Disregard his age for a minute

[big tone]

Can somebody please tell me why people are suggesting that Richo hang up the boots at years end?
Disregard his age for a minute, he has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is still a very good AFL player, even elite going off last years 3rd in the Brownlow. Even this year before his injury he was very good. He is very adaptable in terms of position and even game plan and has so much experience to pass on to our young players.
I know we are embarking on a new era of youth but let’s not get rid of players because they are not in a particular age bracket for the sake of it.
IMO we still have room for Big Richo!
Thoughts?

[Go Richo 12]

leave him on the list, but is that what the big fella wants? The only issue i have is that we seem to win games without him. Is that because it frees up everyone else or places them in a position where they can perform? I dont fully know the answer but for loyalty he should be kept alone!

[WilliamPowell]

I am firm in my belief that Richo has earnt the right to determine when he hangs up the boots.

Richo will make his decision based on what is in the best of the club not Richo, hence why he deserves to decide and make the call

Even being the oldest bloke in the comp - he is still an very good player  

[Francois Jackson]

leave him on the list, but is that what the big fella wants? The only issue i have is that we seem to win games without him. Is that because it frees up everyone else or places them in a position where they can perform? I dont fully know the answer but for loyalty he should be kept alone!

Do we??

you are absolutely kidding yourself pal. IT FREES UP EVERYONE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Do you actually watch games or not? It frees up who exactly? ooh yeah thats right it frees up Schulz i forgot. Yeah we are kicking goals from all angles this year aren't we?

Some say he is better suited when Richo is not in the team. Absolute rubbish he is a dud with or without Richo in the team.

As i said before Richo is the only thing that has stood between us being the laughing stock of the last 100 years.

He is a legend of our club and if others played like him we would be a lot higher on the ladder the last 15 years.

[WA Tiger]

Can somebody please tell me why people are suggesting that Richo hang up the boots at years end?
Disregard his age for a minute, he has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is still a very good AFL player, even elite going off last years 3rd in the Brownlow. Even this year before his injury he was very good. He is very adaptable in terms of position and even game plan and has so much experience to pass on to our young players.
I know we are embarking on a new era of youth but let’s not get rid of players because they are not in a particular age bracket for the sake of it.
IMO we still have room for Big Richo!
Thoughts?

I am 100% behind you Big tone, he has got at least 2 years left if he and his body can do it!! Go Big man.

[cub]

Age has nothing to do with anthing, if you are good enough you play on.
Reckon if Richo wanted to play on and he was moved on there would be a queue of other teams interested in his services for the next year or 2.

[mightytiges]

Well Bucks has said previously the two oldies he would keep are Richo and Cuz. So potential coaches don't think the big fella's career is over. Richo will only retire when his body says it can do no more.

[mat073]

Does Matthew deserve to play 300 games ?.....Yes

Does Matthew deserve to go out on his own terms ?....Yes

Can Football be a cruel game ?....Yes

Is the club bigger than the individual ?.....Yes-even its superstars

There is a statistical elephant that many people choose to ignore ..... Richmond have won around 50% of the 80 GAMES they have played without Richo.Compare that to the fact that we only win around 40% of the games with Richo.
He has played 282 games for only 116 victories.

Even last year we won the 2 games we played without Richo.

What do I conclude from these stats......Richo makes Richmond a different team but not necessarily a better team.


I will support any decision the club makes regarding Richo.

[WilliamPowell]

There is a statistical elephant that many people choose to ignore ..... Richmond have won around 50% of the 80 GAMES they have played without Richo.Compare that to the fact that we only win around 40% of the games with Richo.

I don't get seduced by stats 

[Go Richo 12]

leave him on the list, but is that what the big fella wants? The only issue i have is that we seem to win games without him. Is that because it frees up everyone else or places them in a position where they can perform? I dont fully know the answer but for loyalty he should be kept alone!

Do we??

you are absolutely kidding yourself pal. IT FREES UP EVERYONE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Do you actually watch games or not? It frees up who exactly? ooh yeah thats right it frees up Schulz i forgot. Yeah we are kicking goals from all angles this year aren't we?

Some say he is better suited when Richo is not in the team. Absolute rubbish he is a dud with or without Richo in the team.

As i said before Richo is the only thing that has stood between us being the laughing stock of the last 100 years.

He is a legend of our club and if others played like him we would be a lot higher on the ladder the last 15 years.

Can you possibly disagree with someone without being such a spoilt little twerp! I have watch Richo sicne his debut and that probably occurredbefore you were born! I have watched and know a little bit more about footy than you  little man! I am a massive ericho fan and believe that he should go out on his own terms but we have won 3 more games without him than we have with him and the game against port where jack and cleve kicked goals in absence sticks in my mind. It is not richo's fault but i think we look to him too much and fail spot up easier targets

[Francois Jackson]

leave him on the list, but is that what the big fella wants? The only issue i have is that we seem to win games without him. Is that because it frees up everyone else or places them in a position where they can perform? I dont fully know the answer but for loyalty he should be kept alone!

Do we??

you are absolutely kidding yourself pal. IT FREES UP EVERYONE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Do you actually watch games or not? It frees up who exactly? ooh yeah thats right it frees up Schulz i forgot. Yeah we are kicking goals from all angles this year aren't we?

Some say he is better suited when Richo is not in the team. Absolute rubbish he is a dud with or without Richo in the team.

As i said before Richo is the only thing that has stood between us being the laughing stock of the last 100 years.

He is a legend of our club and if others played like him we would be a lot higher on the ladder the last 15 years.

Can you possibly disagree with someone without being such a spoilt little twerp! I have watch Richo sicne his debut and that probably occurredbefore you were born! I have watched and know a little bit more about footy than you  little man! I am a massive ericho fan and believe that he should go out on his own terms but we have won 3 more games without him than we have with him and the game against port where jack and cleve kicked goals in absence sticks in my mind. It is not richo's fault but i think we look to him too much and fail spot up easier targets

I rest my case

anyone who uses games like that one against Port last year really has no idea. They didn't come to play much like Hawks last year.

Stop living in the past pal. Whats next i bet you will use the game Schulz kicked 5 up in Brissy.

WITH OR WITHOUT RICHO OUR FORWARD LINE IS NO GOOD.

We need another forward.........

[Stripes]

I think Richo should be retained on our list. He is still one of the best marks in the game, still can run the legs off most midfielders and still gives his all to win the ball at all costs but...

he also struggles with the defensive side of his game and is not team orientated. This is a result off poor coaching in his junior years where, because of his amazing offensive talents, he was allowed to be far too unaccountable and selfish. I love the big fellow but this is the cold hard truth of it.

Where last year his move to the wing caught teams by surprize and they invested a lot of energy attempting shut him down offensively, this year the opposition is running off him and using his direct opponent more as a free offensive target.

Up forward he is still extremely dangerous (if he has his kicking boots on) but he demands the ball regardless if he is in the best position or what is best for the team. He doesn't shepherd, block or dummy lead and he never dops off a lead if he thinks another forward has a better chance of taking a grab over him.

Richo remains the face and heart of the club and should go out with dignity but he remains a 'Flawed Genius' and we need to keep our eyes firmly focused ahead when we make any future decisions with him.

Stripes

[Mr Magic]

Does Matthew deserve to play 300 games ?.....Yes

Does Matthew deserve to go out on his own terms ?....Yes

Can Football be a cruel game ?....Yes

Is the club bigger than the individual ?.....Yes-even its superstars

There is a statistical elephant that many people choose to ignore ..... Richmond have won around 50% of the 80 GAMES they have played without Richo.Compare that to the fact that we only win around 40% of the games with Richo.
He has played 282 games for only 116 victories.

Even last year we won the 2 games we played without Richo.

What do I conclude from these stats......Richo makes Richmond a different team but not necessarily a better team.

I will support any decision the club makes regarding Richo.

Great post.

35 next season on the back of a serious hamstring injury.

I for one do not want to see Richo hobble to 300 games.
Champions are best remembered at their best.

Look at Sugar this season, one year too many can end up ugly for all involved.

I am firm in my belief that Richo has earnt the right to determine when he hangs up the boots.

Richo will make his decision based on what is in the best of the club not Richo, hence why he deserves to decide and make the call

Disagree entirely. No individual player has that right.
Otherwise Allan Border would still be playing for the Australian Cricket team.

The club makes the call on a player, not the player on a club. Regardless of who they are.

If Richo is deemed able to make us a better side next season he should play on but if the incoming coach taps him on the shoulder as painful as it will be so be it.

[big tone]

All good posts, well most anyway...
I agree with what people say about Richo playing on but for me it's not about him having earn the right after being such a champion player and team member of our great club- for me it's more about what he can still do on the football field, as Stripes has said he is still one of the best grabs in the game and can still match it in terms of endurance with just about anyone. That alone should be enough!
The other thing Stripes said about Richo is he is to offensive which I agree with to a point BUT I believe he can change a little to be better than he has been under a better coach, as long as we still let him play his natural game.
The thing with Richo is, if in a better team, and lets face it we have been poo for a very long time, he would be able to be his usual offensive self and his team mates would let him do what he does best and try and win games and they would take up the slack in terms of defence. But us being so bad we have not helped him in that area. Even the comment of teams working off him this years a little rich, Carlton did it round 1 but Richo was still a very good player for us before the game got away from us. No other team has done it well enough to make it a problem.
Match winners like Richo are few and far between, especially at Tigerland, and even thinking about retiring him is stupid while he can still do what he can do- forget his age and lets judge him on proformance only.
I love Richo....

[Judge Roughneck]

Richo is a hell of alot better player than Pattison. Hence he would get a game in our 22 and is worth keeping.

Play him out of goal square lik Lynch for the Lions

Reiwoldt CHF