28 March 2003 Herald Sun
By MARK ROBINSON
ANOTHER season. Another interview. Matty Richardson reckons he's done 50 since he started, but doesn't want this one to be another "what if ..."
Matthew Richardson: "I feel great. I really do. And I know players say that every year, but I really do. I don't feel I've slowed down or lost any endurance."
That's all he's heard for near enough to a decade now. If Richo plays well. If Richo kicks goals. If Richo stays fit. If Richo keeps his head.
As much as he vehemently disagrees, the consensus is much the same. Yes, in 2003 Richo needs to kicks goals, Richo needs to stop shaking his head at teammates and Richo needs to play close to 22 games for Richmond to be a threat.
The first and third will be decided at our end-of-year reviews, as will the second, I suppose, but it's the second that will significantly affect the success of the other two.
And it's this component, the psychology of football, that Richo's been working on.
To meet Richo is to meet a likeable bloke. He's humble, a good listener and smiles like a man without a problem in the world. Indeed, any more relaxed and he'd be asleep.
To watch Richo play, however, is another story. He's a superstar footballer who occasionally gets beaten by the horror stick, much to everyone's frustration.
Tiger supporters, being who they are, want to bed him one week and bash him the next, while media commentators lavish him, but are never 100 per cent behind him.
Flawed genius, or have we overrated him? It's a question Richardson has heard once too often. "Who knows how much you are meant to achieve at the start of your career," he said. "You could probably say I could've done better, but I suppose I could've done a lot less as well.
"To be honest, all I'm worried about now is what my teammates and coaches think of me. That's who I have to please week, in week out. I can't worry about what the supporters think of me because if I do it would do my head in, I reckon. So I'll just make sure I do what Danny's asking of me and what my teammates expect of me."
It's a strange world he plays in. He's kicked 482 goals in 157 games, takes more contested marks than anyone in the competition and, yet, there's still the query.
No doubt, his best and worst are far apart, his kicking for goal can be hit and miss, his body language floats between contagious and grumpy and his tongue can spit more venom than a spitting cobra.
His emotional behaviour is borne of frustration, he says, while the goalkicking is simply an untruth.
"I feel I've been answering this one every year," he said. "Everyone always wants to ask me about my kicking, always wants to bag me about it, but at the end of my career my accuracy percentage won't be any worse than most other forwards who have played the game.
"You know, a lot of it's perception. I know I've had bad games and then for six weeks in a row you kick well, have another off day, and it's the off days that are remembered. We've been talking about this for eight years."
There's evidence to support his claim on that one, while the behavioural examination starts tonight at the MCG against Collingwood.
Richo's 2002 problems started in Round 2 and blew up in Round 14 against Carlton. He missed most of 10 games with a hamstring injury, returned for Rounds 12 and 13 and set himself a cracker for his 150th in Round 14.
He talks about the Blues match slightly embarrassed -"I haven't spoken about it all summer," - and says it's his line in the sand.
"It's not acceptable in a team sport for that to happen," he said of that infamous dummy-spit. "I just let it all get the better of me, I just lost control and as soon as it happened I felt like a dill. I knew I did the wrong thing and I copped my whack."
The whack was a trip to Coburg to play in the VFL. He returned the next week and went on to poll three Brownlow votes in Rounds 18, 19 and 20. The finish was pleasing, but in the end meant little. The Tigers finished 14th and Richo played just 13 games.
At 28 and deputy vice-captain with higher aspirations, Richardson wants that Round 14 game to be his career turning point.
Asked if he had matured, he said: "Have I? You play for 10 years (and) you're going to be more mature than when you started. I think I've made some good steps over summer. But the proof is in the pudding. You can say you've matured, but you've got to wait and see."
Coach Danny Frawley's faith has injected confidence. "He's given me another leadership role this year, reinstated me, and he didn't have to do that. He's shown faith in me to be one his leaders and I hope to repay him by being a good leader for him."
Richardson's summer was without incident. Becoming a part-owner of a new bar at Docklands and a trip to New York and Boston provided a change of scenery and new focus. On the track, all is well. "I feel great. I really do. And I know players say that every year, but I really do. I don't feel I've slowed down or lost any endurance."
By MARK ROBINSON
ANOTHER season. Another interview. Matty Richardson reckons he's done 50 since he started, but doesn't want this one to be another "what if ..."
Matthew Richardson: "I feel great. I really do. And I know players say that every year, but I really do. I don't feel I've slowed down or lost any endurance."
That's all he's heard for near enough to a decade now. If Richo plays well. If Richo kicks goals. If Richo stays fit. If Richo keeps his head.
As much as he vehemently disagrees, the consensus is much the same. Yes, in 2003 Richo needs to kicks goals, Richo needs to stop shaking his head at teammates and Richo needs to play close to 22 games for Richmond to be a threat.
The first and third will be decided at our end-of-year reviews, as will the second, I suppose, but it's the second that will significantly affect the success of the other two.
And it's this component, the psychology of football, that Richo's been working on.
To meet Richo is to meet a likeable bloke. He's humble, a good listener and smiles like a man without a problem in the world. Indeed, any more relaxed and he'd be asleep.
To watch Richo play, however, is another story. He's a superstar footballer who occasionally gets beaten by the horror stick, much to everyone's frustration.
Tiger supporters, being who they are, want to bed him one week and bash him the next, while media commentators lavish him, but are never 100 per cent behind him.
Flawed genius, or have we overrated him? It's a question Richardson has heard once too often. "Who knows how much you are meant to achieve at the start of your career," he said. "You could probably say I could've done better, but I suppose I could've done a lot less as well.
"To be honest, all I'm worried about now is what my teammates and coaches think of me. That's who I have to please week, in week out. I can't worry about what the supporters think of me because if I do it would do my head in, I reckon. So I'll just make sure I do what Danny's asking of me and what my teammates expect of me."
It's a strange world he plays in. He's kicked 482 goals in 157 games, takes more contested marks than anyone in the competition and, yet, there's still the query.
No doubt, his best and worst are far apart, his kicking for goal can be hit and miss, his body language floats between contagious and grumpy and his tongue can spit more venom than a spitting cobra.
His emotional behaviour is borne of frustration, he says, while the goalkicking is simply an untruth.
"I feel I've been answering this one every year," he said. "Everyone always wants to ask me about my kicking, always wants to bag me about it, but at the end of my career my accuracy percentage won't be any worse than most other forwards who have played the game.
"You know, a lot of it's perception. I know I've had bad games and then for six weeks in a row you kick well, have another off day, and it's the off days that are remembered. We've been talking about this for eight years."
There's evidence to support his claim on that one, while the behavioural examination starts tonight at the MCG against Collingwood.
Richo's 2002 problems started in Round 2 and blew up in Round 14 against Carlton. He missed most of 10 games with a hamstring injury, returned for Rounds 12 and 13 and set himself a cracker for his 150th in Round 14.
He talks about the Blues match slightly embarrassed -"I haven't spoken about it all summer," - and says it's his line in the sand.
"It's not acceptable in a team sport for that to happen," he said of that infamous dummy-spit. "I just let it all get the better of me, I just lost control and as soon as it happened I felt like a dill. I knew I did the wrong thing and I copped my whack."
The whack was a trip to Coburg to play in the VFL. He returned the next week and went on to poll three Brownlow votes in Rounds 18, 19 and 20. The finish was pleasing, but in the end meant little. The Tigers finished 14th and Richo played just 13 games.
At 28 and deputy vice-captain with higher aspirations, Richardson wants that Round 14 game to be his career turning point.
Asked if he had matured, he said: "Have I? You play for 10 years (and) you're going to be more mature than when you started. I think I've made some good steps over summer. But the proof is in the pudding. You can say you've matured, but you've got to wait and see."
Coach Danny Frawley's faith has injected confidence. "He's given me another leadership role this year, reinstated me, and he didn't have to do that. He's shown faith in me to be one his leaders and I hope to repay him by being a good leader for him."
Richardson's summer was without incident. Becoming a part-owner of a new bar at Docklands and a trip to New York and Boston provided a change of scenery and new focus. On the track, all is well. "I feel great. I really do. And I know players say that every year, but I really do. I don't feel I've slowed down or lost any endurance."
