What to do when it's a slow newsday? Bag Richo

[WilliamPowell]

This is part of an article written by Patrick Smith from today's Australian (9/6/05)

Titled:
"Richo, Tarrant fail still to make top-shelf ascent"

June 09, 2005

FOOTBALL is a seriously funny business. Humour can be generated by watching people being too earnest. Mick Malthouse, the shepherd, ponders about his ox; Kevin Sheedy once had police investigate Hawthorn's drinks; Des Tuddenham had his players crawl around Windy Hill on their hands and knees.....

Matthew Richardson came to Richmond under the father-son rule. The AFL media guide noted that he was exciting and a good mark. He first played in 1993, won a nomination for the rising star award and was marked as an enormous talent.

He averaged nearly seven marks and more than two goals a game in his debut season. One year on he was averaging less disposals but more goals (2.9). In 1996 he played 22 games, averaged eight marks and kicked 4.1 goals a game. This season he is 30 years old, averaging less than seven marks a game and kicking three goals a game, just on his career average.

Richardson is no better now than he was when he joined the competition. His kicking remains poor - technically it has always been wretched - and his body language has not changed. When disappointed with play coming into him, he flaps his arms and shakes his head. He has not been All-Australian since 1999, has not won the club's best and fairest. He has been passed over for the captaincy.

True, injuries have not been kind, a knee reconstruction included.

Still, his game would have always been one-dimensional. He does not appear to know the game intuitively enough to be dangerous when pushed up the field. The coach must set him schoolboy rules for when and when not to kick for goal. For Richmond, he has been something alright but he could have been anything. Instead he has been Richo. Fabulous but flawed. He is barely better than when he arrived at Punt Road, the son of Bull. .....


Both Richardson and Tarrant came to the game highly skilled, highly fancied and would still be considered by coaches building a team from scratch. But mostly they have remained static in a game that has flourished all around them.
If men so gifted can under-achieve, then these two have done it. At times they can walk on water, mostly they just tread it.
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For the full article see:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15553245%255E12270,00.html

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Clearly Patrick has issues, lost the plot (though I suppose it's hard to lose something you've never had ) and clearly hasn't seen much footy this season ..

Certainly must be a slow newsday

[JohnF]

Richo has his faults, I have been critical of him as well, but to categorise him with a show pony soft kok like Tarrant is a joke and a disgrace.

[julzqld]

Um hello??!!  Does this guy know anything?  Excuse me, but where is Tarrant compared to Richo when it comes to leading goalkickers and markers?   Richo is 4th leading goalkicker compared to 12th and 3rd leading marker to Tarrant's 55th.  And how come everyone bags Richo about the bad body language and Buckley never rated a mention.

People could be excused for thinking that Patrick Smith wrote for Truth and not the Australian!

[2JD]

YEAH!!!! What she said!!!!!!!!!

[letsgetiton!]

patrick smith is as credible as caro wilson!

he has no idea what he is on about, and in that article he has made such a fool of himself!!!

not even mike sheehan writes that much rubbish

[mightytiges]

This season he is 30 years old, averaging less than seven marks a game and kicking three goals a game, just on his career average.

So at 30 years of age he's still playing to his career average of roughly 7 marks and 3 goals per game. Yeah what a disgrace  .

Despite Richo's obvious flaws, Patrick Smth made no mention of Richo playing in pathetically skilled teams for most of his career (and under coaches who in the main had NFI about the way modern footy is played and how the ball is meant to be delivered to forwards).

As for putting Tarrant in the same league as Richo  . IIRC Tarrant is lucky to have averaged 2 goals a game despite being baby fed by Buckley and hasn't taken a contested mark in his life!

[WilliamPowell]

He averaged nearly seven marks and more than two goals a game in his debut season. One year on he was averaging less disposals but more goals (2.9). In 1996 he played 22 games, averaged eight marks and kicked 4.1 goals a game. This season he is 30 years old, averaging less than seven marks a game and kicking three goals a game, just on his career average.

You dill Patrick - the fact that he is averaging 8.72 marks a game this seaosn is irrelevant I suppose (96 marks in 11 games). That fact that he is again is leading the competition in contested marks is probably a nothing stat as well. You wanna know why he leads in this category? The crap delivery he gets.

Richardson is no better now than he was when he joined the competition. His kicking remains poor - technically it has always been wretched - and his body language has not changed. When disappointed with play coming into him, he flaps his arms and shakes his head. He has not been All-Australian since 1999, has not won the club's best and fairest. He has been passed over for the captaincy.

How easy it is to say that. We have all been critical of the body language over the years but for crying out loud it is one area that I reckon ever Richmond person and even some in the media has improved out of sight in the last few seasons. Especially this season.

As for Richo being no better - the pot is calling the kettle black here IMHO because I reckon Patricks efforts in his articles are no better since he came back from sick leave.

[Tigertailz]

This is  Patrick Smith at his pathetic best  people.

Thank God he doesnt write for The Age anymore.