Alan Richardson to Coach Saints

[bornadog]

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Alan Richardson will be installed as St Kilda's new coach on Thursday after the Saints lured the Port Adelaide assistant to Melbourne on Wednesday following two weeks of private negotiations with his manager Gerard Sholly.

Port Adelaide was left blindsided on Tuesday night after Richardson backflipped on an earlier statement and contacted senior coach Ken Hinkley at about 10pm to reveal he harboured an ambition to coach the Saints.

Richardson was holding talks with the St Kilda coaching panel on Wednesday night – a meeting widely regarded as a formal pathway to the senior coaching job. Although the Saints were still insisting no decision had been made, that was not the view held by Port after meeting Richardson earlier in the day.

Mark Williams, the other final shortlisted candidate for the job, spoke with St Kilda on Wednesday, although it is understood the Saints had not yet informed the Richmond senior assistant of their decision.

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As reported in Fairfax Media on Wednesday, Richardson had indicated he was not prepared to undergo a lengthy interview process with St Kilda having done so two years earlier and missed the job, which went to Scott Watters.

Richardson and Hinkley together contacted Port boss Keith Thomas shortly before midnight Tuesday and the trio met again at 7am on Wednesday, where Thomas made no secret of his displeasure at the process and the timing of the Saints' power play.

"It's a bit deflating," Thomas told The Age. "I am genuinely dismayed about the lateness of the process and the position it now puts us in. We will now get on with it and ultimately let it go. He (Richardson) understands that, he doesn't feel good about it but it's an opportunity he felt he had to pursue.

''Something clearly changed. He has assured us he was not talking to St Kilda prior to yesterday although his manager had been in regular contact and I think what it showed us is that he harboured ambitions to be a senior coach and that is something we could not compete with.''

The Saints never gave up on Richardson despite their genuine interest in Williams. It is understood the panel, which included club directors Andrew Thomson and Danni Roche along with football boss Chris Pelchen, had some concerns over some of Williams' mooted demands.

Richardson is one year into a three-year contract at Alberton and three weeks ago began negotiations with the club to extend his deal by a further two years. He recently returned from a Port Adelaide-sponsored leadership conference in London and had been planning to relocate his family to Adelaide for 2014 – a move which included booking his children into new schools.

''Today I'm not happy,'' said Thomas, ''but I can't be too critical. He's made his decision with his eyes wide open and St Kilda have got a good man.''

Richardson is expected to front the Saints group at next week's national draft on the Gold Coast and the following week fly with the players to train in Colorado.

He was first contacted by Pelchen shortly after Watters was sacked. On that occasion Richardson is understood to knocked back an informal request from Pelchen to place his hat in the ring for the coaching position.

Richardson is understood to have rejected overtures from both Essendon and Brisbane in recent months to present for those clubs' senior coaching jobs.

[Scraggers]

I don't begrudge Richardson anything ... He is probably very deserving of the role.

But me thinks this stinks of 20:20 hindsight !! As in ... 'Oops, we made a mistake picking Watters two years ago; can we go back for a Mulligan and pick our second choice Richo now?'

It's as if the pelican is trying make amends for yet another mistake !!

[Remi Moses]

Yep^^
Apparently Richardson had the gig two years ago, and the saints changed their mind the next day and picked Watters!!

[GVGjr]

Either candidate would have been a good choice.

[LostDoggy]

Port Adelaide was left blindsided on Tuesday night after Richardson backflipped on an earlier statement and contacted senior coach Ken Hinkley at about 10pm to reveal he harboured an ambition to coach the Saints.

Blindsided? Really? He applied for the job only two years ago. Surely someone at Alberton said, “Um, you thinking of having a go?”

Mark Williams, the other final shortlisted candidate for the job, spoke with St Kilda on Wednesday, although it is understood the Saints had not yet informed the Richmond senior assistant of their decision.

Oh well Choco, when they sack Richardson in 2015 you're a walk-up start.

As reported in Fairfax Media on Wednesday, Richardson had indicated he was not prepared to undergo a lengthy interview process with St Kilda having done so two years earlier and missed the job, which went to Scott Watters.

...

The Saints never gave up on Richardson despite their genuine interest in Williams. It is understood the panel, which included club directors Andrew Thomson and Danni Roche along with football boss Chris Pelchen, had some concerns over some of Williams' mooted demands.

I read that as “Williams is too expensive and we've just sacked the guy who beat you two years ago, but do you want to coach us anyway? We like your price.”

He was first contacted by Pelchen shortly after Watters was sacked.

So, like Brisbane, they had no real alternative coach in the pipeline when they sacked Watters.

I don't begrudge Richardson anything ... He is probably very deserving of the role.

But me thinks this stinks of 20:20 hindsight !! As in ... 'Oops, we made a mistake picking Watters two years ago; can we go back for a Mulligan and pick our second choice Richo now?'

It's as if the pelican is trying make amends for yet another mistake !!

It's bloody brilliant. They just go from woe to woe so effortlessly. Great viewing.

[Remi Moses]

David Koch has come out swinging .
I see his point about the " lateness" of the appointment.

[bornadog]

David Koch has come out swinging .
I see his point about the " lateness" of the appointment.

Not sure why he would stop an assistant from taking the senior role. Its a great opportunity for Richardson which he may never again have.

[LostDoggy]

Not sure why he would stop an assistant from taking the senior role. Its a great opportunity for Richardson which he may never again have.

Business. I'm guessing they think it's going to be incredibly hard finding a replacement at this stage.

[bornadog]

Business. I'm guessing they think it's going to be incredibly hard finding a replacement at this stage.

The one thing I do agree on with Koch is the bloody Saints have no consideration for anyone, sacking the coach at this stage of the pre season and drafting period. Surely they should have sacked Watters after the season end.