Confident Jack Riewoldt predicts big future Tony Sheahan
Sunday Herald Sun
December 19, 2010 RICHMOND fans can rejoice. The club's No. 1 player Jack Riewoldt has forecast a very big year, not only for the club, but for himself as well.
Riewoldt has just returned to full-scale training after surgery to repair tendons in his pinky finger on his right hand.
"My first full session was last Monday, so I'm right back into it," he said. "I've been champing at the bit to get back into training, I've even been hassling people."
The Tigers spearhead injured his finger in a match back in round two against the Western Bulldogs.
"I fractured my finger and frayed the tendons earlier this year, but it's not going to hold me back."
The finger injury gave Riewoldt a new-found appreciation for players suffering long-term injuries.
"My love for the game keeps burning and burning brighter than ever before. It's hard watching the boys train from the sidelines whilst in rehab.
"I've got a new level of respect for them, guys like Nathan Foley who have been rehab for a while. But now I'm really looking forward to 2011."
A dossier from the club's coaching team, which was released this week, said Riewoldt had to become more team-orientated as well as defensive.
He returned fire admitting there were aspects of his game that required improvement, but he was happy with his progress all the same.
"People will always say stuff and pick things out, but I'm happy with where I sit in the side," he said. "I know where I've got to improve and if I want to improve as a player, I've got to get better at everything. There are aspects that I have to get better at. I have to get better at marking, get better at playing more one-on-one football and better at learning the structures to help the team out.
"Every aspect of my game I have to improve on."
He said there was a major cultural shift underway at Punt Road and was looking forward to reaping the rewards soon.
"We're excited and enthusiastic down at Richmond. One thing that we're going to do is become really professional.
"The club hasn't had a lot of success of late so we as players are ready to rectify that for the Richmond football club.
"We are going to be young next year and we're going to be exciting. It's going to be quite enjoyable for our fans to watch our brand of football next season. We've got great kids coming through. The players are really excited about the future and where it's going to take us."
He singled out big years for David Astbury, who will don the No.12 jumper worn by club legend Matthew Richardson, and cult hero Dustin Martin.
But he added: "It doesn't matter how good an individual player is, it's what you can do as a team and I think we've got the right mix to take this club forward."
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/confident-jack-riewoldt-predicts-big-future/story-e6frf9jf-1225973284030
