Sheedy launches bid for the Poisoned Chalice

Icon of AFL football and former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy this week threw his hat in the ring for the vacant head coaching position at Richmond. After repeatedly saying he was not in the running for the job, Sheedy stated his intentions on Wednesday after witnessing the Tigers insipid performance against the competition front runners St Kilda last Sunday.

One must ask however, who would want the poisoned chalice of AFL football?

Since Richmond’s last grand final appearance in 1982 the club has employed 11 senior coaches including current caretaker Jade Rawlings and the recycled 1980 premiership coach Tony Jewell for a second stint in 1985-87.

After burning through nine coaches in 18 years from 1982-1999 the club took a different approach in 2000 offering coach Danny Frawley a five year contract. The club continued this theme with Frawley’s successor Terry Wallace in 2005. Both appointments were designed to give the club the stability it needed to claw its way out of the hole it had created in the 80’s and 90’s.

So what has been the net result for Richmond’s efforts of the past 28 years? A winning percentage of 38% and 13 seasons with less than seven wins. A record that suggests whoever does take the reins at Punt Road has a challenge as great as any faced by an incoming AFL coach.

Whoever does take the job at Richmond for 2010 must remember one thing. Richmond has a habit of ending coach’s careers.

Of the 11 coaches who have held the position since 1982 only one has ever coached AFL football again. John Northey is the odd one out. After leading the tigers to their most successful season in 13 years, a contractual dispute resulted in Northey leaving Richmond to take up the position with the Brisbane Bears.

So where does this place Kevin Sheedy? What can he offer Richmond that others cannot?

First, it is experience; Sheedy’s career at the highest level has already spanned 40 years. There is very little that he hasn’t seen. He has been considered an innovator and proved he can build premiership teams from humble beginnings.

Second is success, quite simply Kevin Sheedy is a winner. As a player he was part of the most successful era in the history of Tigerland winning 3 premierships. As a coach he has a 61% winning record and has coached 4 Essendon premiership sides.

Third is familiarity, Sheedy knows the beast that is Richmond. Adding to his long relationship as a player at Richmond, Sheedy spent this year involved at the club in a marketing role, in a unique position to observe the current internal workings of the club.

Finally, Sheedy has nothing to lose. History shows that if a younger coach tries and fails at Richmond it most likely spells the end of their coaching career. If he is successful in obtaining the Richmond job, it would without doubt be Sheedy’s final coaching appointment anyway.

Some will cite the failed Alan Jeans experiment of 1992 as a reason not to appoint Sheedy. However, there is one big difference. Sheedy is chasing the job, not the other way around. Richmond coaxed a retired Jeans out of retirement hoping to witness a repeat of the glory days at Hawthorn. Kevin Sheedy does not need this job, yet he has a hunger to take the massive challenge on.

Perhaps it is time for Richmond to appoint the man they tried to woo back to Punt Road for so many years. They appear to have tried everything else.