Richo reveals his future (RFC)

[one-eyed]

Richo reveals his future
richmondfc.com.au
By Matthew Richardson 6:14 PM Thu 07 May, 2009

YOU CAN forget about retirement.

Yes, I'm 34 years old. Yes, I've got an injury that's going to keep me off the park for most of this season.

But I'm not even thinking about not playing football. In fact, I want to be back playing again before the season finishes.

Given that I'm basically restricted to lying on the couch watching DVDs because they've cut me open across the bottom of my bum, you might think I would be at least considering the option of calling it quits.

But I just can't wait to get back into it – I like being fit, I like training, I like getting my fitness up as high as I can. I love being part of the Richmond Football Club.

If anything, this has made me more determined and I'm really committed to getting this right and getting my fitness back to where it was.

I think my form over the last 18 months has been as good as it's been over my whole career – I think that I've been competing as well as ever. The first month of this year I was really happy with how I was going, and I certainly didn't feel like I was in decline.

The last two games were tough because I got injuries, but the month before that I felt that I was right there.

So I don't think there's any reason to start thinking retirement. I was always planning on playing next year – I don't have a contract, but you have to look ahead and be positive. I was hoping I would play next year, and I don't see why that should change.

And assuming my body comes back the way it should, and I'm feeling like I'm still running and competing with the younger guys, I’m certainly still going to want to play.

Not that I can do much at all right now. A bit over 24 hours after the operation I'm a little bit sore and ginger, but my surgeon Julian Feller – who is the go-to guy for these sorts of things – told me that it came together really well and he was really happy with how well the operation went. It reattached onto the bone beautifully, so he doesn't see any problems with it coming back as good as gold.

Obviously I'm disappointed – whenever you get a long-term injury you're disappointed, but I'm positive that I'll make a full recovery. I'm really aiming to get back and play footy again this year. That's the attitude I'm going to be taking into my rehab.

Even though I'm lying here unable to do much at all, within a week or so I should be up and about, which will be great. I've found with most injuries I've had, the first few weeks are the worst. Not being able to do anything is incredibly frustrating.

But once you can get up and around, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've had enough injuries now to know that you've just got to get through the first few weeks and not get too impatient. Once you start moving around and really feel that you're making progress, it becomes a lot easier.

I won't try to kid anyone – obviously it's going to be very frustrating while the season's being played out in front of me. You can't run, you can't do anything. You start to feel lazy, you get worried that you're going to lose fitness.

But there's not point trying to rush it either. We've all seen cases where people are injured and by trying to rush back they make things worse. You just need to do the right things and stick to what the surgeon says, and if you do that you should come back pretty well.

I haven't fully discussed my rehab program with Julian, but I think it will be around the six- or seven-week mark before I'll be able to start jogging. Once the wound has healed I'll be able to jump in the pool and do some fitness work there.

For the first few weeks I won't be able to anything, really, but once there's no danger of infection I'll be able to get in the pool and start some aerobic work.

So, that's where I am. Sore, a bit frustrated, tired; but I can't wait to get back into the swing of things down at Punt Rd as soon as possible.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/76410/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Richo backs Tigers doctors
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 6:01 PM Thu 07 May, 2009

RICHMOND superstar Matthew Richardson has come out strongly in defence of the Tigers' medical team in the wake of his latest injury.

The 34-year-old is set to miss three months after tearing a hamstring tendon in round six against the Sydney Swans. He had surgery this week to re-attach the tendon to the bone and early indications were that the operation was a success.

Richardson also hurt his glute in round five, but was declared fit to take on the Swans after training well from the middle of the week.

The medical team copped criticism after round one when Ben Cousins tore his hamstring shortly after complaining of soreness behind his knee at three-quarter time.

However, Richardson said the medicos had no way of knowing his injury was going to happen.

"I've had a bit of tendinitis in my hamstring for a long time now, and I've been managing it quite well," he told richmondfc.com.au.

"After the Bulldogs game, leading into the North Melbourne game, it just started getting a little bit more sore, and it was pretty sore again last week.

"But as I said, I've been managing it for a long time now, and I was pretty confident that I could keep playing with it, but obviously it had just got to the point where enough was enough and something had to give.

"I guess the tendon just decided that it was sick of being sore, and it just went bang."

The league's oldest player said he was doing something he'd done in all of his 282 AFL matches.

"About 10 minutes into the game, I was leading out from full-forward and it just felt basically like a sharp knife-like pain in the back of my bum where the hamstring tendon attaches.

"From that moment on I knew I was in a fair bit of trouble – I knew it was probably something pretty major."

Richardson said the problem was one shared by a lot of footballers.

"I've had hamstring tendinitis for a long time, and it's something that you just manage.

"A lot of players play with tendinitis, whether it's patella tendinitis or hamstring tendinitis, and it's been very manageable over the journey.

"Last week's injury was totally unrelated – I strained a very, very small muscle in my glute that really doesn't have a lot of function in terms of running.

"The MRI scan showed a minor strain and with that, you wouldn't normally miss a week, and that's what happened. By the Wednesday my glute was still back to full strength – I still had the tendinitis, but I've had that for a long time, so there was absolutely no reason why I wouldn't have played.

"It was just very unfortunate that it's happened a week later – it's just one of those things in football."

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/AFL2008/News/Article/tabid/6301/default.aspx?newsid=76414

[mightytiges]

It was Richo's call to play so of course he couldn't blame the medicos. Anyway let's hope the op has gone as well as they think and he's back before the end of the season good as new.

[Chuck17]

And lets hope all the baggers who want to blame the RFC, the medico's TW, the board holder dude (he really has to go) read and understand what the big fella is saying.

[cub]

So much for 'Straight from the horses mouth' , must have been listening at the wrong end as usual, hey Jack 

[mat073]

A quote from Richo..."alot of people must think we are running ametuer hour down there-the way they are commenting on it but they have absolutely no idea "

Time to move on people