Smorgo says....
Sorry, but no mercy
The Herald Sun
Mark Stevens | June 02, 2009
WESTERN Bulldogs president David Smorgon is adamant the club will not have an "ounce" of sentiment for Terry Wallace in Friday night's farewell at Etihad Stadium. The Dogs yesterday accepted Wallace's public apology for an acrimonious walkout seven years ago, but the club is hellbent on spoiling the party.
"We will be doing everything we can to make sure he goes off losing a footy game against us," Smorgon said.
"There won't be one ounce, 1 per cent or one centimetre of emotion as far as we're concerned at the Bulldogs.
"It's a very important game for us and it's critical we beat Richmond for the second time this year and get the four points."
Wallace left the Bulldogs two years into a four-year term at Whitten Oval in August, 2002, causing a bitter fallout.
After making an announcement the Tuesday after Round 21, Wallace wanted to coach a farewell game against Collingwood at the MCG, but the move was vetoed by the players.
A leadership group of 11 players, including now Richmond player Nathan Brown, voted unanimously to deny him the opportunity and Peter Rohde stepped in as caretaker.
The ill-feeling has lingered among some at Whitten Oval and the bust-up clearly affected Wallace, who addressed it yesterday in a Kevin Rudd-like "sorry" moment.
"I'd actually like to go on public record of apologising to the Western Bulldogs fans and to David Smorgon and the playing group for the way that that last week worked out," Wallace said.
"It was never my intention for it to go down the pathway that it did but I've got to say, my kids grew up at that club, I've got some of my greatest friends that I've had in the game at that club and I hope somewhere along the line that those wounds will heal because I just think it's a fantastic footy club.
"I had 14 wonderful years at the Western Bulldogs and one horrible week."
Smorgon said he had spoken with Wallace three to four times face-to-face since the ugly departure, which involved innuendo that Wallace had struck a deal to coach Sydney.
But Smorgon and Wallace have never addressed the exit. "We've never talked about that last week," Smorgon said.
He said Wallace, who coached the Dogs from mid-1996 to 2002, deserved credit for the apology.
"On behalf of everyone at the Bulldogs, we would unreservedly accept," Smorgon said.
"You need to be of a certain character to apologise for anything publicly in this day and age."
Wallace's departure came on just the 10th day of Campbell Rose's successful tenure as Dogs chief executive.
Rose last night said he welcomed the apology, but said the focus was all about winning on Friday.
"We acknowledge his apology, but we have moved on from that," Rose said.
"Terry's resignation means nothing from our point of view. We are after the four points," Rose said.
Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said it would be business as usual despite the Wallace factor.
"It doesn't change anything for us. We just want to cement the momentum we gained on the weekend," Eade said.
"We will be just trying to get the four points and sticking to our own processes."
