No. 12 - Matthew Richardson

[torch]

how much do you love "Richo Man"

[Stripes]

He is our best, hardest working and often most exciting player...

But...

With the fear of being shot down I think he is holding back the future of our forwardline.

It hurts me to say it but I think Richo needs to move out of the F50 and either up on the HFF or onto the wing. When Richo plays he is completely immersed in the game. He only has eyes for winning the football and beyond that he struggles.

If he is not given the ball when he has run into space he becomes irrate. If a ball is kicked to another leading forward and he thinks he can mark it, he will try. He doesn't make space for other forwards. He doesn't block or screen for other forwards. The F50 is his.

As a result players such as Schulz, Hughes, Rewoldt and even Browny to a lesser extent struggle. Our midfielders always look for him because he is 1) or best forward, 2) he becomes angry if they don't and 3) he barrels through the other forwards anyway. There is no cohension in the forwardline, no teamsmanship.


Richo is a star. He can outrun almost any opposition player around, has a huge engine and is a tremendous mark. Those players who can keep up with him on the lead will struggle in the air and visa versa. If Richo played up un the wing or on the HFF we would be able to utilize his talents to create a better link from the backline into the forwardline. He deliver the ball to our forwards much more fluidly and run back with the flight of the ball to take marks inside the F50 which is his speciality.

Also as a result our forward structure becomes much more unpredictable and our forwards are given the opportunity to develop together.


Richo is one of my favourite players and always has been but I think for the sake of the teams future we need him to move further up field.

Stripes

[{X}]

its time 4 richo to move on

has been a good player 4 us, but now he is dead weight

[mightytiges]

Richo is one of my favourite players and always has been but I think for the sake of the teams future we need him to move further up field.

I'm with you Stripes. Move the big fella out to a HFF where he can use his strengths. I can't see Richo developing into a Alistair Lynch-type lobbed in the goalsquare. That's never been his style and while he did kick 60 goals in that role under Frawley it didn't help the structure of the side and made us too predictable. Richo's athleticism while running direct opponents off their feet is his main strength. While he can stay mostly injury-free which he has the past 3 years and still run then there's a spot in the side for him. It's not like he suffers from repetitive soft-tissue injuries as Cambo did was towards the end of his career when his body had had enough

[Mr Magic]

If he doesn't stay fit(quite possible at his age), either way it'll be interesting to see how the forward line copes without him.

[{X}]

Richo is one of my favourite players and always has been but I think for the sake of the teams future we need him to move further up field.

I'm with you Stripes. Move the big fella out to a HFF where he can use his strengths. I can't see Richo developing into a Alistair Lynch-type lobbed in the goalsquare. That's never been his style and while he did kick 60 goals in that role under Frawley it didn't help the structure of the side and made us too predictable. Richo's athleticism while running direct opponents off their feet is his main strength. While he can stay mostly injury-free which he has the past 3 years and still run then there's a spot in the side for him. It's not like he suffers from repetitive soft-tissue injuries as Cambo did was towards the end of his career when his body had had enough

he will still hog and and get in everyones way even on the hff. richo really thinks that RFC means the richo football club, its all bout him

[tiga]

Richo is great in so many ways, He is courageous, Hard working, determined and a great mark. BUT...... What I don't like is his deplorable set shot kicking skills and when he starts throwing the toys everywhere. His dummy spits are demoralising and make him look like a spoiled brat.

As far as his set shots go, It is unbelievable in this day and age that no coach has been able to rectify this issue he has. Even I can see what is going wrong...On set shots he approaches the mark more slowly than on the run and just before he connects with the ball, his foot is all floppy and its a lottery as to what part of his foot actually makes contact with the ball which explains why he is so erratic. On the run his muscles and tendons are far more tense, tightening his ankle and providing a more rigid and direct contact with the ball and thus explaining why he is far more accurate on the run. I'm no biomechanics expert by any means but after watching a hell of a lot of footage of Richo kicking you can see it as clear as day. Maybe something as simple as a sort of foot brace or tight strapping would have made him one of the greatest Forwards the game has ever seen.

[Stripes]

Richo is great in so many ways, He is courageous, Hard working, determined and a great mark. BUT...... What I don't like is his deplorable set shot kicking skills and when he starts throwing the toys everywhere. His dummy spits are demoralising and make him look like a spoiled brat.

As far as his set shots go, It is unbelievable in this day and age that no coach has been able to rectify this issue he has. Even I can see what is going wrong...On set shots he approaches the mark more slowly than on the run and just before he connects with the ball, his foot is all floppy and its a lottery as to what part of his foot actually makes contact with the ball which explains why he is so erratic.

I've also noticed that his approach and style changes depending upon the distance of the set shot. With shots from 40+ he kicks through the ball with leg fully extended but with close range shots he stutters his run up and stabs at the ball with a bent leg. We all know which one is more accurate.

The enigma tha is Richo 

Stripes

[wmc.55]

  I believe Richo should be centre half back were he can run up the ground and drive the ball forward. He is not the best goal kicker but he can get plenty of the ball. He is an impact player so use him at the end of the ground he is most needed. It would be great  to see him line up and destroy the likes of Hall Brown Loyd and co.   But if we are driving the ball forward maybe put him at centre half forward but keep him in play.

[Ox]

its time 4 richo to move on

has been a good player 4 us, but now he is dead weight

what a moronic thing to say.

Great year last year,one of if not his best all round
and tool-boy here recommends getting rid of him.

X,u r a deadweight to this forum.

[Fluffy Tiger]

  I believe Richo should be centre half back were he can run up the ground and drive the ball forward.

Oh please, please dont listen to this. Richo is always the last link in out forward movement. He will either do something fanstasitc, or will turn it over. He is definatly not what you would call a assist guy. How many times have seen him mark on the wing and hit a leading foward, it dont happen often I can tell you that.

At least when he is up forward we have a chance to get the ball back when he turns it over without them scoring, if he is down back and he turns it over well then its curtins. Watching the Tiger can be frustrating but by far the worst moments happen when he swings down back.

Yes I am in the Love and Hate Richo camp , always have been and always will be.

[mightytiges]

As far as his set shots go, It is unbelievable in this day and age that no coach has been able to rectify this issue he has. Even I can see what is going wrong...On set shots he approaches the mark more slowly than on the run and just before he connects with the ball, his foot is all floppy and its a lottery as to what part of his foot actually makes contact with the ball which explains why he is so erratic. On the run his muscles and tendons are far more tense, tightening his ankle and providing a more rigid and direct contact with the ball and thus explaining why he is far more accurate on the run. I'm no biomechanics expert by any means but after watching a hell of a lot of footage of Richo kicking you can see it as clear as day. Maybe something as simple as a sort of foot brace or tight strapping would have made him one of the greatest Forwards the game has ever seen.

Richo also doesn't run in a straight line in his run-up (veers off to the right just before he is about to kick) and he often gets too close to the man on the mark.

He's our enigma. Will miss from 15m out then next slot one through the middle from the 50m line on the boundary.

[Stripes]

  I believe Richo should be centre half back were he can run up the ground and drive the ball forward. He is not the best goal kicker but he can get plenty of the ball. He is an impact player so use him at the end of the ground he is most needed. It would be great  to see him line up and destroy the likes of Hall Brown Loyd and co.   But if we are driving the ball forward maybe put him at centre half forward but keep him in play.

I've seen him play down the backline and it was a scary sight. I don't think he has the footy brain to play down the back. Also I think you need to be able to despose of the ball cleanly whilst under pressure and Richo struggles with this.

The game where we beat Adelaide with a massive flood (terrible to watch but exciting for us as supporters) Richo moved into the backline for the last portion of the game and took some great grabs. Unfortunately he kicks like a forward - high and arched - which gave the opposition plenty of time to get to the drop of the kick and either spoil, make a contest or mark themselves. One goal in the last five minutes was a direct result of one such kick.

Richo could be trained but I have heard reports saying that when TW first came to the club he was asked about Richo and he said that if he had of come to the club 7+ years ago he would have made him a CHB and he would have been the CHB of the century! Unfortunately he didn't learn how to play such a defensive role and as the old saying goes 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks'.

I still believe the HFF or wing would be ideal but I can't see it happening in the short term. I think if Richo does move from the goal square it will be through injury and we will probably never know how good he would have been in these positions.

Stripes

[wmc.55]

  Interesting point i never thought about how damaging Richo's kicking out of defence may be. Which makes me agree with stripes that a wing position may be a good spot. I almost was going to say rotating  in the middle, on my original comments but knew that it would be laughed at. My point is he is still quick big and can get alot of the ball he is a waste at full forward. He is frustrated down there let him be in play more. ???

[Stripes]

  Interesting point i never thought about how damaging Richo's kicking out of defence may be. Which makes me agree with stripes that a wing position may be a good spot. I almost was going to say rotating  in the middle, on my original comments but knew that it would be laughed at. My point is he is still quick big and can get alot of the ball he is a waste at full forward. He is frustrated down there let him be in play more. ???

I agree. i think he would play a 'Goodes-like role' through the midfield. I don't think he would be good around the packs but as a link player he would be nigh unstoppable. It would really confuse the opposition coach as well particularly if he periodically drifts back into space in the forwardline.

What a way to finish off your career 

Stripes