Alan Richardson’s off-season trip to India helping the St Kilda coach keep perspective
A MEDITATION retreat in the Himalayan foothills isn’t your usual off-season destination but Alan Richardson credits it in last week’s nailbiting win over Fremantle.
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WITH five minutes remaining against Fremantle last week, there was some “confusion”.
Things were tied up and tense, but a calmness in the coaches’ box went a long way to winning St Kilda the four points, according to St Kilda coach Alan Richardson.
It’s a byproduct of an 18-hour journey taken almost a year ago that is still having an effect.
At the end of last season, Richardson travelled to Rishikesh, an Indian city in the Himalayan foothills home to temples and ashrams.
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It was a long way from Seaford.
The coach — already considered one of the more calm and collected — engaged in an intensive meditation course.
But there was so much more than that, and it’s one that he believes is now helping on game day.
“I think it’s helped with my footy — but you’d have to ask someone else really,” Richardson said.
“It’s being able to stay calm and composed and yet still be challenging, and not get overly emotional.
“We have such good people around us at footy clubs now, or we certainly do at the Saints, and on game day … the weekend’s game was a great example of that.
“We had a little bit of confusion with five minutes to go, so we made the call after discussing that (Adam) Kingsley — who is a really experienced assistant — should go down on the bench and try and have an influence on something that was happening through the midfield and he did a really good job.
“I reckon if everyone is going off their head in the box and you’re not calm and calculated, you’re a chance you can miss those things. We’re far from perfect, but that’s an example of being as composed as you can under pressure, can potentially make a difference.”
The trip also brought perspective.
It’s the “couple of per cent” it has added to his psyche that makes all the difference, Richardson says — to how he reacts or thinks about a situation.
“It was not so much the course that I did that was about meditation — it was equally about where I was in this town of Rishikesh in India — it was just an amazing place,” he said.
“It was just so easy to be inspired by people that lived in the town. They had nothing, but were just as happy as someone that has everything. It was a brilliant situation to find yourself in.”
Bang for buck is not all Richardson wants in football at the moment, but it’d help.
In recent weeks, St Kilda has borne criticism for its goalkicking after being dogged by inaccuracy.
It is 171.201 for the season so far — putting the Saints among the lowest handful in the league.
But Richardson is adamant that one size does not fit all and knows things are about to change.
“It’s more ‘what works for this fella and how can I make him comfortable?’,” Richardson explains about the approach being taken at Seaford.
“That’s not dissimilar to what our boys are trying to do with our players. It’s an area that we would like to get right, but the reality is that we’re doing the work. There’s not much more we can do on that now — that will just come.”
Some Saints benefit from countless shots in front of the sticks, others need to not do too many or it’ll seep into their psyche.
That’s the art of it, Richardson says, for his goalkicking “gurus” Aaron Hamill and Ben McGlynn.
“It’s individual — that’s my take. Some guys don’t need to have as many shots, and if they have too many shots and it becomes too much of a focus — as opposed to just being relaxed and staying in the moment and kicking the ball, that works for some guys.
“Other guys need to be really focused on the moment. I think that’s one of the challenges for coaches and coaching groups … when it comes to the individual work, that’s coaching. They’ve got to try and work out what works for those guys individually, both mentally in terms of their prep and also technically.”
Arresting its accuracy woes aside, St Kilda has two jobs tonight.
The clash with Richmond — albeit a fourth v eighth blockbuster that presents grand opportunity for the Saints — is a “special” one, according to Richardson, who says his players not only want to cement their spot inside the top eight, but also play in a certain way.
Former skipper Nick Riewoldt “wants the guys focused on the game and focused on the footy” as the Saints turn Etihad Stadium purple in honour of his little sister.
It’s “Maddie's Match”, and Richardson said the occasion isn’t lost on his players.
“It’s obviously an amazing cause and a cause that is so close to someone that we all love, and that is Rooey,” he said.
“You can imagine the group of blokes that are just wanting to do the right thing and play in a manner that reflects that for one of our teammates. It’s a really special day.
“We have the Pride Game (as our other showcase game) and our footy club is really proud of the work that they’ve done in that space to make sure that footy is a place for everybody, but this is a really special day for our club.”
The Saints’ limited-edition purple guernsey, purple #FightLikeMaddie scarves and other Maddie’s Vision merchandise will be on sale at the game from gates 3, 5 and 7.
Fans are also encouraged to bring a $5 note to donate and #HighFiveForMaddie.
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