Tigers: A flash in the pan historyJeff Wortman | July 30, 2009
JACK Riewoldt has got the Tiger army excited, but Richmond fan Jeff Wortman has a long memory. IT’S very easy to get excited about Jack Riewoldt. He's got a great leap and is a strong grab.
He takes species, kicked six on the weekend and celebrates each goal like he's won a Grand Final.
But, all Tigers fans are wondering one thing: Is he going to be another Richmond flash in the pan or can he become an elite player like his cousin Nick?
If you ask a Richmond fan what the future holds for Jack, they will approach the topic with extreme caution. For more than any other club, Richmond seems to have a special talent for unearthing flash in the pans.
We hope Riewoldt goes on to a great career, but let’s review the evidence:
CLEVE HUGHES Did Tigers fans feel that Richo's successor had arrived in 2007 when Hughes kicked three goals against West Coast and then followed it up with three against Geelong the following week? Cleve now plays in the reserves of the reserves.
DEAN POLO Taken at pick 20, Polo seemed to be a hidden gem. In 2006, he made his debut against the Bombers in the Dreamtime game, kicking three goals and gaining a Rising Star nomination for a best on ground performance. Now he's perilously close to a recall to Coburg.
DAVID RODAN Burst onto the scene in 2002, earning a Rising Star nomination and the hip nickname D Rod. Struggled with injury and eventually found out he was being delisted when Kane Johnson gave an impromptu speech at an end of season function. Has since starred for Port Adelaide.
MARTY McGRATH Made an extraordinary debut in 2003, kicking five goals against the Bulldogs and helping the Tigers to a 60-point win. Looked right at home alongside Rodan and Andrew Krakouer. He played three more games and was never seen again.
JUSTIN PLAPP He kicked three goals on debut and backed it up with five the following week against Carlton. He only managed 14 more goals in his short career at Richmond. By the end of the following year, he was traded to the Saints.
STEPHEN JURICA Long before the Eureka game between Richmond and North, there was the Eureka Jurica phenomenom. Richo did his knee and Stephen Jurica was the saviour. He kicked four goals against Carlton in his fourth game and five goals against Essendon in his fifth. He went on to play five more games over the next two seasons and was gone.
Who have been Richmond's biggest flash in the pans and why can't they cultivate stars?
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,25857771-19742,00.html
