I remember Richo's first hit out after the knee was a pre season game against Scumwood.
He went 3 quarters basically statless. In the last he was moved up the ground and got a few kicks. He didn't look like it at all. Don Scott was doing special comments and lamented that maybe Richo was a gifted athlete and not a natural footballer and would need to learn the game again.
From memory we put him on ice until round 1, and from the first bounce he tore the bombers apart. As well as 6 goals, I think he may have kicked 6 points as well.
The truly amazing thing about Rich is that from his first AFL game to his very last* he dominated.
He almost won a brownlow in his second last season, and polled 6 votes in the first 4 games of his last season.
* by very last game, I mean last game played fully fit. He injured his hammy early round 5, and as Terry Wallett was desperate to save his coaching position, he not only kept him on the ground but picked him the following week against the Swans in Sydney. Richo couldn't even run with the rest of the team in the pre game warm up.
One wonders how severe the injury would have been had he gone to the bench when it happened in round 5 and not returned.
