by: Scott Spits
Sportal
Matthew Richardson may finish his AFL career in the manner of Alastair Lynch by camping in the goal square, but don't expect it to happen just yet.
The 30-year-old veteran of 216 matches for the Tigers since 1993 has been earmarked by Terry Wallace for several more years at the elite level, but the Richmond coach is still hoping to profit from Richardson's natural athleticism and hard running in 2006.
"I don't think he needs to be camped in the goal square … he's such a good athlete. Even now that he's sort of hit 30 he runs around with the best of them," Wallace said at Richmond's pre-season training session at Victoria Park on Tuesday.
"I don't see any need or necessity to plonk him in the goal square at this stage. I think that will come at some stage on his career. I think he will have an Alastair Lynch-type career and that type of role later in his progression."
Wallace said the veteran forward had had a slightly lighter off-season and, as a consequence, appeared to be fresher at this stage of the pre-season than at the corresponding stage last year.
Ideally, the Tigers are hoping to get several more years of top level football from Richardson.
"I hope so. Obviously he had a couple of knee problems last year which he's completely over at the moment. He's had no signs of that at all," Wallace said.
"I think at the moment he's the third highest in our consecutive games (tally), which has sort of been non-Richo like. In the early part of his career he missed a lot of footy and some of those were just bad luck.
"I sort of see him being around the place for some time yet."
http://www.sportal.com.au/football.asp?i=news&id=77817
