St Kilda coach Alan Richardson has described a post-season review from Jarryn Geary as “relentless”.
As part of a leadership conference he attended in the US in November, Richardson was required to ask for honest feedback from leading club officials, staff and players.
He admits that what he received from captain Geary left him feeling disappointed.
“It was a bit like a punch in the face,” Richardson told the Herald Sun. “He was quite strong, really blunt.
“He told me, coach, you focus too much on what we can’t do as opposed to what we can do.”
However, Richardson made it clear that he was not disappointed in Geary, but rather himself, for the mistakes he made during the 2018 season.
“Even though I had review and feedback from the players, it makes it more confronting when someone puts pen to paper and particularly the feedback that came from the captain,” he added.
“This part of your coaching, the focus on what’s going wrong and what we’re not doing, was a little bit relentless. It disappointed me.
“The feedback didn’t disappoint me. I was super-impressed, particularly with the players. But I was disappointed in me. That is one of the beauties of just getting away, just to be able to reflect on how you’re going.
“My feeling was disappointment. I didn’t get the balance right.”
Richardson said the honesty that came from Geary is simply part of the ethos of the Saints leader and only strengthened the bond between captain and coach.
“'Gears' is one of the more impressive people I’ve met in football,” he said further.
“He’s an absolute ripper. He’s tough, honest, he cares for his mates, cares for his footy club.”