Richmond’s stand-in senior coach Brendon Lade was awestruck by the first-up performance for 2016 of star Tiger forward Jack Riewoldt in last Saturday’s NAB Challenge match against Hawthorn at Beanconsfield.

Riewoldt burst out of the blocks with a brilliant opening-quarter burst, taking six marks, four of them contested, including one genuine ‘specky’.

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He seized the initiative for the Tigers early on and clearly was the most influential player on the ground over the course of the match, finishing with 10 marks, two goals, and a hand in many others.

“His first quarter was amazing,” Lade told SEN.

“He did some things that we expect Jack to do.  But for his first game of the year, to come out and take some really good marks . . .

“I think he had 10 score involvements and five score assists, which is unheard of from a key forward.  And, he kicked two goals as well, which was pretty handy.”

Although Riewoldt has kicked 50 goals or more for the past six seasons in-a-row, which is a major achievement, he’s also worked diligently to become a more versatile, team-oriented and overall valuable player, in recent times.

“He has developed his game . . . he can play up the ground now,” Lade said.

“We bring him up into the stoppages sometimes as well. 

“His game is becoming more fully rounded and he’s a very good weapon for us, that’s for sure.”