Refreshing honesty.

There is a fine line for athletes, especially team players, between speaking their mind and going all enraged rogue.

A lot was in Chaplin’s delivery, his timing and his established respect as a Richmond leader, but it was refreshing to hear a player speak outside prepared and worn-out sporting cliches.

For a Richmond supporter, Chaplin’s words reinforced he understood their ongoing pain and struggle between passion and frustration for what is served up on the field.

“Dimma can’t kick the footy for us,” Chaplin said of the mounting pressure on Tigers coach Damien Hardwick, and, on player accountability: “We’ve got to grow up and act like men.”

But what Chaplin said, and how he said, can translate across all levels of sporting codes.

Chaplin did not storm into Monday’s press conference ranting after the Tigers’ loss to North Melbourne in Hobart, their third-straight loss this season. He spoke of costly mental lapses, time to develop young players coming through the ranks, and the ability to play clean football or risk getting burnt in such a close competition. 

These are issues that affect all sporting teams. Chaplin even said all groups go through lulls but what was important was how you responded and banded together as players to work it out.

All coaches and player leaders will reinforce this theory.

But when asked if he was angry, did he feel like he was churning out a similar spiel every Monday, Chaplin said “yes” and detailed why.

Refreshing honesty.

There was neither yelling nor finger-pointing at individuals, just calling on full-team responsibility.

It was a much more measured approach than the heart-on-his-sleeve stuff fellow Tiger Jack Riewoldt served up early last year before his self-imposed media ban for being misportrayed.

Of course, “spewing” was the golden term picked up by the media and really came at the tail end of Chaplin’s press talk.

Chaplin’s real test is on Sunday against Collingwood at the MCG. He must lead by example. He must back up his big statements. He must show how he responds and muster each and every teammate to follow suit. Or else, his credibility falters and it starts to merely look like he is carrying on.

No team or athlete likes losing. As supporters we demand that, at the very least, our athletes give their all. 

Often, this is not enough to claim victory – that requires all players being on the same page.

This city’s marquee basketball team Ballarat Rush did just that to snap a six-game losing streak last week. Rush

had promised speed, aggres-

sion and excitement leading into the season and were open in the fact they all failed – coaches to players – to deliver this on the court, despite all being desperate to do well.

New combinations and new plays took time to click – after frank, positive and constructive player and coach discussions.

State league football team North Ballarat Roosters is working through this process now.

The Roosters have one win on the board but must recover from two consecutive losses in excess of 80 points.

Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald gathered all players, supporters and staff before dot points on a white-

board in the rooms at Punt Road last week. Each dot point detailed why they could turn their form around – and how quickly they could make this happen.

Ranting and raving is an old-school technique that really achieves little more than humiliation and short-term fixes.

This new honest style – psychologists may refer to as labelling your feelings – teamed with constructive conversation can work wonders.

So before you Tiger fans contemplate another bout of frying your membership cards in the microwave, remember how quickly and strongly your team can respond.

Chaplin spoke about turning points. He spoke about how Richmond wanted that turning point now and how it was truly possible for the club to achieve that ambition now.

Richmond pulled off the improbable by storming into the finals on a nine-game winning streak – the only way it stood a chance in securing a finals spot.

And so, Tiger faithful, let there once more be hope.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au