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Player Watch #33 Patrick Retschko

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we’ve had the weakest wings in the comp for years now so the opportunity is ripe for this bloke to step straight into senior footy. I look forward to it.
Geez, the kid is 19 and still feeling his way at the level. Hope he plays straight away too, but he’s got a lot to learn imo.
We need to lower our expectations on the kid. Setting him up to fail if we think he just comes in and makes the wing role his own.
 
Geez, the kid is 19 and still feeling his way at the level. Hope he plays straight away too, but he’s got a lot to learn imo.
We need to lower our expectations on the kid. Setting him up to fail if we think he just comes in and makes the wing role his own.

Hopefully he was foxing at Cats in order to get to the Swinburne.
 
Hopefully he was foxing at Cats in order to get to the Swinburne.
He came 5th in their VFL and 2nd of the AFL listed players and had a very good year from reports
Not sure he was foxing but could be a very handy player that fills a role/need at Richmond
 
Geez, the kid is 19 and still feeling his way at the level. Hope he plays straight away too, but he’s got a lot to learn imo.
We need to lower our expectations on the kid. Setting him up to fail if we think he just comes in and makes the wing role his own.
Didn't take long for another R to make a wing his.
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From google gemini after plugging in his Bronco results!!!! ……

Thanks for that update—that is a serious "watch this space" result for Tigers fans.
You are spot on. It looks like Patrick Retschko is already repaying the faith Richmond showed by trading specifically for him (using Pick 99) after he was delisted by Geelong.
Here is why that result is significant based on the details you shared and the current pre-season context:
1. The "Pick 99" Gamble Paying Off
Richmond made a rare move by trading for a delisted player (Retschko) rather than waiting to sign him for free, specifically to get him into the club before the pre-season started.
* The Logic: They knew he had an elite tank (6:09 2km time trial at the Draft Combine) and wanted him training Day 1.
* The Result: Him winning the Bronco Test on Monday vindicates that decision immediately. It shows he isn't just a "rookie project" physically; he is already operating at an elite aerobic level.
2. Breaking the "Taranto Monopoly"
For the last few years, Tim Taranto has had a stranglehold on Richmond’s endurance testing. For a new recruit—who didn't play a senior game at Geelong—to come in and win the club's fitness test (especially the brutal Bronco) sends a massive message to the playing group.
3. A Shift in Testing?
As I mentioned in my previous answer, Richmond is famous for the 2km Time Trial. The fact that they ran a Bronco Test on Monday suggests the high-performance staff (under the new rebuild era) might be mixing up the conditioning program to focus more on that "repeat effort" fitness rather than just straight-line running.
Who is Patrick Retschko?
* Background: Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro.
* The Setback: Tore his ACL in his 16th year (2022), which often slides players down draft boards.
* The Strength: Known as a pure "running machine" wingman—exactly the type of outside run Richmond has desperately needed since the departure of players like Ellis and the aging of their premiership stars.
Great spot on the news—looks like the Tigers have found a dedicated runner for the wing.
 
I’d never heard of the Bronco test but I remember the famous cowboy (black and white white TV 50’s)!!!

More from Gemini ….

Richmond does not typically use the Bronco test as their headline fitness benchmark; that test is most famous for being the standard at Collingwood (and NRL clubs like the Brisbane Broncos).
Instead, Richmond's primary aerobic test is the 2km Time Trial.
Here is the breakdown of the difference and who dominates the running at Tigerland:
1. Richmond's Test: The 2km Time Trial
* Protocol: A straightforward 2km race (often 5 laps of a 400m track or a set course around Punt Road/Olympic Park).
* The "King" of the Test: Since joining the club, Tim Taranto has been the undisputed aerobic king at Richmond. He consistently wins the pre-season time trials, often finishing ahead of teammates like Nathan Broad and Hugo Ralphsmith.
* Recent Context (Nov 2025): While clubs like Collingwood (Roan Steele) and Sydney (Caiden Cleary) published "winners" for their fitness tests in late November 2025, Richmond's initial return to training was reported as a lighter session ("taking it easy") without a widely publicized "winner" of a maximum-effort test immediately upon return.
2. The "Bronco" (Collingwood's Test)
* What it is: A 1.2km shuttle run (20m, 40m, 60m shuttles repeated 5 times).
* Why users confuse them: It is common to hear "Bronco" mentioned in AFL news during November/December because Collingwood releases their results publicly.
* Collingwood's 2025 Winner: Mid-season recruit Roan Steele recently won Collingwood's Bronco test (November 2025), beating the typical leaders.
Summary: If you are looking for "Richmond's Bronco," you are likely looking for their 2km Time Trial, and the player to beat is almost always Tim Taranto.
 
Geez, the kid is 19 and still feeling his way at the level. Hope he plays straight away too, but he’s got a lot to learn imo.
We need to lower our expectations on the kid. Setting him up to fail if we think he just comes in and makes the wing role his own.
great call on rets, sonsie, banks, hugo, ross, KMac2, short ahead at this stage. I personally want Nathan Broad to sow up one of the Wings spots...... he has the dash, courage, marking and running ability and dual side kicking that we need desperately need and we know he can get it 20+ times a game.
 

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Player Watch #33 Patrick Retschko

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