Here are mine.
11. He kicked 7 in the last game of 1993 against the Saints in Waverley. Knew we had a champion. Followed it up by kicking 8 against the Dogs in Rd 1 1994 at the Western Oval and another 7 against Brisbane Bears at the G in rd 2.
10. We all lamented his kicking but till he did his knee in 1995 he had kicked 27.3 in 9 games. He could kick straight and in those games he was taking avg 12 marks a game and tearing defences apart with his running.
9. He has come back from injuries twice and given the team we have played first up a real scare. 6 against the Bombers in rd 1 1996. 7 out of 10 against the Swans in 2004 at the SCG.
8. The 7.6 he kicked on SOS at the G in rd 10 1996. Took 18 marks and gave him a bath. Pity an ineffective Gale kick out from the backline and Heavers one and only touched sealed the win for the Scum that day.
7. The 22 marks he took against the Roys in their last Melbourne game. Sure we were playing lame ducks that day but he was professional and clinical and did what he had to do.
6. In 1998 we played Carlscum mid season on a Friday night. Others may remember that game as Justin Plapp's first or second game when he kicked 5. Richo kicked 5 or 6 too but what I found funny was kid was eating Skittles or Mand M's behind the goals and was throwing them at Kouta who was daring him to eat them off the turf which left Richo in stitches. At the end of the game Richo shook Kouta's hand walked to the fence and the kid promptly opened his hand and gave him some sweets.
5. Dreamtime 2007, the courage he showed that night after being injured the Friday night before against the Crows and the game he played that night was just superb and its just a shame the umps will be remembered more for one pivotal decision to most people who were there or watching on telly.
4. His 200th game against Port at the Dome. We were 28 points down during the 2nd quarter. Richo takes a speccy in the square and we hit the front at half time and go on with it to register a 56 point win against the reigning champs. Richo inspired.
3. The rd 21 2001 game. Richo has kicked 7 points for the night. We are 2 points down after we led by 33 early on and the clock is ticking. Up steps the big fella. He pushes Teague of North in the face and takes a big back mark 15 out Punt Rd end. He puts it through and we win by 4 points.
2. His 10 goals against the Dogs and the Richo roar that erupted across the terraces at the MCG. I always knew he would do it one day and I was just grateful as it turned out in the end that I was privileged enough to be there on that Saturday afternoon in round 8 2004. Pity it was our last win of the year.
1.His entire 2008 season. From kicking 5 in the 2nd half against the Cheating Lying Scum in rd 1 to his transformation to deadly midfielder that showcased all his skills and all his qualities throughout the remainder of that season.To the night we all hoped he would get 2 more votes and he would have gone home with Charlie around his neck. I don't think there EVER would have been a more popular winner.
Richo a champion for 17 years.
