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No repeats, vows Richo
By Linda Pearce
March 23 2003
For one awful week last July, it seemed that every time Matthew Richardson watched TV, he saw himself. But it was not Richo taking a big mark, or Richo charging upfield like an oversized gazelle, or even Richo hobbling off injured, again; rather, the scenes were of Richardson berating his teammates in the infamous dummy-spit game against Carlton.
Matthew Knights had misdirected a pass. David Rodan had fumbled a handball in the goal square. Yet if both Tigers were very publicly reminded of their inadequacies by their frustrated, frustrating - and later, remorseful - teammate, then Richardson has had a far harder time living down that regrettable Friday night at the MCG.
Despite his understandable desire to move on, the subject was always destined to linger far beyond the term of a one-game VFL penance with Coburg. Although the last, and worst, lapse in Richardson's attitude was never going to be enough to sever ties that bind club and player, the incident was clearly the low point of a season gratefully left behind.
"I was embarrassed by the footage of that night, which got played over and over again," Richardson admitted. "Obviously it doesn't look good and it's not good for the team, but I wasn't embarrassed playing for Coburg; I had a good day out there and the players were fantastic, and it was a good experience.
"I wouldn't change that, and I think I learnt something out of it. I think it can be a turning point for me. I mean, time will tell. It's something that probably needed to happen, I guess. I don't like to look back on it and dwell on it too much, but at my age and experience now, I guess you wouldn't like anything like that to happen again."
As has applied to much of his 10-year career, Richardson's season was one of almost ridiculous extremes. He missed eight of the first 11 rounds with hamstring injuries, and returned for what he describes as "a couple of ordinary games" before the Carlton debacle and subsequent demotion.
And then, the other Richo emerged. The brilliant, matchwinning, super-athletic forward who attracts as many admirers as his alter ego collects critics. He took 57 marks and kicked 22 goals in the last six rounds, which not coincidentally produced three of the Tigers' seven wins for the season. He finished second in the best and fairest, and led the club scoring for the seventh time.
"I guess after (being dropped) it could have gone two ways, and if it had have gone the other way, it would have really topped off a pretty poor year for myself," Richardson said. "The most pleasing thing was the last six or seven weeks, and finishing off OK made me feel pretty positive about this year. So hopefully that carries forward."
That hope is common at Tigerland, for although former chief executive Mark Brayshaw announced during last year's contract negotiations that Richardson was no longer one of the club's two best players, surely not even Darren Gaspar - with Brad Ottens one of the chosen two - would claim to be more important. Not to performance, or to morale.
By Linda Pearce
March 23 2003
For one awful week last July, it seemed that every time Matthew Richardson watched TV, he saw himself. But it was not Richo taking a big mark, or Richo charging upfield like an oversized gazelle, or even Richo hobbling off injured, again; rather, the scenes were of Richardson berating his teammates in the infamous dummy-spit game against Carlton.
Matthew Knights had misdirected a pass. David Rodan had fumbled a handball in the goal square. Yet if both Tigers were very publicly reminded of their inadequacies by their frustrated, frustrating - and later, remorseful - teammate, then Richardson has had a far harder time living down that regrettable Friday night at the MCG.
Despite his understandable desire to move on, the subject was always destined to linger far beyond the term of a one-game VFL penance with Coburg. Although the last, and worst, lapse in Richardson's attitude was never going to be enough to sever ties that bind club and player, the incident was clearly the low point of a season gratefully left behind.
"I was embarrassed by the footage of that night, which got played over and over again," Richardson admitted. "Obviously it doesn't look good and it's not good for the team, but I wasn't embarrassed playing for Coburg; I had a good day out there and the players were fantastic, and it was a good experience.
"I wouldn't change that, and I think I learnt something out of it. I think it can be a turning point for me. I mean, time will tell. It's something that probably needed to happen, I guess. I don't like to look back on it and dwell on it too much, but at my age and experience now, I guess you wouldn't like anything like that to happen again."
As has applied to much of his 10-year career, Richardson's season was one of almost ridiculous extremes. He missed eight of the first 11 rounds with hamstring injuries, and returned for what he describes as "a couple of ordinary games" before the Carlton debacle and subsequent demotion.
And then, the other Richo emerged. The brilliant, matchwinning, super-athletic forward who attracts as many admirers as his alter ego collects critics. He took 57 marks and kicked 22 goals in the last six rounds, which not coincidentally produced three of the Tigers' seven wins for the season. He finished second in the best and fairest, and led the club scoring for the seventh time.
"I guess after (being dropped) it could have gone two ways, and if it had have gone the other way, it would have really topped off a pretty poor year for myself," Richardson said. "The most pleasing thing was the last six or seven weeks, and finishing off OK made me feel pretty positive about this year. So hopefully that carries forward."
That hope is common at Tigerland, for although former chief executive Mark Brayshaw announced during last year's contract negotiations that Richardson was no longer one of the club's two best players, surely not even Darren Gaspar - with Brad Ottens one of the chosen two - would claim to be more important. Not to performance, or to morale.
