Roast The Chronicles of Alan Richardson - Part II - Richo Resigns (16/07)

[Saint Watto]

It's a pretty interesting state of affairs amongst the supporters on here at the moment. This talk that the club will be close to folding if we keep Richo seems very over the top to me. To be honest the club is in a very good position at the moment having just moved to Moorabbin and having more members than we've ever had. Ok our list isn't the greatest and we've had a bad season but it's not ALL bad is all I'm saying.

We are not going to fold. Please everyone get that into your heads because if you're saying stuff like that then it's clear you've let your emotional response to Richo cloud reality.

X100 there lewdogs…….as I've said many times before.....Moorabbin will be the clubs "bedrock"

And seeing the subject of 2019 memberships is constantly brought up...….I can only advise on my "survey" that I've done over the last 2 weeks with Saints members that I know.

That's 13 members....two are in coteries....no one has blinked.

 

[Sir Skid]

 

[Saint Watto]

Despite coming off probably our 2nd-best 10 year period in the clubs history, our memberships had dropped off from memory and our "brand" had taken a beating from all the scandals (whether they were all our fault or not), so we really had to pull our heads in, and that meant pretty much only recruiting "choirboys" for a while.

When RTB jetted off to W.A.....the club was a smouldering train wreck......the fires were still burning when Watters drove up South road for the final time.

The club basically had to be rebuilt from the ground up.....we were in a horrible mess.

 

[StFly]

Sounds a lot like our list rebuild with the Cherries on top FA's. Just sayin

By all means, not saying it's the right decision, just saying it's what it seems like they're doing and it's still an OK decision in the grand scheme of things.

Club endures no matter what happens at this juncture.

Congrats for the personal naming calling. Disappointing. You can **** right off with that attitude.

Then perhaps answer a question before asking one, instead of coming off as entitled to a response.

Because then you get a condescending response.

 

[Saint Watto]

Not sure Carlisle and Longy could be called vanilla.

Absolutely....that was an outrageous call.....or should I say....oversight.

 

[triggering bro]

Wtf is a Beva?

 

[cartel]

Wtf is a Beva?

Bruce Eva. Radio announcer, pretty sure he's a life member of the club.

Used the present Beva After Dark on SEN back in the day.

 

[triggering bro]

Bruce Eva. Radio announcer, pretty sure he's a life member of the club.

Used the present Beva After Dark on SEN back in the day.

Let’s hope he’s on the money & the freckled campaigner gets the arse

 

[cartel]

Let’s hope he’s on the money & the freckled campaigner gets the arse

I reckon he'd have quite a few contacts in the club, he's a Saints tragic and actually a good media bloke as well.

 

[triggering bro]

I reckon he'd have quite a few contacts in the club, he's a Saints tragic and actually a good media bloke as well.

Froffage

 

[Dr Spaceman]

Wtf is a Beva?

One of these guys

 

[atlaser]

I gather you reckon the most appropriate response for a club with a $10m debt would be to sack the coach, incur a 10% increase in their debt and sit back thinking - job well done. That sort of action would guarantee one thing - a shift to Tassie.

Sorry but its a bit more complex than that.

The cost of keeping the coach on and prolonging this disaster is going to be a lot higher in more ways than money issues than cutting him loose. I doubt that it would cost 1 million bucks to get rid of him but if that's what it takes then so be it. Also it's laughable to suggest that St Kilda would get flicked to Tasmania less than 12 months after building a new 30 million dollar facility that the AFL helped bankroll because the debt increased from 10 million to 11 million. Would losing thousands of members and having another year go down the drain be worth saving some shekels on a payout?

 

[triggering bro]

One of these guys

Furry fandom?

 

[stfan]

"Transferable skills"

Andrew Bassat has never been an AFL club President - so is he unfit for the task.

Scott Morrison has never been a PM, does that make him incapable - sorry not a good example!!!

So but your two examples actually are in support of my argument, and not yours.

Bassat become a Club Director and then progresses to Club President.

SCOMO becomes a backbencher, then Minister, then PM.

Both are examples of a sequential track. Neither were left-field appointments.

 

[VDS66]

Good with numbers..

The folding talk is an interesting one. I for one don't see it as hysterical at all.

How many teams have put up with a re-build upon a re-build and how did they go? Well, Melbourne and Brisbane are the best recent examples. But let's focus on Melbourne because I believe the AFL treat Brisbane differently because they are a northern team and Brisbane also had some success not too long ago.

Melbourne got in Bailey to do the hard re-build. They also had Schwab and Connolly in the background. It was all going ok until the whiff of tanking came in and then the bottom fell out results-wise. Neeld came in who was the wrong coach at the wrong time and they plummeted further until the AFL basically stepped in to rescue them once the supporters and the footy community had pretty much given up on them. Before 2006, Melbourne and us had been pretty similar results-wise. A Grand Final appearance, some ups and some downs but ultimately unable to go all the way.

Melbourne weren't too far off folding and the main reason was that most of their fans had given up on them. Once that happens as a sporting club, you are in a lot of trouble.

Back to us and I believe we are probably 60%-70% on the way to where Melbourne ended up. We have all the dominoes in place unfortunately.

1. Recruitment/development: Tick. The chicken or the egg stuff. We are not only shooting ourselves in the foot often with this by simply picking the wrong kid but the young blokes that do come into this environment don't reach their potential. So high draft picks mean absolutely nothing.
2. Questionable leadership:Tick. There have been some wins for Finnis and co but the Richo extension and the position it has put us in threatens to overshadow things like the move back to Moorrabbin. The debt, while it is something that can be debated about, is still used to bash us over the head whenever the media want to and in the case of the Saints, perception equals reality.
3. Coaching: Tick. Sport's unforgiving. Especially to a team like the Saints. Get 2 appointments in a row wrong and you are in trouble. Unfortunately, we have done just that.
4. Fans jumping off: Tick. Most on here are rusted on fans. Some may say it's an echo-chamber. I don't buy that, I think there is incredible frustration out there with rusted on fans judging on our crowds. God knows what the casual thinks.

So in light of the above, could we fold? I think, we have one last chance to halt the rot above and not turn into Melbourne and that is to get rid of Richo. No one says it will be a quick fix but it is the most important cog in a football club to get the right person in charge of tactics and vision for the club. If we select wisely, it will also help develop the young guys better to be part of a better environment daily. We have Ratten in place now which is a start.

If we don't change the coach and the bottom subsequently falls out which it is very likely to do, I could see folding/relocation happening. The world is changing all the time. Once the rusted-ons lose faith, there'll be no one else to stop the rot if we have another 5 years of poor performances in front of us where promising kids are not developed.

Kids and teenagers are more into Fortnite/Ultimate team sports games now because they can actually have an influence on the results. They also have a choice of sports from around the world at their fingertips. The idea of investing time and energy on a failing club like the Saints in a relatively small league globally is hardly attractive to them. Can you blame them? Like I said, the world has changed and sports like the AFL are going to have to adapt. I predict there will be causalities and with us going through re-build on re-build at the worst time possible, we'd be a perfect candidate.

No way we fold. Wont happen.

Basset will eliminate debt within his tenure.

Stadium deal.

\New initiatives set to reward us handsomely.

Etc

Watch this space.

 

[Verdun66]

If true not that surprising one hand. So much unrest. But on the other hand it could set us back further believe it or not. We would honestly want to have someone red hot able to take over. Really don't think Ratten is the answer. Or choco. Ratten I keep hearing does not want the top job. So.....someone flakey to take over. Watters Mark 2. Caracella I keep reading also doesn't want the top job. Or doesn't think he's ready.

 

[stfan]

I dont recall Simon Lethlean, who hired James, being there when Bains and Cox were hired.
And Bains, who wasnt directly experienced in his role at the club, did a good job because his prior experience was still relevant in the role he played.

So based on where our list now is, you actually think Bains did a good job? If so why?


Remember too that Bains was hired many months before Pelchen.

 

[The Enemy Within]

People saying we’ll fold or relocate utter rubbish get a grip


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[VDS66]

Nice to see an inability to answer a question, then asking one because reasons?

It's very simple really, calling the review a crock, limited yes, but a crock, means that you are of the opinion that the club engaged in illegalities considering people got fired, because unfair dismissal laws.

What it appears to be, again from public information, because none of us know things, is;

Summers+Finnis+Lethlean lead football department review excluding X. It is a limited review considering there were exclusions in the department. This is Still fine without knowing terms.

Basset incomes to replace Summers moving forward, review terms can be reviewed considering potential change in terms of inital.

Basset+Finnis+Lethlean reopen reviewed review.

THIS IS ALL FINE.

Not desired, but it's still OK, people can breathe.

Now, you have an incoming president, this can also mean that incumbent board members can also change, and a change in this space can also mean anything previously amended, ratified and thought by the current incumbents can change.

You still with me or did I lose you at line 1 where you failed basic English to answer a question? Still here, good.

What this means is that everyone can still get the result they want.

You want a pony, you have a chance to get a pony.
You want a punch in the face, you have a chance to be punched in the face.
You want the status quo, you have a chance to have the same shit.
You want a chance you have a chance.

Now what I believe the current incumbents are doing, is keeping Richo for 1 season, changing underneath, reviewing next year and then changing the top should it fail since it's frankly easier to do and you only extend the misery by 12 months or less.

Now if you hate that decision and it turns out to be true, you have an AGM in 3 months with which to dispute that course of action, provided that you did not burn, cut, drown or emo your membership in the everything is horrible circular arguments occurring.

FTR, I give absolutely no shits if Richo stays or goes since he's gone next year barring a miracle and I'm patient. I've instead called out guys like Sexton and Cox and those above him as incompetent for the past 3-4 years, or in Sextons case the past 2.

Thanks for playing.

Saluted Fly man!

 

[Jade Buddha]

It's a pretty interesting state of affairs amongst the supporters on here at the moment. This talk that the club will be close to folding if we keep Richo seems very over the top to me. To be honest the club is in a very good position at the moment having just moved to Moorabbin and having more members than we've ever had. Ok our list isn't the greatest and we've had a bad season but it's not ALL bad is all I'm saying.

We are not going to fold. Please everyone get that into your heads because if you're saying stuff like that then it's clear you've let your emotional response to Richo cloud reality.

We have a long history of sacking coaches. Some part of me actually wants to see what Richo can do next year - he has said he wants us to be better and thinks we should be. If we sack him we will have a new coach but will it immediately fix everything? I just think a lot of people on here seem to WANT Richo to fail which is very bizarre because it means St Kilda is failing.

This idea that Richo is some conniving sadistic maniac hell-bent on personal gain at the expense of the club is utterly ridiculous too. I'm not sure he's the right guy to take us forward, but to suggest he is going to single-handedly bring down the club, again it's just over the top emotive nonsense. If he doesn't succeed next year then he'll be gone.

If he does succeed, we'll be happy, right?

Funny I just looked up Richo in the dictionary and it read "conniving sadistic maniac hell-bent on personal gain at the expense of the club".

 

[stfan]

People saying we’ll fold or relocate utter rubbish get a grip


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

The AFL's footy rights deal currently prevents that from happening.


However being good needs to be something that our club itself drives and achieves.

 

[pebblesofsand]

The cost of keeping the coach on and prolonging this disaster is going to be a lot higher in more ways than money issues than cutting him loose. I doubt that it would cost 1 million bucks to get rid of him but if that's what it takes then so be it. Also it's laughable to suggest that St Kilda would get flicked to Tasmania less than 12 months after building a new 30 million dollar facility that the AFL helped bankroll because the debt increased from 10 million to 11 million. Would losing thousands of members and having another year go down the drain be worth saving some shekels on a payout?

AFL gave us the money to build stuff, not to p*** it up against the wall paying out staff we hired.

If think otherwise you are comp!etely mistaken.

 

[VDS66]

Congrats for the personal naming calling. Disappointing. You can **** right off with that attitude.

Why? Because he asked a question and instead of answering you turned it on him. Not the first time either.

He called you out. Man up lol.

 

[Saint Watto]

I know SL is new and is here to change things. Let's hope he can beat the curse of the "Moorabbin Triangle!"

Also known as the dreaded Linton St Vortex Drake.

Many a good career has vanished in that vortex.

 

[VDS66]

Wtf is a Beva?

Given that Brazilians are all the rage these days, I can understand your question...