Jack Riewoldt - Triple Coleman medallist [merged]

[mightytiges]

Jack said his cousin Nick has been like a big brother and told him to just go out play your natural game like the U10's.

He should have played in the Geelong game then.   

[one-eyed]

Jack tracking famous steps
by: Paul Gough
Sportal

Full article at: http://sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=99099

"Forty years ago we had a guy from Clarence (in Hobart) make his debut (for Richmond) as a 19-year-old against Essendon and now 40 years later we have got another centre-half-forward from Clarence playing his first game against the Bombers," Wallace said.

Wallace said he would have no hesitation in starting Riewoldt in a game expected to attract a crowd of around 60,000.

"You are out there wanting them to play against the best so let them get out there and play," he said.

Riewoldt said he has learned to live with comparisons with his famous cousin, who has already won three best and fairests at St Kilda by the age of 24.

"I have sort of gotten use to it, Nick has been in the AFL system for six years now and is such a high-profile player," he said.

"I have always had those comparisons, obviously while I was playing for Tasmania in the VFL so I am not too conscious about it."

"We are completely different players, completely different people so I will just go out there and concentrate on what the coaching staff want me to do."

"He only lives about 10 minutes down the road from me and he has been like an older brother," Riewoldt said of the Saints' co-captain.

"And he has said to me just go out there and be yourself and go out and play like you did when you were playing under 10s."

Riewoldt said the previous biggest crowd he has played in front of was just 11,000 but judging on his assured performance at Tuesday's 'Dreamtime at the G' press conference - when he engaged in plenty of banter with the Bombers' mischievous veteran coach Kevin Sheedy - he looks the type of player who will not be fazed by the pressure of playing in front of big crowds.

"I am looking forward to it big time," he said of the chance to play in front of 60,000 fans.

"Obviously I have got my chance now and I want to grab it with two hands."

http://sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=99099

[bluey_21]

Congrats Jack 

[one-eyed]

Jack Riewoldt to stand alone
May 22, 2007 12:00am
Article from: Herald-Sun

RICHMOND'S Jack Riewoldt has a pedigree more like Royce Hart's than his famous cousin Nick, but doesn't want to be cast in either shadow.

The Tigers will debut Riewoldt in Saturday night's AFL game against Essendon at the MCG as they chase their first win of the season.

As Tigers coach Terry Wallace noted today, it was 40 years ago that Richmond first played Hart, a gangly, strong-marking forward from Clarence, Tasmania.

Hart became a champion, and Wallace would dearly love the same of another teenager from Clarence, who gets a game because of the fractured eye socket suffered by Matthew Richardson last Friday night against Adelaide.

Most fans will immediately look for the comparison between Jack and Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda's co-captain and one of the league's modern-day stars.

Nick this week advised Jack to enjoy the moment of playing before a crowd six times bigger than any he has played in front of, and to be himself.

Jack Riewoldt knows there will be comparisons between he and his cousin, but is ready for it and now uses it to his advantage.

"I've got used to it, Nick's been in the AFL for six years now and is such a high-profile player," he said.

"So I've always had those sort of comparisons the last couple of years of playing VFL in Tasmania.

"I'm not too conscious about it.

"We're completely different players and completely different people, so I'll just go out there and concentrate on what the coaching staff want me to do and what they think leads me to playing a good game of footy."

Riewoldt admitted there had been occasions through his teenage years where he felt the expectation of his famous surname weighing heavily.

"I've had stages where you look back and think `How come I got blessed with this last name?'," he said.

"But it's got its upsides too.

"People always look in the paper and if they see your last name there they come along to the footy and see how you go."

Riewoldt said his biggest challenge over the next two days was not playing the game out in his mind.

It was here Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy tried to meddle and seized with some good-natured mind games at today's press conference.

"It's a scary game, Jack . . . there'll be 70,000 there, mate," he said.

"I'm telling you - sweat every night before you get to the game."

Wallace is likely to ease any jitters Riewoldt has by throwing him straight into the fray.

"He's out there and you want him to play against the best, so let him get out and play," Wallace said.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21776052-11088,00.html

[one-eyed]

Jack Riewoldt plays it cool
23 May 2007   Herald-Sun
Mark Robinson

THEY say he has spunk and the young bloke with the famous surname -- Jack Riewoldt -- wasn't put off by Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy's barbs down the table yesterday.

Riewoldt, 18, has been picked to play in his first game for Richmond and yesterday Sheedy playfully played mind games.

This will be Dreamtime at the 'G, Sheedy said, big crowd and plenty of noise.

"It's a scary game, Jack," Sheedy joked. "There'll be 70,000 there, mate, and you'll sweat every night before you get to the game.

"Feeling nervous, Jack?"

Riewoldt didn't bite, didn't spruik, didn't do too much at all except laugh at the Bombers coach.

"I've met Kevin a few times, at draft camp, and I had a meeting with him at Wrest Point Casino in Tasmania and he gave me a copy of his book," Riewoldt said.

"Everyone knows Kevin likes to poke fun, and it's actually a great honour to be up on the same sort of stage."

Riewoldt's selection follows a stand-out performance for Coburg against Tasmania last week.

He booted two goals in the first half and then, in a 20-minute burst in the third quarter, set up five goals and a Tigers win.

From Clarence, Tasmania, Riewoldt will likely be a centre half-forward.

For the romantics, the last centre half-forward from Clarence to debut with the Tigers was Royce Hart.

The comparison, at the moment, stays right there.

Riewoldt, a cousin of Nick, who he describes as a big brother, said his previous journey to the MCG was to watch a Carlton-Collingwood game.

"I've only been to the one game here, sat up in the old cement grandstand down that end of the G, and that was a pretty good experience," he said.

Tigers coach Terry Wallace said he would play Riewoldt from the first bounce.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21778875%255E20322,00.html

[one-eyed]

More on Jack from the Age:

Riewoldt appreciated the irony that sitting next to him at yesterday's function was Krakouer, whose errant boot, by smashing into the face of Matthew Richardson in Adelaide last Friday, has led to his selection as the replacement key forward.

A journalist asked if he'd thanked Krakouer. "I wouldn't say I'd thanked him. Terry (Wallace) would probably rather have 'Richo' than myself. But obviously I've got my chance from that situation so I need to grab it with two hands."

http://realfooty.com.au/news/news/indigenous-footys-strength/2007/05/22/1179601410576.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

[mightytiges]

Good luck to Jack tomorrow night. There's been a big build-up to him playing so hopefully his self-confident personality settles the nerves and he can contribute and do the job asked of him by Plough.

[one-eyed]

What did we all think of Jack in his debut game?

[Stephanie]

I think he did pretty well... quick hands to give Jacko what has to be a nomination for goal of the year lol. He's got alot of enthusiasm and I would like to see him kept in the team next week

[bluey_21]

4.5/10

[Ramps]

He was average but I liked his enthusiasm. Needs more games we must keep him in for the next 3 or 4 weeks atleast.

[Fishfinger]

Quiet night but there's something about him. I think he'll be dragging people through the turnstyles soon enough.

[WilliamPowell]

Ok - lot to learn, Though the tempo of the game found him out a couple of times.

Lot to look forward too 

[one-eyed]

Jack shakes off the nerves
10:55 AM Mon 23 July, 2007
By Jason Phelan
for richmondfc.com.au

WITHOUT putting too much pressure on the lad, it’s fair to say that the Tigers had big plans for Jack Riewoldt when they drafted him in the first round of last year’s NAB AFL National Draft.

The 18-year-old kicked his first goal for Richmond – his first three, in fact – against Port Adelaide on Sunday and did enough to suggest the Tigers invested pick No.13 wisely.

“I’m three games in now and I’m starting to get used to the tempo; it’s good to finally get a few on the scoreboard,” Riewoldt said.

His first goal came late in the first quarter after he marked an Adam Pattison pass 40 metres out directly in front, and he admitted he was relieved to have it under his belt.

“I had a shot a couple of weeks ago against the Kangaroos and it sort of swung away to the left,” he recalled, “but this one was a bit closer in front and it went through the middle and I was pretty pumped.

“It’s good to just get that first one on the board and get the nerves out of the way.”

Riewoldt’s second major was probably the most impressive, kicked from the boundary line, and his third came after a towering mark over Port’s Troy Chaplin.

“You don’t really look to kick goals from that far out wide and I was looking for a pass off, but I had to take the shot and it just snuck in, which was good,” he said.

“I think I just got lucky [with that mark]. The ball kicked up a little bit and I got a nice little ride and it stayed in the mitts, so I was pretty pleased with that.”

As delighted as he was to have kicked off what will hopefully turn out to be an impressive career goal tally, Riewoldt was disappointed that he couldn’t be part of a win in Matthew Richardson’s 250th game.

The young Tasmanian has learnt a lot from the champion spearhead and hopes to follow in his footsteps.

“He’s my hero,” Riewoldt said. “He’s one of the main blokes I look up to at the club, and I can’t speak highly enough of his endeavour and the way he holds the Richmond Football Club in his heart. Hopefully one day I can have same sort of impact.”

Anyone who watched the game would have noticed Riewoldt’s exuberant post-goal celebrations, but don’t expect him to be retreating into his shell anytime soon.

“The last couple of weeks at Coburg I’ve been celebrating pretty hard, and Terry said during the week, ‘Don’t change your game at all’,” he said.

“That’s the person I am, so I’ll keep doing it.”

http://www.richmondfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/6301/Default.aspx?newsId=47794

[tigersalive]

Anyone who watched the game would have noticed Riewoldt’s exuberant post-goal celebrations, but don’t expect him to be retreating into his shell anytime soon.

“The last couple of weeks at Coburg I’ve been celebrating pretty hard, and Terry said during the week, ‘Don’t change your game at all’,” he said.

“That’s the person I am, so I’ll keep doing it.”

Thank god for that. 

Got to encourage the kids celebrate, unlike what the leadership group did to Ezra Poyas those years ago.