Disgruntled fans and insurrection: Why the Blues in crisis should look to Richmond

The Age

5 days ago

Disgruntled Tiger people hatched plans for possible insurrection at the Malvern Hotel. Another group put together a clumsy ticket to challenge the board, in what shaped as Richmond's comedic faction-riddled answer to the Judean People's Front from The Life of Brian.
Hopes had been raised and then seemingly levelled, as with the 2025 Blues. Many wanted Damien Hardwick sacked. Or someone to go.
Richmond's firm response to this foment was led by their chief executive Brendon Gale and the board headed by president Peggy O'Neal.
That pair revisited 2016's tumult this week, offering observations of what had transformed the Tigers – winning the flags in 2017, 2019 and 2020 – and how they had delivered their message to the frustrated faithful during the troubles.
Gale and O'Neal were willing to offer perspectives on what they had seen – and some principles on how clubs deal with their version of 2016's failure – but were quick to say they wouldn't offer advice specific to Carlton, not knowing the intricacies of the Blues.
That said, if there is a template for Carlton – especially in the realm of managing themselves and the incensed masses – the Tigers of 2016 are arguably more fitting than the Geelong of 2006 or other examples of clubs that looked inward, made surgical change, and prospered.
'You have to stay united in the bad times,' said O'Neal, who is chancellor of RMIT, referring to clubs in Richmond's position during the 2016 downturn.
'Once you've made up your mind that what you're doing you is what you think is right – like we thought Damien [Hardwick] was the coach and we thought he needed two years to prove it, and we gave him that – and so we weren't doing to resile from that just because the pressure came.'
Gale completed a review, which saw Hardwick retained and a raft of changes made around him – Neil Balme arrived to head the football department, Blake Caracella and Justin Leppitsch joined a revamped coaching panel, who had also been bolstered by new VFL coach Craig McRae.
The players shared stories, as 'vulnerability' and embracing imperfection became buzz words. Dustin Martin became the game's match-winner nonpareil.
Gale and the board had known that there might be a dip in 2016, an assessment that prompted them to double-down on Hardwick, rather than questioning him.
'We just felt on the way we defined success, he was making a lot of progress,' said Gale. 'Let's double down now ... we had faith in him. Through that period of '16, there wasn't any discussion about the coach at all.'
Hardwick's scenario then, thus, is unlike that of Voss, whose position appears uncertain, as Gale's counterpart Wright – the incoming rather than long-time CEO – weighs up the nature of how the football operation will be revamped.
One could observe, too, that Carlton's playing list has less depth, leg speed – and leadership – than Richmond's of that period, though they have a similar foundation of A-graders.
The most striking similarity is the backdrop of a 30-plus year drought and of the fed-up supporter base. Carlton's, if anything, seems more agitated than the Tigers of '16.
If there was one message to be gleaned from the Richmond leadership's – and which the Blues can take away – it was that the board was willing to ignore the hysteria, and empower the management to make rational calls.
'We had a really strong board, who was able to ignore the noise and absorb all the pressure, and just focus management's attention on the things that really mattered,' recalled Gale, now ensconced as the Tasmania Devils CEO.
'The fact is that while we had a tough year, we'd built up a body of work. We'd made finals three years in succession, so there was something sustained about our program.
'But I think through the strength and composure of the board, which gave us a sense of strength and courage, we were able to make evidence-based decisions rather than the footy-led, reactive and...populist decisions.
'That was the big difference.'
The message from O'Neal's board to Gale was, in his words, 'Let's not waste the opportunity, let's go and analyse and understand why. Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water because on the way we measure success, we've done a lot right.'
Crucially, the Tigers had extended Hardwick's contract by two years before 2016, having spent months assessing him and his position.
'The players really liked him. They wanted to play for him. But there was something that needed to change,' said O'Neal.
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'That's when we started the review in 2016 ... it wasn't in response to the people who were saying 'Get rid of the board, get rid of Damien' ... because we'd started it well before then because we said 'There's a really good chance we'll go backwards next year, 2016'.
'Another important thing is that the board didn't splinter in any way. And we made this decision.
'Did we think that 2017 would turn out as well as it did? No. We thought it would be better. There was a better attitude and atmosphere.″⁣
The president reckoned Gale's stature as a past player enhanced the broader Tiger family's trust in the hierarchy.
'I think they could tell positive things were happening. I think there was a lot of trust in Brendan.'
Change came. But it wasn't the traditional Richmond response of jettisoning the coach.
'A lot of people had to think about what they were doing and adjust,' said O'Neal.
'At the time we were also trying to get Dion Prestia. There was a lot of activity behind the scenes – and sponsors saying, 'If you leave, we're going to take our money, we're not going to continue the sponsorship ... if Brendon's going to go and you're going to be thrown out, we don't know that we want to be a sponsor.''
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O'Neal said the messaging to supporters and public had been consistent, and agreed upon. 'A lot of it is just constant communication about what you're trying to do. And making sure that it is consistent, that you all agree, but not to get ahead of yourself.'
Carlton's solution to their downturn won't ape Richmond's. Voss isn't Hardwick. Patrick Cripps is older than Cotchin of 2016, and there's no Dusty, Dylan Grimes or Shane Edwards at the Blues.
Making the right calls, based on careful analysis rather than sating supporters and remaining unified, is the major takeaway from those who rescued Richmond.