RICHMOND key forward Jack Riewoldt credits Matthew Richardson's move up the ground for the rapid development of the team's forward line.

Riewoldt snaffled this week's NAB AFL Rising Star nomination after five goals in the team's 77-point smashing of West Coast at Subiaco Oval on Sunday.

After more than a decade as Richmond's key forward, Richardson has changed to a role that includes starting on the wing, sweeping across the half-back line and drifting forward to boot goals.

The Rising Star nominee said Richardson's move put the responsibility on the younger brigade to step up and produce.

"Matthew making the personal sacrifice to go up on the wing is something that myself and Cleve (Hughes) have held pretty close," he said. "We're pretty tight-knit, the guys that play up forward, the key-position players.

"So when he went out of his way to do that for us – to make us better players and to start to learn how to play centre half-forward and full-forward – it was a pretty good honour.

"Coming from Terry's side of it, he just wanted us to start trying to take hold of the forward line together, and I think over the last four or five weeks we're really started to do that, along with Mitch (Morton) as well.

"It's still a long way to go for us to become confident and regular power forwards where we're playing good senior games week-in, week-out, but these are the first steps to hopefully a long career as a forward line together."

And Richardson's help has extended to off the track as well.

"Richo's been helping us out with our tapes at the end of every game, whether we play bad or whether we play well.

"For example, he didn't play on the weekend, so when we came into Melbourne he called me up and he said there were a few things I probably could do a little bit better, and he's done the same with Cleve, so we probably couldn't have a better coach, really."