I remember, not too many years ago, I felt the team would be better off without Richo on its list. I was frustrated by our reliance upon him, our predictability with him, our one dimensial forwardline and his attitude towards his team-mates.
I ranted on message boards that he either needed to be moved out of our forwardline, to give others a chance such as Schulz, or move out of the team. I suggested his marked ability on the wing and engine would make him a good link player but others told me our young forwards had to earn their place in the F50 rather than have it just given to them.
It was a frustrating time for me, the club and I suspect now - Richo.
My attitude towards Richo has mirrored my attitude towards the club in general. He was a champion when he won the game off his own boot but, more than likely, the villian as he took his frustration out on our weak midfield. His move up the field has not only invigorated his career but the side in general.
He is a utter champion of the game who was cursed for so many years with inadequate players around him. The question from so many were - 'Imagine how many goals he could have kicked in a side like (insert any good side over the last decade)' and you have to agree.
If he was in a side with a competitive midfield for his whole career with forwards around him that allowed him to have only one or even two defenders to compete against he would have kicked over 100 goals every year! How many goals would Buddy kick if he did not have Roughhead, Rioli and Williams to spread the defenders? Richo had to compete against 4 opponents some weeks and we would all groan when our midfielders continued to keep kicking it too him under these conditions. Just madness really.
The question really should be how bad a team we would have been without Richo in it?! How could we have had such a poor team for such a long time where Richo has been our only reasonable option up forward? Surely we had a forward who could at least make the opposition defenders shift their focus from the big fellow enough to give him a chance to win the ball?
The year of Batman and Robin was the first time I feel Richo had a partner in the forwardline and the first time IMHO that he respected a forward teammate. What was more apparent that year was that our midfielders became less predictable and spread the forward entrees between Richo and Brown. When Brown went down that year it was such a huge loss not only because we lost such an in-form forward star in Brown but moreso because we became predictable again with all forward entrees directed at Richo.
To be fair to our past midfielders Richo magnified the problem himself with his attitude. He is extremely competitive and demanded the ball. If a midfielder did not kick it too him when he was on the lead he gave it too them and if a forward got in his way he had blinkers and smashed through them and defenders alike.
It amazes me that it took until he was 33 for the club to have the forwards and inclination to move him to the wing! I talked about how many goals he could have kicked as a forward in a 'good' team well imagine the influence he could of had around the ground and scoreboard in the past if he had of made this move even 10 years a go!
So in a very long winded way (sorry about that
) , I want to say Richo has been Richmond for me in so many ways for most of his career and I just want to say thankyou to the big fellow for his committment to the club and ability with the ball.
Happy Birthday Richo
and I hope we can make the finals for you this year to reward you for everything you have done for the club, team and supporters. It will be sad day when you hang up your boots
Lets hope you can keep on frustrating, amazing and most of all entertaining us for many more years to come
Stripes
