Matthew Richardson reveals John Northey’s strangest motivational speech as Richmond coachAl Paton
Herald-Sun
July 15, 2015FORMER Richmond coach John Northey would use anything to motivate his players — even a journalist’s love of pies.
Northey’s most unusual pre-game speech was revealed by Tigers champ Matthew Richardson in his acceptance speech after being inducted into the club’s hall of fame.
Northey, nicknamed Swooper, coached four clubs in the 1980s and 90s including Richmond in 1993-95, masterminding a famous comeback win against Essendon in the 1995 second semi-final.
“I loved playing for him, it was a different time in footy there wasn’t a lot of tactics, just get the footy and kick it long,” Richardson said.
“Swooper was a great motivator, before every game there was a five or 10-minute speech where he went on about anything, it could be a guy climbing Mt Everest, it could be someone running across America with one leg, but whatever it was it just got you going and you’d want to run through a brick wall for him.
“I remember one day we were playing our arch-rival Carlton at the MCG and a particular journo of the time, Tony ‘the Beast’ De Bolfo — the Beast was a mad Carlton man and he had written the Tigers off in this particular game.
“Northey pinned up the article on the board, a bit like Clarko did the other week, and he said, ‘This bloke De Bolfo doesn’t rate us’.
“He said, ‘In fact, he’s here today, he’ll be up in the press box and he won’t even be watching the game, he’ll be just scoffing on pies’.
“I remember as a young kid thinking, ‘I’m not sure this is going to help us win the game, Swooper’.
“We beat Carlton that day but it’s not until 20 years later I actually know what he’s talking about. Working in the media there’s a pie warmer in every press box and I’ve been eating 20 mini pies a weekend, don’t worry about that.”
A video of Richardson’s speech on the Tigers website also reveals the story behind Richo’s move to the wing in 2008, prompted by coach Terry Wallace’s desire to give recruit Jack Riewoldt more opportunities in front of goal.
“He (Wallace) said, ‘What do you think about moving up on to the wing?’. I said, ‘I don’t think about moving up on to the wing.’
“I said maybe a more of a ‘bear in the square’ type role would suit me, I’ll go back there and Jack can do all the work.
“I said, ‘What are my options, Terry?’. He said, ‘You can play for Coburg.’ I said, ‘I love the wing, get me up there’.
“It was a great year, we didn’t make the finals again but I went all right and nearly won the Brownlow, so there you go.”
Richardson described his induction as the biggest honour of his career, but his speech ended on a sad note when he thanked his late father Alan ‘Bull’ Richardson, a member of Richmond’s 1967 premiership team, who passed away earlier this year.
“I wish my old man was here tonight, he was a great supporter of my career. I know he’d be really proud tonight.
“He was a massive Richmond man. In his last few years when he was struggling with his health nothing made him happier than a Richmond win so I know he’s be pretty happy at the moment, six out of seven, he’d be looking down thinking the Tigers are going OK.”
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/matthew-richardson-reveals-john-northeys-strangest-motivational-speech-as-richmond-coach/story-fndv8t7m-1227441370194
