In the fourth of a Bingle Recruitment Zone special series, featuring 20 highlights from Richmond’s trade/draft history, during the key talent-acquisition months of October-November, we take a look at Matthew Richardson’s wonderful Tigerland journey.
Matthew Richardson’s great passion for the Richmond Football Club was fuelled by his father.
Alan ‘Bull’ Richardson had spent a decade playing for the Tigers (1959-69), was a valuable member of their drought-breaking premiership 1967 side in his ruck-rover role, and a popular figure at Punt Road.
When his VFL career finished, Bull moved to Tasmania, taking over as captain-coach of East Devonport and later serving as its president.
Matthew Richardson’s first football memory is aged five, when Bull and his mates were watching Richmond’s glorious 1980 Grand Final triumph over Collingwood on television in their Devonport home.
In the ensuing years, young ‘Richo’ would enthusiastically listen to Bull’s Tiger tales.
Watch the latest episode of the Bingle Recruitment Zone panel show, featuring Nathan Brown and guest Dan Richardson
He became hooked on the Yellow and Black, aspiring to, one day, follow in his father’s footsteps at Punt Road.
By his late teens, Matthew Richardson was, indeed, attracting the attention of the Tiger talent scouts, as well as those at Richmond’s traditional rival, Collingwood, following some brilliant performances while playing for Devonport, under the coaching guidance of former Hawthorn champion Peter Knights.
“He was like a young horse that just wanted to run and jump, that just wanted to go . . . He was so far ahead of anyone else down there. He could run faster, he could run longer. He could jump higher, he was a better mark,” Knights said in Martin Flanagan’s 2010 book, ‘Richo’.
Flanagan further highlighted the impression the highly-promising youngster was making on the football fields of Tasmania . . .
“At 17, he played senior football with Devonport. He wasn’t picked the first week and was filthy. He was picked the second week, kicked five and a pundit in the Burnie Advocate wrote that if you wanted to see Matthew Richardson play in Tasmania, you only had that year to do it. In his second game with Devonport, he left the field in the second quarter with bruised ribs, by which time he has taken 17 marks!
“By now Collingwood were interested in him. They’d send across a box of Puma gear, a Darren Millane video and a video of the 1990 Grand Final. The suggestion was being made that he should go into the draft and avoid the father-son rule. Sums of money were being offered. Peter Knights grew concerned. He had a finals series approaching. The boy was distracted, besides which Knights could see how much he loved Richmond. ‘He wanted to play for his father’s club.’ Knights rang Richmond who were not overly worried by news of the Collingwood approach. They knew the young man wanted to play for Richmond. Nonetheless, the club was prompted to act. Says Richo, ‘The next thing we were on the plane and watching Richmond play Adelaide at the MCG.’
“Richmond offered him a four-year contract. ‘It was shit money, just base payments. Dad said, “Do you want some time to think about it?” I said, “No”, and signed the contract.’
He was taken by the Tigers as a father-son selection in the 1992 National Draft.
Interestingly, there were a couple of other fairly handy players also picked up under the father-son system in the Draft that year – the Western Bulldogs’ Luke Darcy and Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher.
Darcy ended up playing 226 games for the Dogs, while Fletcher has just announced that he’ll be going around for his 23rd season, in 2015! He currently has 393 games under belt.
Fletcher aside, no-one else from that 1992 National Draft played more games than Matthew Richardson.
He carved out a magnificent 282-game career over 17 seasons with Richmond, winning the Club’s leading goalkicker award on a record 13 occasions, taking out the Jack Dyer Medal in 2007, and being named on the half-forward flank in the Tigers’ Team of the Century in 1999.
Richardson, however, meant so much more to Richmond, and the Tiger Army who idolised him.
In many respects, he was the glue that held Tigerland together when the going was at its toughest.
To an entire generation of Tiger supporters, Richo provided them with a strong emotional link to the Club . . . a real purpose to their Yellow and Black barracking.
Richo was their hero. They loved the way he played his football with such vitality, determination and passion, to go with his enormous natural talent.
The fact he wore his heart on his sleeve, every time he stepped out on the field of battle for the Tigers, made him even more endearing.
It’s doubtful if any player in Richmond’s history has shared more of an emotional connection with Tiger fans than Matthew Richardson.
He loved Richmond as much as they did, and they, in turn, followed his lead to commit to the Tigers.
Richo provided them with enormous enjoyment over the best part of two decades as well, with his amazing gut-running, spectacular marking and exciting goalkicking exploits.
For season after season, regardless of how the Tigers were performing, Richo supplied the supporters with sufficient incentive to turn up to watch them play. If they were badly beaten, they could still revel in Richo’s fabulous feats.
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