Tigers to play finals footy again: Richo
July 17, 2007 - 7:14PM
AAP
Richmond star Matthew Richardson is confident he will get another taste of finals football before he finishes his tumultuous AFL career.
Richardson plays his 250th game on Sunday, against Port Adelaide, and believes he has at least another two seasons in him as he chases his dream of team success for his beloved Tigers.
The key forward has played only one finals series - 2001, he missed the 1995 campaign with a knee injury - in his 15-season career and will again be an onlooker this September as Richmond are headed for the wooden spoon.
Richardson maintains he has never regretted one moment since first signing as a 17-year-old despite Richmond's prolonged struggles, but admits he is more desperate to play more finals the older he gets.
He is adamant it is a realistic goal.
"That's why you play footy," said Richardson, 32, on Tuesday.
"If you haven't got any hope there, what's the point of playing?
"There's no reason why I still don't hope to play in finals football for the Richmond Football Club.
"You look at Hawthorn, this time last year you wouldn't be thinking they'd be second on the ladder, so it just shows you how quickly it can turn around.
"I'm still very hopeful that while I'm at this club that we'll get some success."
Few players are capable of mixing the extraordinary and inexplicable as Richardson, who was recruited from Devonport under the father-son rule in 1992 because his father Alan played 103 games for Richmond, including the 1967 premiership.
For every high mark, long goal and superhuman effort there has been a missed set shot and emotional outburst.
Richardson admits he has given Richmond fans reason for frustration over the years, but cherishes the way he is adored by most at Tigerland.
He also makes no apologies for so playing with his heart on his sleeve in an age when the number of the game's great on-field characters are dwindling.
"What happens in football is once you get a perception about you early on it's very hard to change," he said.
"You could do everything right for five years and then you do one thing that people might associate with you and all of a sudden it's like you've been doing it every week for five years."
In a further admission of honesty, Richardson put his mercurial goal kicking down to the pressure of performing.
"If you're 55 metres out it's probably a bonus if you kick a goal, whereas it's pretty obvious if you're 20 metres out you should kick it, so mentally it's a whole different kettle of fish," he said.
Richmond coach Terry Wallace has no doubts who he can call on when it matters, as Richardson was the No.1 for inspiring his teammates.
"Any time when we get into a situation where you need someone to stand up, or something needs to be done, or it's a big moment or a big game coming up, then it's Matthew leading the way in those sort of areas," he said.
Wallace said the Tigers would dearly love to upset Port to honour their forward in his milestone game.
"We'd love it from that aspect," he said.
"Obviously from our position as well, it's been a very, very long, arduous season so any victory is pretty sweet-tasting at this stage of the year."
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Tigers-to-play-finals-footy-again-Richo/2007/07/17/1184559783034.html
