RICHMOND forward Jack Riewoldt has denied speculation he has been playing injured early in the AFL season.

The 2010 Coleman Medallist has started the 2012 campaign slowly, but showed some encouraging signs with a four-goal haul in Sunday's win over Port Adelaide.

"I'm fighting fit. I was just in a bit of a form slump," Riewoldt said at a press conference on Tuesday.
 
"Form can change in the space of seconds.
 
"That's the motto I've been living by in the first six weeks of the season: I'm trying to improve in every second of every game."

Riewoldt says he'll keep working to emerge from the form slump that has underpinned his opening to the season.
 
He kicked only eight goals in the opening five rounds and looked to be down on confidence, but was better in the 37-point win over Port.
 
Riewoldt plans to keep working hard on the team things and trust that the goals will follow.

"It's been well documented that I started slowly," he said.
 
"I was coming in off a few injuries last year. I thought I was going to walk back in and play some good footy, but it's been a solid slog.
 
"I've been working hard with the leaders and with the coaching staff on improving my game.
 
"I was lucky enough to get on the end of a few on the weekend, but it really comes down to me.
 
"It's about the tackling, the little one per centers in the forward line. I thought I did reasonably well in [those areas] on the weekend and it was good to get the result."

Riewoldt added he had no issues with coach Damien Hardwick, who has been blunt in his assessment of Riewoldt's start to the season.

"It's honest, you don't want the senior coach pissing in your pocket, telling you you are going all right, things will turn around," Riewoldt said.

"You want honest feedback. If you want to be a good player in the AFL, you've got to be ready to hear that stuff. And you've got to be ready to act on it, too.
 
"I'd [prefer to have] someone telling me straight up to my face straight on, and being blunt with it, so I can get pro-active and fix those things."
 
Richmond lost to both Geelong and West Coast by 10 points before taking on Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last weekend.
 
The Tigers were in with a chance of victory in both games only to stumble through poor decision-making and, ultimately, inexperience.
 
Riewoldt said he felt Richmond had played better in those two losses than it had played in the victory over Port Adelaide, which was achieved largely through a strong second quarter.
 
"We didn’t play as well as we did against Geelong and West Coast, but we came away with the points, which is good," he said.
 
"We're gradually improving. Hopefully that can continue that this week against a really good, solid side in the Swans."
 
Richmond plays the Swans in its round-seven match at the MCG on Saturday evening.blog comments powered by Disqus