Congrats Richo on 200 spectacular games

[mightytiges]

Congratulations big fella on 200 games that made us roar, cheer, laugh, cry, left amazed, remained stunned and bang our heads in frustration. There is only one Richo  .

Also he still needs 4 goals to bring up the 600 career goals mark.

Hope Richo has a better celebration than Gas did on Sunday and the Tiges can pull off a win in a milestone game.

ps. If a drooling woman from Queensland runs onto the field after you, I don't know who she is  .

[letsgetiton!]

well done richo, its time we won a milestone game!

[Moi]

Thank you Richo for 200 games of pure magic.
You make me laugh, most times you make me cry lol, but I"m so glad you played for us.
Would not miss this match to honour you for the world.
Congratulations Champ

ps. If a drooling woman from Queensland runs onto the field after you, I don't know who she is  .

It's all right, MT, she'll be with me.  And for safekeeping, i'm handcuffing her to her seat 

We should sing the Richo Ode on Sunday.  Here it is again (to Advance Australia Fair):

Richmond fans let us rejoice for he is young and free
Running wild like a five year old child around the M.C.G.
He runs he kicks he takes big marks he is the son of Bull
As often as he kicks great goals he kicks out on the full
In tearful strains the Cheer Squad sings "don't kick out on the full"
Richo abound in natures gifts he has much more then most
That doesn't mean from ten yards out he still won't hit the post
Though we forgive him all his sins and consider him so fine
Against the 'pies we shut our eyes as he crossed the boundary line
In tearful strains the Cheer Squad sings "lookout - the boundary line"
Despite not always being all there with Richo we're still happy
But if he can't get his pooh together we're going to go with Plappy
If he can't get his pooh worked out we're going to go with Plappy

http://www.acslink.aone.net.au/dc/ode.html

[julzqld]

I don't know what you two are on about ???

Wouldn't it be great if Richo kicked those 4 goals on Sunday - 600 goals and 200 games on the same day.

[om21]

Its been one hell of a ride Richo.....and I wouldnt have it any other way!

[WilliamPowell]

ps. If a drooling woman from Queensland runs onto the field after you, I don't know who she is  .

It's all right, MT, she'll be with me.  And for safekeeping, i'm handcuffing her to her seat 

I don't know what you two are on about ???

I'll be keeping an eye on the both of ya

[Moi]

I'll be keeping an eye on the both of ya   

Who me? lol 

[JohnF]

Richo has been the most entertaining player to watch in the last 10 years.

He is life itself encapsulated in one man: tragic, but ultimately worth it

Congrats on 100 great games

And 100 shockers

[one-eyed]

Take a bow, Richo
9:55:23 AM Wed 27 April, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au

Even Richmond coach Terry Wallace admits his club's fans have a love/hate relationship with champion spearhead Matthew Richardson.

But as the Tigers' highest profile player prepares to become the 21st Richmond player to play 200 AFL games this weekend, Wallace is in no doubt just how one of the most exciting and frustrating players in the competition should be regarded.

"It should be a love/love relationship because in all my time in footy I don’t think I've ever seen a player who does as much for his club as Matty does for Richmond on and off the field."

Richardson even won a major charity award last year for doing the most work in that area of any AFL player in the competition, a facet of his character always overlooked amidst the constant inquisitions into his kicking for goal and body language out on the field.
 
And while he is the first to admit his past mistakes, Richardson has no doubt he is better now in all the areas he has been criticised for than he has been at any stage of a career that began way back in 1993.

"I knew one thing we wouldn't get through this (press conference to mark his 200th game) without my goalkicking coming up," he joked.

"I've had my share of misses over the years and I make the highlights reel for the wrong reason but over the journey my goalkicking hasn't been as bad as some people think and I have got a better percentage than some people who are regarded as good kicks."

Richardson joked that "it has only taken me 13 years" to cut out some of his legendary errors but vowed his poor body language - he was once dropped in 2002 after publicly berating teammates for mistakes during a game - was no longer a problem.

"Over the last two or three years I can’t remember too many instances of being told it (his body language) is no good," he said.

"And we (Richardson and new coach Wallace) haven’t had any issues with it this year but it's something I will keep working on."

Richardson admitted most of the criticism he has copped over the years has been warranted but says it no longer bothers him.

"Once you get a perception about you as a player it's hard to change it and whatever people think of me doesn't worry me anymore."

But while Richardson has copped plenty of criticism for his ability to miss the easiest of goals on occasions, his ability to overcome adversity and to make the hardest skill in the game - taking contested marks - look almost ridiculously easy can never be questioned.

During his career Richardson, prior to last week's clash against St Kilda, had taken more marks during that time - 1513 - than any other player in the competition at an average of nearly eight per game.

In the same period - 1993-2005 - he has also kicked 596 goals, an average of three per game despite for most of that time playing in a struggling side and often battling two and three opponents at once - with only Matthew Lloyd, Sav Rocca and Wayne Carey having kicked more.

He has also kicked the most behinds in that period - 392 - but his average of two behinds per game is still outweighed by three goals per game giving him an accuracy percentage of about 60.

And if he kicks four goals against Port on Sunday he will become only the fourth Richmond player behind Jack Titus (970 goals), Kevin Bartlett (778) and Michael Roach (607) to kick 600 goals for the Tigers and his effort to top the club's goalkicking on nine occasions (in the past 11 years) has been bettered by only Titus with 11.

And he has to fight back from a knee re-construction in 1995 and a serious foot injury which cost him nearly all of the 2000 season as well arm, elbow and hamstring injuries and a fractured cheekbone.

But now all he wants, after so many individual achievements, is some team success for the club he grew up barracking for after his father Alan played in the Tigers' 1967 premiership side.

"I'd much rather win games for Richmond because after playing for this long and not having much success individual awards don't mean much now."

"I have only played in one winning final (the 2001 semi-final against Carlton) in 13 years
and my father played in a premiership side and I wouldn't mind duplicating that.'

Richardson, who turned 30 last month, admits he will have to play for another three to four years at least to have a chance of achieving that goal but that is exactly what he is prepared to do - on one condition.

"As long as I hold my pace I could do that and I don’t think I would want to keep playing if I lost that," he said.

"But as long as I have still got that explosiveness I will keep playing."

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=198815

[one-eyed]

The best and worst of Richo
9:44:51 AM Wed 27 April, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au

Matthew Richardson's AFL highlights reel would probably be more spectacular than just about any current player in the competition.

His ability to take strong pack marks and kick team-lifting goals has made him one of the most idolised players in Richmond's long history.

On the other hand, his ability to miss the easiest of goals and at times let his passion for his beloved Tigers - for whom his father played in a premiership - get out of control through poor body language, has also made him a target for much ridicule over the years, particularly from opposition supporters.

As Richardson prepares to play his 200th game on Sunday, against Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome, here are some of the highs and lows of a remarkable career in which he has rarely been out of the headlines.

THE HIGHS:

1993: Makes his debut at age 18 after being a father/son selection in the 1992 national draft.

1993, round 10: First serves notice of his huge potential by taking 14 marks and kicking six goals in only his fourth AFL game, against Sydney.

1994: Wins Richmond's goalkicking award for the first time kicking 56 goals in 19 games.

1996, round one: Returns from a serious knee injury in devastating fashion, taking 10 marks and kicking six goals against the Bombers.

1996: Ends the season with a career best 91 goals and is named in the All-Australian side for the first time. The highlight is a career best 21 marks against Fitzroy in the Lions' last ever game in Melbourne in round 21 but the following week the Tigers go down to eventual premiers the Kangaroos and miss out yet again on the finals.

1999: Takes 172 marks for the season, the most in the AFL, and kicks 67 goals to win All-Australian selection for the second time. Leads Richmond's best and fairest count for most of the night and looks set to win his first Jack Dyer Medal but is beaten into second place by Wayne Campbell but the Tigers again miss the finals as Jeff Gieschen is replaced by Danny Frawley.

2001: Plays all 22 games and kicks 59 goals and takes the most marks in the AFL at an average of eight per game. Leads the Tigers into only their second finals series in 19 years and his first since joining the club nearly a decade before. Plays in his only winning final, against Carlton in the semi-finals but the Tigers bow out in the preliminary final in Brisbane.

2001, round 21 v Kangaroos at the MCG: The match for which many defines the good and the bad of Richardson's career. With the Tigers' hopes of a top four finish in the balance in the penultimate round of the season he takes 17 marks but undoes all his good work with six behinds. But with the Tigers trailing by less than a kick in the dying seconds he takes a screamer in the square and finally kicks straight to give his club a four point win.

2002: Rescues his career after the mid-season drama following the round 14 clash against Carlton (see below) with 22 goals in the last six rounds. Signs a new three year contract with the Tigers ending speculation he would leave the club.

2003: Captains the side during part of the season in the absence of Campbell and takes 173 marks for the season to win the Tigers' goalkicking for the eighth time.

2004, round eight: Boots a career best ten goals against the Bulldogs after kicking seven out of ten the previous week against Sydney at the SCG and wins the Tigers' goalkicking award for a staggering ninth time in 11 seasons.

2005: Is appointed deputy vice-captain under new coach Terry Wallace.

2005, round four: Boots four goals in the third quarter alone as the Tigers thrash Fremantle at the MCG, giving their supporters hope that the team might finally be ready to improve after three lean years.

2005: round six: Plays 200th game v Port Adelaide.

THE LOWS:

1995, round 9: Crashes into the fence at the SCG and seriously injures his knee missing the rest of the season, including the Tigers' first finals campaign in 13 years.

1997: Breaks arm and misses three matches but still manages to kick 47 goals in 19 games to win the Tigers' goalkicking award for the third time.

1998: Injures his elbow during the pre-season competition and then misses two more games with a fractured cheekbone but still kicks 55 goals for the season to be the Tigers' leading goalkicker for the fourth time.

2000: Seriously injures his foot in the round four loss to Fremantle. Needs four screws inserted to repair a ruptured ligament on the top of his foot, a rare AFL injury, and misses the rest of the season.

2002: After kicking six goals in the opening match against Collingwood, he tears his hamstring on two separate occasions missing first three and then five matches in the first half of the season.

2002, round 14: Endures arguably his worst night as a Richmond player when he refuses to bend down to attempt to mark an errant pass from Matthew Knights and instead gestures furiously towards one of the Tigers' most respected players. Also argues in the goalsquare with David Rodan after the pair get in a mix-up and cost the Tigers a goal. Is dropped for the next match by coach Danny Frawley and his career at Richmond seems in jeopardy.

2004: Is dropped from the club's leadership group and despite single-handedly winning three games for the Tigers for the season (see above), the clubs loses its last 14 games for the season and ends up with the wooden spoon as Frawley is replaced by Wallace.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=198800

[Ox]

"He is just a man, mortal in fact"

Onya Bigfella 

[julzqld]

But what a man!

[Roar]

Well done richo on the double ton I hope the boys can pull off a miracale on Sunday to celebrate.

[one-eyed]

Richo in elite Tiger company
12:39:45 PM Thu 28 April, 2005
Rhett Bartlett
richmondfc.com.au

Matthew Richardson will become just the third son of a former Richmond player to achieve 200 games for the Tigers, when he lines up against Port Adelaide at Telstra Dome this Sunday.

And, it could be a double celebration, as ‘Richo’ is just four goals away from becoming the fourth Richmond player to kick 600 goals.

His 200th game will see him join an elite group of second-generation footballers who have reached the milestone for Richmond. Kevin O'Neill and Francis Bourke are the others on the list.

 
O'Neill played 208 games from 1930-41 as a defender, after his father, Edward O'Neill, represented Richmond for 11 games in 1901 when the Club was competing in the VFA.

Francis Bourke, who played 300 games (including five premierships wins), and was recently elevated to ‘Immortal’ status at Tigerland, followed in the footsteps of his father, Frank Bourke, who played for the Club in 1943 and 1946-47.

Interestingly, Matthew Richardson will become the first 200-game player, whose father played in a Richmond premiership. Alan 'Bull' Richardson represented the Tigers from 1959-69, and was a member of the drought-breaking 1967 premiership side.

Richo will be the 21st player to reach the 200-game milestone for Richmond, and he’ll be equal with another goalkicking great, Michael Roach, on the Club’s all-time games list.

Unlike ‘Disco’ Roach, however, Richo becomes one of just four 200-game Tiger veterans not to have played in a premiership (joining Brendon Gale, Matthew Knights and Wayne Campbell).

The current list of 200-game players for the Tigers are:

403 – Kevin Bartlett
312 – Jack Dyer
300 – Francis Bourke
294 – Jack Titus
280 – Wayne Campbell
279 – Matthew Knights
274 – Dale Weightman
263 – Percy Bentley
263 – Vic Thorp
251 – Kevin Sheedy
245 – Roger Dean
244 – Brendon Gale
238 – Mervyn Keane
233 – Mark Lee
223 – Jim Jess
219 – David Cloke
213 – Dick Clay
209 – Bryan Wood
208 – Kevin O'Neill
200 – Michael Roach
200 – Matthew Richardson

* Note that Darren Gaspar reached the AFL 200-game milestone last weekend, but 21 of those appearances were with the Sydney Swans.

Rhett Bartlett
www.rhettrospective.com

http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=199095

[DallasCrane]

Well done Richo, congrats on 200 great games for the Tigers. I will always admire how much you love the club, I remember when Carlton threw heaps of money at you to go over to the Blues, but you said couldn't go because you love Richmond.

It always annoys me to see that Richo is never mentioned in the top echelon of forwards of the game, he has kicked more than the forwards that most journos bring up as the games 'greats'

And I will never be able to judge this properly, being the one eyed supporter that I am, but even when I try and look at it objectively, Richo has been treated deplorably by the umpires over his career. All the jumper holding, bear hugs, and other illegal tactics that have been used on him over the years, yet he still gets a free called against him when he barely touches someone.

A lot of my mates bag Richo but all of them concede that they would love him in their forward line, and at 30 years he is looking as fit as ever, even he thinks he has got 4 seasons left in him.

GO RICHO! YOU CHAMPION!