Dual Coleman Medallist Jack Riewoldt may now be at long odds to become a triple winner of the competition’s leading goalkicker award this season, with just one home-and-away round to go, but Richmond goalkicking great Matthew Richardson believes he deserves considerable credit for becoming a more rounded player in 2013.
The star Tiger spearhead enters Round 23 in fifth place in the Coleman Medal race, with 57 goals, seven behind the leader, Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead.
But Riewoldt leads the competition in goal assists, with 26, which is one ahead of Hawthorn’s Luke Breust and two in front of Fremantle’s Chris Mayne.
If you combine goals and assists, he is No. 1 in the competition with 83, two ahead of Roughead (64 goals, 17 assists) and seven ahead of West Coast’s Josh Kennedy (60 goals, 16 assists).
“Jack has done a very good job this year,” Richardson said on this week’s episode of the Club’s official podcast, “Talking Tigers”.
“He’s unselfish, but he’s still kicked nearly 60 goals and probably will be over 60 after this weekend.
“That’s a good, solid year.
“He should be in All-Australian contention, but he probably won’t because they seem to judge it (full-forward selection) purely on goals kicked.