances such as new teams joining and teams such as West Coast going from Grand Finals to priority pick eligibility in a short space of time," he said.
Mark Stevens and Jon Ralph | July 21, 2009 11:37pm
FORMER coach Terry Wallace did "absolutely nothing" in a game in 2007, knowing a win would cost the Tigers prized recruit Trent Cotchin.
As the AFL continues to deny tanking exists, Wallace told the Herald Sun last night he was compromised as the Tigers took on St Kilda in Round 22, 2007.
"It was a no-win situation for everyone in the coach's box," Wallace said.
"We decided the best way to operate was just to let the players go out.
"I didn't do anything. I just let the boys play. There weren't any miracle moves in the last couple of minutes."
Richmond led by nine points 12 minutes into the final term, but the Saints kicked the last three goals to win by 10 points.
Wallace stressed he did not tank, but the comments are the biggest revelation on the subject since Tony Liberatore claimed last year Carlton threw matches to get ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.
Wallace found himself in the insidious position of knowing the Tigers needed a loss more than a victory in the MCG clash.
Aware the club would be rewarded with Cotchin and a priority pick if it finished last, Wallace barely made a move.
But Wallace said the Tigers would not have come back from six goals down earlier in the match if he had been hell-bent on tanking.
Instead, he let the match take its natural course.
While his moves did not cost the Tigers the game, he did not make moves to win it either.
A reluctant Wallace did not want to comment on possible solutions or fuel the tanking debate, but said he could not "shy away" from the scenario he was thrust into.
The issue is set to be a topic of discussion at the AFL Coaches Association's October meeting, with coaches under increasing scrutiny for list management methods.
The confirmation of Wallace's "non-actions" came as Geelong coach Mark Thompson called on the AFL to consider changing its priority pick system if West Coast can win a premiership, then receive a priority pick within two years.
The Eagles' poor 2008 season gave them a priority pick at the start of the draft's second round last year, and if they don't win another game this season, they will be handed a prized choice before the first round.
Three other clubs -- Fremantle, Melbourne and Richmond -- are also in the running for priority picks this year, provided they don't win more than four games. The tanking speculation continues to undermine the competition's integrity, but AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou was emphatic on the weekend there would be no change to the system.
But Thompson told the Herald Sun the league should keep its options open.
"The league needs to keep an open mind to change things based on current circumstances such as new teams joining and teams such as West Coast going from Grand Finals to priority pick eligibility in a short space of time," he said.
