When Richmond snapped up Jack Riewoldt with its first pick (No. 13 overall) in the 2006 AFL national draft it was hard, as a long-time Yellow and Black barracker, not to be excited.
The talented teenage key forward had been playing senior football since the age of 16 for Clarence – the same Tasmanian club that my Tiger idol Royce Hart was recruited from.
When Royce’s superb playing career at Punt Road ended prematurely in the late 1970s because of a chronic knee injury, the champion centre half-forward passed the top Tassie Tiger baton on to Michael Roach, who also had been playing senior football from 16 years of age with the Westbury club.
After kicking 607 goals in 200 games, and winning Richmond’s leading goalkicker award seven times ‘Roachy’ subsequently handed the baton to a highly-talented, athletic, young key forward from Devonport, Matthew Richardson, son of the Tigers’ 1967 premiership ruck-rover Alan ‘Bull’ Richardson.
‘Richo’ would go on to carve out a magnificent 282-game, 800-goal career at Richmond, winning the Club’s leading goalkicker award a record 13 times.
Royce, Roachy and Richo was a tremendous Tassie Tiger trifecta, so it was only natural that Riewoldt’s recruitment would be met with considerable anticipation by Tiger fans, particularly those of my vintage.
As Riewoldt prepares for his 347th and final game of AFL football against North Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday, 17 years after being drafted, he fits very comfortably indeed among that exalted company of Tassie Tiger top guns.
The trifecta has become a quadrella, with Richmond reaping the rewards of its investment in top-class Tasmanian key forwards.
Riewoldt, undoubtedly, is a future Richmond ‘Immortal’, such is the impact he’s had throughout his time at Tigerland.
Here is how the three other Tassie Tiger key-forward kings have assessed Riewoldt’s magnificent Yellow and Black playing career . . .
Richo on Riewoldt
“Jack arrived as a highly-touted first round national draft pick with a healthy confidence in his ability. He developed quickly into a bona fide key forward.
“Fast-forward 17 years and I think he got the most out of himself. Not all talented players can say that.
“As a forward, I think his greatest strength has been his ability to read the flow of play and how quickly he picked up the flight of the ball and where it was going to end up. He also had the ability to time his leads and understand the space he had to work in.
“His other great asset was to jump a fraction early and get his opponent under the ball, while knowing exactly where the drop zone was . . . legally taking his opponent out of position.
“And he was as good a wet-weather key forward as I’ve seen.
“Overall, he’s one of the smartest AFL players of his generation.
“For him to basically be the lone tall forward in the Club’s drought-breaking 2017 season, surrounded by smaller teammates, also shows how adaptable and versatile he was.
“His passion and heart-on-sleeve emotion also energised teammates and the Richmond fan base.”
Roachy on Riewoldt
“I suppose being from Tasmania, you certainly took more of an interest in him when he was drafted. He started to gradually get better and better and better. And what a champion he’s turned out to be,” Roach said on SEN.
“He actually took the No. 8 guernsey off my son (Tom), which wasn’t great because he’d just been delisted. But it was great that Jack was able to get Tom’s number and my number and, gee, he’s made it his own. We’re very happy to have had Jack wearing No. 8 . . .
“I just think his football ‘smarts’ is what’s made him great. It has just been awesome.
“Jack, in 2017, was really the only key forward we had, and he just brought the ball to ground and brought other players into the game.
“In 2017, he became an out-and-out champion . . . He did everything possible to be a premiership player.
“There’s nothing Jack really didn’t achieve in his footy career. He can be very proud of what he’s achieved at Richmond Footy Club, and his family can be very proud of Jack.”
Royce on Riewoldt
“The No. 1 thing about Jack on-field, in my opinion, has been his ability to do the unpredictable and do it really well.
“He has possessed genuine X-factor and could turn the course of a game in a short time through his brilliance.
“I worked for ABC radio in Hobart for 10 years and saw most games that his old man, Chris, played with Clarence.
“Chris was as good a mark as anyone I’ve ever seen, very strong overhead. But Jack was a more spectacular mark.
“Jack also caused plenty of problems for opposition defenders when the ball was on the ground.
“And he could kick a ball well, too, which is such an important attribute for a key forward to have.
“From all reports, he was a bit immature early in his playing career, but he grew into a fine leader with the Tigers.
“He has done all of us Tassie Tigers proud with what he’s achieved throughout his career at Richmond.”
