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Emu
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Fewer goals is Richo's goal
Herald-Sun
Jon Ralph | February 18, 2008
MATTHEW Richardson doesn't mind admitting how good last year's breakthrough best-and-fairest award felt after 15 years at Richmond. Now he wants a teammate to ruin a streak that has seen him win the club's goalkicking title for seven straight years, and a record 12 seasons.
According to Richardson - 33 next month and with just three finals to his name - if someone can steal his mantle as the forward line's go-to man, it means the Tigers are going places.
As fit and strong as ever after a carefully managed pre-season, Richardson says there is no reason he cannot fire again this year.
But it is team success only that will keep him around longer than the one year he has remaining on his contract.
"If we could get Brett (Deledio) or (Nathan) Brown or Kayne Pettifer to win the goal-kicking, that would suggest we have had a pretty good year, because if one of them kicks over 50 goals, that would mean we are going all right as a forward group," Richardson said.
"I would be rapt if that happened. It's not about individual things when you get to my stage and I have had no real success with the team so all I really want to do now is play in a winning team."
Winning last year's Jack Dyer Medal was bittersweet for Richardson.
After four second-placings over the years, Richardson swept home over early leader Nathan Foley, but the award came in a dismal season in which the Tigers won only three games.
"It really meant a lot. I didn't expect it going there on the night. I thought Nathan would win, like a lot of other people did," Richardson said.
"For all these years toiling away, it was something I have always wanted to achieve at the Richmond footy club, to get my name up with the greats, and hopefully you never know, there might be another one in me, but I would be lying if I said it didn't mean a lot to me."
"In saying that, we won three games and it was probably the least enjoyable year I have ever had. So it doesn't always stack up, the individual stuff."
Few would begrudge Richardson a cupboard overflowing with trophies, but the nature of last year's win - he overtook Foley in Round 22 despite having just 11 possessions and kicking two goals - raised eyebrows.
It wouldn't be the first time a match committee slanted its votes towards a deserving player.
"I didn't play great in Round 22, and Nathan didn't have a great game either (16 touches).
"I didn't do a lot statistically, but they thought I did all right in some of the other areas Terry (Wallace) wanted me to work on. Some might say it was a bit lucky.
"I am not saying they counted the votes (beforehand). Some people might have suggested that, but I don't think that happens. Joel (Bowden) beat me by one vote three years ago, so it's my turn to get one up."
After some soft-tissue issues in his late 20s, Richardson has missed just four games in the past three years, and expects to play for at least another two seasons.
He was one of half a dozen senior players who trained away from the main group in November as the club attempted to bolster leadership among its younger pack.
The graduated pre-season means he is fresh and refreshed -- "as fit as I have been for years" -- and hopeful the lighter load might extend his career.
With his pace undiminished and his motivation strong, the club hopes he might play well into his 30s, just as Alastair Lynch did so successfully at Brisbane.
"I have got one year on my contract, so it really depends on how I go this year, I guess, and how the team is going and where we are situated at the end of the year, so I won't make any calls on it until later in the year," he said.
"I don't think there will be a physical reason (to retire). It just depends on the circumstances, I guess."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23230321-19742,00.html
Bolded bits are points that stood out to me and the last bit is a bit sad...
Herald-Sun
Jon Ralph | February 18, 2008
MATTHEW Richardson doesn't mind admitting how good last year's breakthrough best-and-fairest award felt after 15 years at Richmond. Now he wants a teammate to ruin a streak that has seen him win the club's goalkicking title for seven straight years, and a record 12 seasons.
According to Richardson - 33 next month and with just three finals to his name - if someone can steal his mantle as the forward line's go-to man, it means the Tigers are going places.
As fit and strong as ever after a carefully managed pre-season, Richardson says there is no reason he cannot fire again this year.
But it is team success only that will keep him around longer than the one year he has remaining on his contract.
"If we could get Brett (Deledio) or (Nathan) Brown or Kayne Pettifer to win the goal-kicking, that would suggest we have had a pretty good year, because if one of them kicks over 50 goals, that would mean we are going all right as a forward group," Richardson said.
"I would be rapt if that happened. It's not about individual things when you get to my stage and I have had no real success with the team so all I really want to do now is play in a winning team."
Winning last year's Jack Dyer Medal was bittersweet for Richardson.
After four second-placings over the years, Richardson swept home over early leader Nathan Foley, but the award came in a dismal season in which the Tigers won only three games.
"It really meant a lot. I didn't expect it going there on the night. I thought Nathan would win, like a lot of other people did," Richardson said.
"For all these years toiling away, it was something I have always wanted to achieve at the Richmond footy club, to get my name up with the greats, and hopefully you never know, there might be another one in me, but I would be lying if I said it didn't mean a lot to me."
"In saying that, we won three games and it was probably the least enjoyable year I have ever had. So it doesn't always stack up, the individual stuff."
Few would begrudge Richardson a cupboard overflowing with trophies, but the nature of last year's win - he overtook Foley in Round 22 despite having just 11 possessions and kicking two goals - raised eyebrows.
It wouldn't be the first time a match committee slanted its votes towards a deserving player.
"I didn't play great in Round 22, and Nathan didn't have a great game either (16 touches).
"I didn't do a lot statistically, but they thought I did all right in some of the other areas Terry (Wallace) wanted me to work on. Some might say it was a bit lucky.
"I am not saying they counted the votes (beforehand). Some people might have suggested that, but I don't think that happens. Joel (Bowden) beat me by one vote three years ago, so it's my turn to get one up."
After some soft-tissue issues in his late 20s, Richardson has missed just four games in the past three years, and expects to play for at least another two seasons.
He was one of half a dozen senior players who trained away from the main group in November as the club attempted to bolster leadership among its younger pack.
The graduated pre-season means he is fresh and refreshed -- "as fit as I have been for years" -- and hopeful the lighter load might extend his career.
With his pace undiminished and his motivation strong, the club hopes he might play well into his 30s, just as Alastair Lynch did so successfully at Brisbane.
"I have got one year on my contract, so it really depends on how I go this year, I guess, and how the team is going and where we are situated at the end of the year, so I won't make any calls on it until later in the year," he said.
"I don't think there will be a physical reason (to retire). It just depends on the circumstances, I guess."
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23230321-19742,00.html
Bolded bits are points that stood out to me and the last bit is a bit sad...
