Hungry Jack
Chloe Saltau | The Age | July 16, 2008
IN JACK Riewoldt, Richmond has a self-confessed "ratbag", but also a rising star with a heap of ambition. And Tasmania's bid for an AFL team has a passionate supporter.
Richmond fans will be pleased to hear Riewoldt and his girlfriend have put down roots in Melbourne, and that the 19-year-old's attachment to the Tigers has grown so strong that he cannot imagine himself one day holding down centre half-forward for his native state in the national competition.
Put simply, the younger cousin of St Kilda captain Nick is having the time of his life at Punt Road, and took another encouraging step in his evolution as a key forward for the post-Richardson era when he booted five goals against West Coast last Sunday.
Riewoldt joked yesterday that he may never have been conceived if his father, Chris, had accepted an offer from St Kilda in 1980 rather than remain on the Apple Isle, where he married Lesley and carved out a distinguished career with Clarence.
Riewoldt believes there are many more young footballers where he came from who are lost to the AFL system, and mounted an articulate argument for a Tasmanian team.
"I am really hoping that Tassie gets a team up, just for the fact that there are so many talented kids in Tasmania that are not probably getting a look in," he said.
"If there was a team down there I would be in full support of it, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to be moving back there. Right now, I'm just really settled at Richmond. My whole life is over here now. I've got a girlfriend here who has come over from Tassie and I've got a house here, so I'm settled and really enjoying it."
Riewoldt is "not too fussed" about comparisons with his more famous cousin, who is the reason he gave up soccer and got serious about Aussie Rules at the age of 15, and admitted the name might have helped him gain the exposure needed to be selected by the Tigers at No. 13 in the 2006 national draft.
There were some early concerns about his speed, but he has since refined his running technique and built on his innate talents — the impressive leap, strong mark and a natural spunk evident in his slightly goofy grin.
When coach Terry Wallace took Riewoldt, Cleve Hughes and Mitch Morton aside earlier this season, and told them of his cunning plan to set Matthew Richardson free of the forward line, Riewoldt knew it was time to step up.
"For starters, Matthew making the personal sacrifice to go up on a wing was something myself and Cleve have held pretty close," he said. "We're pretty tight-knit, the guys who play up forward, so when he went out of his way to do that for us, to make us better players, it was a pretty good honour.
"The responsibility was big. When Plough (Wallace) got us all together he said he needed to find out whether we could play as key forwards, and I'd like to think we've shown him that we can."
He loves watching Nick play, and sometimes gets so caught up that he forgets he is a footballer, too.
"Every time we get a chance to see each other, we're eating out of each other's hands and asking what the other person's doing," he said.
"We know we're different players, and we've both got attributes that suit our games. He is a champion footballer, and I'm hoping to be a champion footballer. It would be great to be the same sort of player he is, but I've got my own little traits."
For Nick, watching football can be a frustrating experience, but he makes an exception for Jack, whose career he is watching closely.
"He played really well," Nick said of Jack's breakthrough performance against the Eagles, which attracted the Rising Star nomination for round 15. "I texted him yesterday and said 'Well done'. It's a great bit of recognition for him."
Recognition that Nick is sure to be reminded of at the right time. The cousins have played against each other twice, and while the second encounter felt "a bit weird" on account of an injury to Nick and a long, faded shot for goal after the siren from Jack, on the first occasion Jack, the ratbag, couldn't help himself. "I reminded (Nick) that I actually baulked around him and made him look silly," recalled Jack, grinning broadly. "It's always good fun."
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