Matty Richardson

[Dean3]

Frickenel, you can analyse Richo's kicking style all you like, and produce marking stats too, but answer me this: when was the last time you can recall Richo taking a mark in the corridor, in close range? When was the last time he laid a really good shepherd on the bloke tagging Coughlan? Or any really good shepherd, for that matter? What about a lead straight up the middle of the ground, without holding someone and then complaining that he didn't get a free? How about the last time he held off his opponent to allow a teammate to mark?
For his entire career, bar maybe one, he has run to the wrong spots and demanded the ball. In fact, this tendency may actually be related to his inability to kick the easy goals. If he runs wide, takes a mark and then misses the shot from an acute angle, it doesn't look so bad. He has very rarely worked as part of a team, in fact he has often worked against it with his outbursts and tantrums.
People say that he's suffered from poor delivery, and that may be true to some extent, but he is still atop the marking stats lists, which suggest both marking talent and a reasonable rate of delivery. And is it any wonder that his teammates aren't fully committed to kicking it to him when he's leading to the boundary and will give them a serve when it doesn't hit him on the chest?
I'm afraid Richo lost me after the Carlton game this year, when he got thrashed by a no-name and through all of his ridiculous antics, virtually lost us the game all on his own.
Coach after coach after coach have tried to harness him, to get him to play to a plan, to get him to kick straight, play at least a modicum of team football, but unfortunately there comes a time when you have to say that Richo is responsible for his own actions, and we've had enough of it being all about RICHO and not about RICHMOND. If it were my decision I'd be going all out to trade him for a high draft pick and set about rebuilding the forward line without him.

 

[jackstar]

Dean3, agree totally.
he would be an absolute nightmare to coach.
I am glad I started this topic.

 

[cogs_is_sexy24]

as much as i get frustrated with him almost every week, he is a champion of this club, and no way would i like to see him get traded. RFC wouldnt be the same if he got traded.

when he plays well, the whole team does well and we win. but when he's having a bad night, he brings the whole team down. all the players kick it to richo, and it gets really annoying, especially if he is having a bad night. one day, he'll get behinds all day, and struggles to slot one thru; the next he'll be our most reliable goalkicker.

i think that they really need to do what they did last year...give him a game in the VFL. of course, we cant do it this year, but if he starts playing like how he is now, then give him a game in the VFL to boost his confidence up again. he played like a champ the week after he played for coburg.

keep him.

 

[frickenel]

Frickenel, you can analyse Richo's kicking style all you like, and produce marking stats too, but answer me this: when was the last time you can recall Richo taking a mark in the corridor, in close range? When was the last time he laid a really good shepherd on the bloke tagging Coughlan? Or any really good shepherd, for that matter? What about a lead straight up the middle of the ground, without holding someone and then complaining that he didn't get a free? How about the last time he held off his opponent to allow a teammate to mark?
For his entire career, bar maybe one, he has run to the wrong spots and demanded the ball. In fact, this tendency may actually be related to his inability to kick the easy goals. If he runs wide, takes a mark and then misses the shot from an acute angle, it doesn't look so bad. He has very rarely worked as part of a team, in fact he has often worked against it with his outbursts and tantrums.
People say that he's suffered from poor delivery, and that may be true to some extent, but he is still atop the marking stats lists, which suggest both marking talent and a reasonable rate of delivery. And is it any wonder that his teammates aren't fully committed to kicking it to him when he's leading to the boundary and will give them a serve when it doesn't hit him on the chest?
I'm afraid Richo lost me after the Carlton game this year, when he got thrashed by a no-name and through all of his ridiculous antics, virtually lost us the game all on his own.
Coach after coach after coach have tried to harness him, to get him to play to a plan, to get him to kick straight, play at least a modicum of team football, but unfortunately there comes a time when you have to say that Richo is responsible for his own actions, and we've had enough of it being all about RICHO and not about RICHMOND. If it were my decision I'd be going all out to trade him for a high draft pick and set about rebuilding the forward line without him.

When was the last time you saw Richmond play football that is conductive to marking in the corridor??????

Actually play to their marking strength. You can't lead straigh when it takes too long to get the ball down because the opposition has time to flood the corridor.

It's the classic case of blame Richo for everything. If we want Richo's scalp for not marking often enough in the corridor, what about Ottens, Stafford and Holland.
WE DO NOT HAVE AN EFFECTIVE FORWARD IN THE WHOLE TEAM!!!!

Our forward line is like pergatory for all forwards through no fault of their own.

The fact that Richo averages as many marks per game as anyone has NOTHING TO DO WITH 'GOOD' DELIVERY!!!

You forgot another stat - contested marks, led by Richo even though he's missed 3 1/2 games. THAT'S why he's taken so many marks - not because of good delivery!

Which strengthens my point. Guys like Tarrent and Tredrea have at least 5 gimme marks per game Richo is lucky to get just one - so how good is Richo??

Bloody good, to get that many marks in our team - BLOODY GOOD!!

As for his possessions not counting as they are not in front of goal! For SH!T sake Dean - if his role is further up the ground, then it's not Richo's role to kick all the goals. He's picking up 25 - 30 possessions and delivering them well. With this logic, what about say Kouta, we can say his possessions are a waste also, just because they were'nt in front of goal.

Do you go to the football Dean?

You haven't seen Richo apply a sheppard?
You haven't seen the amount of presenting that gets missed by the pass / overlooked?

You haven't seen how many marks get taken by other Richmond players when Richo draws half the opposition backline into a competition against him?

Do you think it's co-incidence that Otto lost form when Richo went down last year?

Same thing happened to Benny Gale and Stuart Edwards in 1995 when he went down.

As for not harnessing his talents....

1995 - Was starring before breaking his knee in the SGC fence incident.

1996 - 91 goals mostly from the H/F line - All Australia

1997 - Broken arm, but still a very servicable season.

1998 - Broken Cheek Bone, Re-Broken arm

1999 - All Australian

2000 - Missed season, Broken Foot

2001 - Rated a Brownlow chance

2002 - Played 11 games and was pipped at the line by W.Campball for the Best and Fairest

All things considered, i think he's done very well - without the injuries and a decent game plan, who knows!

 

[shawry]

Agree totally Frickenel. Do believe other than for his kicking (which is justified) and his sooking (also jsutified although i do that too so Iam not one to cast stones) Richo gets a raw deal.

 

[TigerFurious]

Well said Dean, you're comments regarding Richo are a breath of fresh air.

Its about time the club grew some balls and offloaded Richo to the highest bidder while he still has some value.

 

[Dean3]

Settle down frickenel, no need to get abusive ;D

And yes, I do go to the football. A lot. :

And thanks TF, but I must be losing my touch — we ..err..agree on something! ;D

 

[PMac]

First, let me say everyone is tradeable if the deal is right so there are no sacred cows in the team.

But.....

Its interesting that when the tiges go badly (which is not uncommon) we supporters unerringly want to ditch our best players for not being good enough. Every week we see calls to ditch Bowden, dump Tivo, trade Richo etc etc.

The problem as I see it isnt that our best players arent great, its that our worst players are totally tragic. Look at the games we won early in the year, guys like King, Bidders and co actually put in decent efforts. They won a bit of the ball, did some good things and we won. Look at the tapes and stats for the second half of the year, our top 8 have done ok but our bottom 8 may as well not have been there. We routinely have between 5 and 6 players on a team of 22 who get less than 2 possessions for the entire game, of course we lose, we are playing a game with 16 or 17 guys against teams of 22.

Sorry but ditching players like Richo and Bowden may make some difference but not much. unless we get offers of first round draft picks (not likely) do you really thik you are going to pick up a player of their quality?

Frankly I want to see a total clean out at the bottom of the club. Get rid of the guys adding nothing (literally) on match day.

 

[frickenel]

Settle down frickenel, no need to get abusive ;D

And yes, I do go to the football. A lot. :

And thanks TF, but I must be losing my touch — we ..err..agree on something! ;D

I'm not getting abusive Dean3, just playing from the front foot.

If you play from the back foot on a wicket as unpredictable as the RFC, you'll end up with one jumping from just short of a length and knocking your knackers off!

 

[frickenel]

Strongly agree with your post PMac, it is widely accepted that our list drops away very sharply.

The sad thing is that a lot of players we are trying to develop get little game time - and what game time they do get is in the forward pocket.

Touching on this, with the fact that you could notify our forwards by Australia Post that the ball is on the way - they will fail to make an impact.

THis is why a player with the ability of say an Andrew Krakouer struggles to have flattering stats.

Having said that, the short sighted recruiting has been a killer and unfortunately will effect us for at least 2 more years. You can't fix a 14 player hole in your list in one season.

 

[Koalalill]

You haven't seen Richo apply a sheppard?
You haven't seen the amount of presenting that gets missed by the pass / overlooked?

You haven't seen how many marks get taken by other Richmond players when Richo draws half the opposition backline into a competition against him?

I always find the Richo debate fascinating.

At the THC Luncheon a friend of mine posed these question regarding Richo and should Richo be traded.

Q1 - Are Malthouse, Sheedy, Pagan and Matthews good coaches?

Q2 - If you answered yes then why do you think they play their best defender on Richo? Why do they instruct their ruckmen to drop back and block Richo? And then for good measure the double team Richo at every opportunity?

Answer - Becuase they know the value of Richo to the Tigers.

As for your the questions when did we last see him shepherd, lay a tackle.

I suggest people have a look at the following games -
1999 - against Brisbane
2003 - against Melbourne
2003 - against the Bulldogs thake your pick either game.
2003 - have a look at last weeks game against the Power.

Most of all have a look at the games to what the TV doesn't show. See how much running he does.

Frickenel - great point you make about him drawing half opposition and in turn opening up the forwardline - is it his fault that our other players aren't smart enough to make a move and create?

As for his tantrums - this is the thing that amuses me the most. Richo berates his teammates and it is a disgrace - only because it is usually captured by the television cameras. Other players do it week after week and no-one says anything. Why is that?

Why didn't Richo win a B&F in 1999 and 2001? It seems to me that Richo is marked on much different score card than the majority at Tigerland and this angers and saddens me.

If the RFC was to trade Richo (and they will not) it would be a very sad day indeed. If only we had some more players who loved that CLub the way Matty does.

 

[Dean3]

KL, I think that's the point about Richo. He is at once our best and our worst. You can't afford to risk putting a second string defender on him, but whether he wins or loses doesn't seem to be affected by who takes him.
He is mercurial, magnetic, marvellous...and shambolic, shocking and sh!thouse.
BTW, I'm not saying that he has never laid a shepherd, just that the "one percenters" are not a consistent part of his game. Like they are for Carey, for instance.

What do you do with him? Can you build a consistent team around him? Can you build a premiership team around him?

After 10 years, they're valid questions I think.

 

[Roar34]

Frickenel, Pmac & KL....great posts, and I don't care what others think, I like the Big Guy (most times), sure it's a roller coaster ride with him but he does take some looking after and I think he will be a better player when the good times come again. And he is so passionate for Richmond!

 

[Harry]

- Richo is a good player - not a champion.
- Frawely doesnt know how to utilise him properly
- Frawely has developed and introduced a heap of duds around him
- Richo cannot dominate games with these duds delivering to him
- We will not win a flag before he retires
- He has currency from which we can possibly get a 10 year gun

At the end of the day it depends on the direction the club is going.
- If they beleive we are close to challanging for the flag them they will keep him
- If they beleive we need to rebuild then they will trade him for high draft pick/s.

 

[diggler]

You lot that defend Richo are as bad as the rabble running the club!
You live in La La land if you really believe Richo, who will be 29 next march, is the type of person to remotely build as side around.
He has had 8 wasted years, with two good ones and its about time someone at the club sees him for what he is, an underperforming, non achiever!
I really fear for our club who has a supporter base and management that relish mediocrity in all levels.
Richo is mediocrity!
Its time to move on and trade people like him who will never be good enough to win us a flag.
This loyal servant/bleeds for the club rubbish some of you waffle on about is the type of beliefs that have made our club what it is today:- the cesspit of the AFL!
Duncan, Richo, Cambo, yes they have been loyal servants. Thats, why we are what we are today!!!

 

[frickenel]

Duncan, Richo, Cambo, yes they have been loyal servants. Thats, why we are what we are today!!!

Ohhhh Dirk, and that's really his slozzz at the end of the film!!

 

[TigerMasochist]

What do you do with him? Can you build a consistent team around him? Can you build a premiership team around him?

Read Barry Richardsons comments about Paddy Guinane. Yes Yes and Yes again.

 

[alleycat]

as ive said before richo is a tiger legend so was plugger when he left skilda and the supporters were going to lynch the club but what happend it was a win win stkilda made the grand final nad sydney reaped the rewards too....... i rest my case

 

[WJP]

At least with Richo staying at Richmond makes for some enjoyable reading on this forum I will miss it if he is traded great debating everone.

 

[julzqld]

Well said KL. You are a breath of fresh air.

- Frawely doesnt know how to utilise him properly
- Frawely has developed and introduced a heap of duds around him
- Richo cannot dominate games with these duds delivering to him

Harry, I partially agree with you. I don't think he has been utilised properly and poor deliveries and lack of support in a crumbing forward hasn't helped his game either.