Star Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt has outlined the reasoning behind his leaner look in season 2015.

Riewoldt, the Tigers’ leading goalkicker over the past five years, with more than 50 goals in each of those seasons, and 10 goals after three rounds in 2015, revealed that he had sacrificed some strength for speed, as part of the changing face of forward play at the game’s highest level.

This has enabled him to utilise his vast repertoire of football skills further afield, to the team’s overall benefit.

Richmond and Melbourne will play in the first Anzac Day eve match this Friday night at the MCG

“Over the last two years, I’ve certainly trimmed up a lot,” Riewoldt told Fox Footy’s ‘On the Couch’ last night (Monday).

“It’s just basically developing as the game moves on, and not being a one-trick pony. 

“In 2010, I played a lot of inside-50, but I sort of got found out in 2011 and 2012. 

“I then had to go to a different part of my game, so I increased my fitness and, with that, trimmed down.

“I’ve probably lost a bit of brute strength, but it’s (about) refining your technique then.  It’s being able to use, what’s probably for me the strongest part of my body – my hips and my legs – and being smarter with that . . .” 

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Riewoldt, who has kicked a total of 391 goals in 160 games for Richmond, subscribes to coach Damien Hardwick’s theory of developing a multipronged attack.

“For us to go forward as a forward line group, we need to have more multiple options up forward,” he said.

“Finding avenues to goal, and being a side that’s got a lot of strings to their bow, is really important.

“The way he (Hardwick) sees our forward line structure – and I fully buy into it – is me playing up the ground and sometimes playing deep . . . just continuing to play my role.”