Matthew Richardson to return to training on Friday (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Matthew Richardson to return to training on Friday
Jon Ralph | July 09, 2009

RICHMOND star Matthew Richardson will tomorrow make a significant breakthrough in his recovery from hamstring issues.

Richardson will joins the Tigers' main training group, hopes to return to football in three or four weeks, and is still open-minded about playing on next year.

The 34-year-old has tested his surgically repaired hamstring with sprints at full speed and is confident of playing the last month in the Richmond seniors.

But Richardson knows he is likely to return through the VFL, which would mean only his second stint for Coburg.

His only VFL game was in July 2002, after he berated a teammate for a poor pass while the ball was still in mid-flight and was banished by coach Danny Frawley.

Related LinksTigers coach: Sheeds a real candidate
Richardson yesterday joked that his Coburg form that day was nothing special: he struggled to get a kick and was reported for wrestling.

But he is thrilled with the way his hamstring has recovered after he tore it badly in Round 6 against Sydney.

"It's going really well. I have completed most of the running stuff I had to do before I got back into training," he said.

"I am back into sprinting at full pace and twisting and turning. I just need to get back into full training now so I reckon I am at least three to four weeks away.

"I need to do it for a few weeks, I can't just do it for one session. If I can do that for three or four weeks at the most with no setbacks I should be right."

Richardson said his surgeon told him they initially had little hope of him playing again this year.

"When I first did it the surgeon probably thought I would be lucky to get back this year. They sort of said I might get back for a couple of games, but deep down they thought I wouldn't. To get back this quick is pretty positive."

Last month Richardson seemed pessimistic about his chances of playing on next year, but he is happy to be guided by the club's next coach.

"When you are halfway through a rehab program, you are not feeling that positive about anything," he said.

"Now that I am getting to the light at the end of the tunnel, if I come out and feel like I am running around OK, I will sit down with all parties involved and make a decision, but it won't be about me, it will be about what's right for club."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25754435-19742,00.html

[julzqld]

Music to my ears 

[one-eyed]

All systems go for Richo comeback
richmondfc.com.au
By Matthew Richardson Thu 09 July, 2009

I'M LIKE a kid given the run of a toy store or a fun park – I'm that excited it's ridiculous.

After weeks of just running laps, I'm about to hit the track for real, getting back out there with the other boys doing proper footy training.

I'm pretty optimistic about it all – I'm 100 per cent certain that I'll play at least two or three games, hopefully in the Richmond senior team.

The injury – it was a torn hamstring tendon, and I don't blame you if you can't remember that, it feels like it was years ago that I did it – is going really well. I'm back to full-pace running, and I'll be joining in with the full group either later this week or first thing next week for skills, so it's really coming along well.

I guess now I really feel like I've got over the hill and I'm coming down the other side. I'm getting pretty excited – for a month there you're just trudging around on your own doing rehab, and it's very hard to be motivated and positive, but once you start realising you're about to get back in with the group, the excitement and the motivation come rushing back because you're so keen to get out there.

Once you do that, you need to then complete about three weeks of full training, maybe a little more, so tentatively we're looking at about round 18 or 19. Of course, that depends on how it responds to full training – twisting, turning, jumping, landing. If it responds well we're looking at round 18, but it could be a little bit after that if it doesn't go quite as well as we hope.

Clearly, the days of coming straight back into the AFL after a significant layoff are gone – I'll be back through the VFL, like quite a few of us have been this year. The footy's too hard now and you can't just go straight out there and expect to slot into AFL level footy immediately, so I think you need a game to adjust a little bit.

People keep asking me what it's like to have my brother-in-law as coach. I can tell you he's going really well – I haven't really had a lot to do with him yet in his role as senior coach, because he's obviously got other things to worry about rather than blokes out there running around doing laps as part of their rehab, but I see what's happening and how he's doing things and it's all good.

We speak every day, obviously – when you walk into the club you touch base and talk about the footy, or what's on for the week, but I'm sure it's going to be different when I'm talking to him about where I'm going to be playing on the weekend, or what sort of role he wants me to play.

We haven't had those discussions yet, but I'm certainly looking forward to it.

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/80256/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

Richo back on track
richmondfc.com.au
By Mic Cullen 11:50 AM Fri 10 July, 2009

RICHMOND legend Matthew Richardson has made a successful return to the training track, working with the main Tigers group for the first time since major surgery earlier in the year.

Richardson hasn't played since he underwent surgery to his partially-torn hamstring tendon after the Tigers lost to Sydney back in round six.

The 34-year-old moved well during the almost hour-long session.

"He will join in skills training this morning," senior coach Jade Rawlings said from Punt Rd on Friday morning before the session.

"He's a great healer, and his diligence towards his rehab is second to none, so he is at a stage where he's completed a lot of lactic-running and multiple-effort running.

"He'll pick up the skills today. It won't be much, but it's another step forward in his progress, and round 18 or 19 looks like his comeback date."

More to follow

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/80380/default.aspx

[one-eyed]

A caller to SEN just said he's been driving up and down Punt Rd this morning and saw Richo doing everything - join in main drills with the squad. He was doing a heap of 200m runs and looked fantastic and any new coach who doesn't think he's right o go around again next year is kidding themselves.