Richo stands against desal plant, then falls over
Peter Munro | January 4, 2009
STRIDING with his long board through small sets piddling into the shore, Matthew Richardson was the biggest thing on the beach.
"It looks about my size out there, I think," he said, paddling his 195-centimetre frame through the shallows. But as a surfer he sure makes a good footballer, tackling his first wave by clambering onto one knee before collapsing head-first into the spray. Toppling backwards off his second wave, he negotiated his third strike by staying horizontal, smiling as he rode the small wave into shore.
"If you get a photo of me, make sure I'm standing," he called to The Sunday Age's photographer, who must have had easier assignments in his time. Looking about as comfortable as a tiger would on the blue and white 2.7-metre surfboard borrowed from former teammate Andy Kellaway, the much-loved Richmond forward said he had form on the waves.
"I had a crack about 10 years ago and stopped then because I couldn't surf," he said. "I can't even swim."
Locals politely call Inverloch beach, near Wonthaggi, a good spot for beginners. Long, wide and patrolled by bored surf lifesavers, the most treacherous thing on this beach at low tide is the sun — which was ringed by sea mist and a circular rainbow yesterday. Stranger still was the sight of footballers on surfboards, joining about 600 people in protest against the State Government's planned desalination plant along this stretch of the Bass Coast.
Richardson starred in a celebrity surfing challenge against former Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton, Olympic rowing triple gold medallist Drew Ginn and musician Nick Seymour.
The Richmond forward took to the waves 20 minutes before the start of the official practice session. Brereton arrived almost an hour later, punting his chewing gum across the sand before declaring the conditions unchallenging. "The waves are not big enough to get a 100-kilogram guy out there. Might be paddling practice …"
Midway through the contest, he switched to a steed long enough to rival Richardson's — who had just suffered the ignominy of being whacked over the head by his own board. When the big man finally stood up, to the delight of photographers, he gave the crowd a fist pump.
"A beautiful coastline like this just seems a stupid place to put a (desalination) plant, and I think there are other options that should be looked at first," he said after running in to shore. Such as? "Aaah, well, maybe recycling, a dam. You tell me, I don't really know all the facts."
The desalination plant, which is scheduled to be built this year, will provide about a third of Melbourne's annual water supply, independent of rainfall. But protest organiser John Gemmill, who believes the plant would ruin this pristine stretch of coast, said it was not too late for the Government to opt for recycled water or stormwater collection.
Brereton declared himself but a "little voice" in protest, but was soon railing against all manner of things, including freeway speed limits and government indecision. "I might crank up," he warned. He outdid even himself in the end, straining his lower back while pulling on his boardshorts. He finished the day on a massage table in the sand.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/whale-watch/richo-stands-against-desal-plant-then-falls-over-20090103-79hc.html
