Wallace apologises for Bulldogs past

[BulldogBelle]

Good article in the West Australian...

Wallace apologises for Bulldogs past
The West Australian
1st June 2009

Terry Wallace has apologised to the Western Bulldogs for the messy way he left the AFL club seven years ago, and is honoured he will get the chance to say goodbye.

Wallace used Monday's announcement that he had quit as Richmond coach to "right a few wrongs", and said he was sorry for how his first coaching stint ended, when he walked out on the Bulldogs because he had nothing left to give.

He will finish his coaching career on Friday night when the Tigers play the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium in a game that is bound to raise the emotions of players and fans on both sides.

Wallace coached the Bulldogs from 1996 to 2002, but ahead of the last game of the 2002 season he announced it was time someone else challenged the players as he had lost his passion.

Bulldogs president David Smorgon said at the time he felt betrayed at losing his coach with two years left on his contract, and decided against granting Wallace a farewell game.

The relationship between the pair deteriorated to the point where Smorgon warned rival clubs to be wary of Wallace should they ever consider him as coach.

Wallace, whose departure from Richmond seems far more amicable, said he had enjoyed "14 wonderful years" as player, assistant coach and then senior coach at the Bulldogs, but still regretted his "one horrible week".

He apologised to Smorgon, Bulldog players and fans.

"It was never my intention for it to go down the pathway it did," he said.

"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 those wounds will heal because I think it's a fantastic footy club."

An official from the Bulldogs said Smorgon was unavailable for comment, but that he had accepted the apology "unreservedly".

"We acknowledge Terry Wallace's contribution to the club over his six years as coach, four years as a player as well as his life membership," the spokesman said.

"However despite today's announcement, the club's focused on Friday night's game."

Wallace said initial legal constraints and then his position at Richmond had prevented him apologising to the Bulldogs earlier.

But he said he had followed the careers of the Bulldogs players he had recruited, and was pleased to get the chance to take a closer look this week.

"It will be my honour to have my last game against those guys that I drafted at the Western Bulldogs," he said.

"... we all make mistakes in our life and ... they weren't made for malicious reasons.

"But they certainly hurt a lot of people including myself."

Friday night's game will also pit Wallace against his long-time contemporary, Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade.

Wallace and Eade played together in three Hawthorn premiership sides, began their coaching careers in 1996 (Eade at Sydney), ended their first stints in 2002 and began their second stints in 2005.

[Born & Bred]

So "legal constraints" prevented Terry apologising to the Bulldogs. I think I have heard it all know.

[LostDoggy]

Don't care to be honest.

Let's smash them, and send Terry on his way.

[Mantis]

And there I was thinking Terry Jenner was the 'spin doctor'.

I have heard it all now.

[bulldogtragic]

It's this kind of unfelt BS that makes me more annoyed.

He could have made a genuine apology, tried to make a heart felt sorry. But he blamed someone else for his inactions. Typical Wallet behaviour.

[LostDoggy]

Good article in the West Australian...

Wallace apologises for Bulldogs past

"It will be my honour to have my last game against those guys that I drafted at the Western Bulldogs," he said.

.

What.

[LostDoggy]

Wallace apologises for Bulldogs past

"It will be my honour to have my last game against those guys that I drafted at the Western Bulldogs," he said.

What.

Nauseating isn't it. Can a comment be any more self serving.

[alwaysadog]

I need to start with a clarification. I don't admire much of what Wallace has done and said, but I don't think he made no contribution to the club and not all he says is just for the media.

He was under no compulsion to make a public apology to our club, in fact it was quite unusual for the retiring coach of another club to do so. I think he wanted to even out the ledger from his point of view, he has always been an emotional, complex character and having been elsewhere he was paying us a compliment by pointing out how much he admires us. Why do I say this? Well, in this case quite simply because I can't see how he gains from it.

I'm not sure that Wallace isn't genuine about his comments about liking the Bulldog players he "drafted". In fact over the last few years he has had plenty of time to watch them come to prominence and I'll bet he would have liked to have them available to him.

As coach he had a pretty good relationship with the playing group until close to the end. That he lost the confidence of significant members is part of the story of his leaving, and consistent with the view he expressed that he couldn't take them any further.

We may have thought he was saying they were no good but an equally plausible view is that he recognised that he had run his race with them. And after he left even those who had got past his style continually told coterie groups that without doubt he was a good coach.

[KT31]

Don't care to be honest.

Let's smash them, and send Terry on his way.

Have to agree, I hope we break our biggest winning margin.