RIEWOLDT REVEALS HOW TIGERS' GRAND TRADE PLANS LED TO RETIREMENT BACKFLIPBy Seb Mottram
SEN
25 February 2023Jack Riewoldt says the key factor behind him staying at Richmond for a 17th season was the club’s recruitment of ex-Giants Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.
The Tigers were one of the stories of the trade period when pulling off trades for both Taranto and Hopper as numerous Giants fled the nest.
Damien Hardwick’s midfield was the big beneficiary, with Richmond turning one of the league’s weaker midfields into one of the most talented in a single trade period.
It singled an intent from the Tigers that they once again believed they were in the premiership window, and Riewoldt is excited for the year ahead.
“It’s pretty handy to go and get two of the most premium midfielders that were available over the trade period and plug them straight into the midfield,” Riewoldt told SEN Tassie Breakfast.
“Also got some young kids who are either going into their second year or a couple of first-year boys we picked up who we think are pretty exciting players. There’s a bit to like at the Tiges at the moment…”
Riewoldt, who booted 40 goals in 2022, turned 34 at the conclusion of last season and was widely tipped to retire. It’s a sentiment that the Richmond forward himself shared, but said the club’s lofty ambitions convinced him to go around one more time.
He and former skipper Trent Cotchin both signed new one-year deals in September.
“At the star of last year I probably thought it was going to be my last year of footy, and to be honest, the thing that has kept me reinvigorated… that’s sort of buoyed out of the fact we went and got the two boys out of GWS and the club had that strong roll of the dice whilst trying to live in the now and win premierships we’ve invested in the draft,” Riewoldt explained.
“Certainly going and getting two really good players in a spot we probably really need to be strong in and create midfield depth has probably been the catalyst for hanging around and seeing if we can win another premiership and get back to the top of the AFL tree.”
As for how Taranto and Hopper will fair at Tigerland, fans got their best glimpse yet with Friday’s match simulation against North Melbourne.
Both got plenty of the ball when spending massive amounts of time in the midfield, while Taranto also pushed into attack and looked dangerous.
Riewoldt, speaking before the practice game, said the new recruits had eased the load on Dion Prestia over the pre-season.
“The two guys we’ve gone and picked up, Jacob is more of that inside bull, extractor type, which takes a bit of pressure off Dion in that aspect,” he added.
“Tim has got a little bit of outside class and the ability to spread and run from contest, which once again has probably been lumped on Dion.
“He’s probably the happiest man at the footy club, Dion Prestia the riches he’s got around him now to help us in the short term and then for him to go into more of a mentor role for the young kids who we believe are going to be good players for us in the midfield in the coming years.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2023/02/25/riewoldt-reveals-how-tigers-grand-trade-plans-led-to-retirement-backflip/
