| Jack Riewoldt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Riewoldt playing for Richmond in June 2017 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Jack Riewoldt | ||
| Nicknames | Pup, Jumping Jack[1] | ||
| Born | (1988-10-31)31 October 1988 (age 37) Hobart, Tasmania | ||
| Original teams | Tassie Mariners (TAC Cup) Clarence (SFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 13,2006 AFL National Draft:Richmond | ||
| Debut | Round 9, 2007,Richmond vs.Essendon, atMCG | ||
| Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) | ||
| Position | Key forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Richmond | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2007–2023 | Richmond | 347 (787) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 2020 | All Stars | 1 (2) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
AFL
Richmond
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Jack Riewoldt (/ˈriːvoʊlt/[2]REE-volt; born 31 October 1988) is a former professionalAustralian rules footballer who played for theRichmond Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL). He is a three-time premiership player, a three-timeColeman Medallist, a three-timeAll-Australian, an 12-time Richmondclub leading goalkicker, a two-timeJack Dyer Medallist and a Tasmanian Football Hall of Famer. He served as Richmond's vice captain during all three premiership seasons.
Riewoldt was born inHobart, Tasmania, to parents Chris and Lesley Riewoldt.[3]
He was raised in the east Hobart suburb ofBellerive and played junior football forClarence inTasmania'sSFL.[4][5] He briefly relocated to theGold Coast early in his life when his father accepted an offer to play for theCoolangatta Blues with his three brothers in the GCAFL, but the family would return to Hobart a year later. In 2005, Riewoldt made his senior debut with Clarence at age 16, then went on to play with the club through its finals series including a losing grand final where he kicked four goals.[6] The following year he again played in a senior grand final with Clarence, this time a member of the club's victorious side.[7][8]
He later played and trained with theTassie Mariners atTAC Cup level and represented his state at the2006 AFL Under 18 Championships.[9] In three matches at the championships, he kicked a total of eight goals and was named in his side's best players on two occasions.[10][11][12]
In 2006, he played eight matches for theTasmanian Devils in theVFL. One particularly noteworthy game came againstBendigo, where he kicked four goals and took 13 marks.[13]
He attended high school atSt Virgil's andRosny College in Hobart.[4][14]
Prior to the draft, AFL Media's Matt Burgen labelled him a "goal-kicking forward who is extremely strong overhead."[13] He was however considered both short and slow for his position, with North Melbourne recruiting manager Neville Stibbard later remarking that he did not believe Riewoldt was "athletic or tall enough to play key position at either end (of the field)."[15] Richmond recruiting managerFrancis Jackson later recalled Riewoldt's impressive football smarts and his ability to read the flight of the ball as key factors in his recruitment.[6]
Riewoldt was drafted byRichmond with the club's first selection and the 13th selection overall in the2006 AFL National Draft.[16]
He made his AFL debut in round 9 of the 2007 season, in theDreamtime at the 'G match againstEssendon at theMCG.[5] He did not play the following week, next appearing in the senior side in round 14.[17] He kicked his first career goal as part of a three-goal performance againstPort Adelaide in round 16.[18] He would go on to play in five of the final six games of the season, finishing with seven goals from his eight senior matches that year.[17]
In 2008 Riewoldt established himself as a regular member of Richmond's senior team.[5] He played his first match of the season in round 4 and missed just one more match that season, finishing with 18 matches played.[17] His round 15 bag of five goals againstWest Coast was a then career-best.[17] He kicked a total of 18 goals, good for fifth best at the club that season.[19]
Riewoldt opened a season in Richmond's best-22 for the first time in season 2009, playing againstCarlton's in the clubs' round 1 match-up.[17] In the first seven rounds of the season he booted seven goals, before missing the club's rounds 8 and 9 matches. He returned with two goals againstFremantle in round 10, before adding three more in round 11 against theWestern Bulldogs. Over the nine games following his absence he would score 20 goals, besting his season total from the year before.[17] Included in this run was a six-goal performance in Richmond's round 17 victory over Essendon. Riewoldt was lauded byThe Age's Jake Niall that week for his "footy smarts" and marking ability.[20] He did not miss another game that season, finishing with 20 matches played and a team-second 32 goals.[21] He also placed eighth in the club'sbest and fairest count.[22]
2010 was a breakout year for Riewoldt.[5]He started the season strongly, kicking 15 goals in his first seven matches. In the next eight matches between rounds 8 and 15, Riewoldt kicked a league-best 43 goals. It was the highest total over that many games sinceMatthew Lloyd nine years earlier.[15]He kicked a career best 10 goals in round 12 in a victory overWest Coast. The haul included five first-quarter goals, with four coming within the first 11 minutes of play. He became the first player to kick 10 goals in a match sinceJonathan Brown in 2007, and the first Richmond player sinceMatthew Richardson did so in 2004.[23][24]In round 21 Riewoldt was named best-on-ground for his 17 disposal, 11 mark and seven goal performance against St Kilda atDocklands Stadium.[25] He thus became the first Richmond player to win theIan Stewart Medal in its seven-year history.[26]For the first time in four-year career, Riewoldt finished the season having played every possible match.[17]His 78 goals was the most by any player in the league, earning him theColeman Medal and theMichael Roach Medal as the league, and the club leading goalkicker respectively.[27]Four days after winning the Coleman, Riewoldt secured theJack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player. He was also named to theAll-Australian team in the position of full forward.[28]
Riewoldt was later selected to tour Ireland and represent Australia in the2010 International Rules Series.[29]
Prior to the start of the 2011 season Riewoldt was added to the Richmond's six man leadership group.[14]
Following a six-goal start to the season against Carlton in round 1, he suffered a tougher fortnight to follow.[30] He suffered a concussion early in the club's round 2 match withSt Kilda and was substituted before he was able to record an impact in any major statistical category.[31][32] He was seen crawling up the stairs connecting the change rooms to the field and arguing forcefully to be returned to the match.[33] Riewoldt earned criticism from coachDamien Hardwick in April, told he needed to change his on-field demeanour after being seen yelling at teammateDustin Martin and givingthe finger to theHawthorn bench in round 3.[31] He was also fined $1,200 by the AFL for the hand gesture.[34] He was criticised byRobert Walls inThe Age for selfish play; Walls said Riewoldt had "become an individual in a team sport."[29]
He is one of those players that can turn games in the blink of an eye. He deserves his rating as one of the premier forwards in the competition.
He worked his way into unprecedented form in the following six matches however, kicking four goals four times and bags of five on two occasions.[17] His form remained strong for the rest of the season, despite lower goal kicking tallies the result of Hardwick enacting his pre-season plan to play Riewoldt further up the ground.[36] For the second straight year he won the club leading goalkicker award and played in each of the club's 22 matches.[37] Riewoldt's 62 goals saw him place second in the race for the Coleman Medal behindLance Franklin.[38] Riewoldt placed ninth in the club's best and fairest count that season.[39]
In September it was revealed Riewoldt had played through injuries all season and would require four surgeries; one on each hip, one on his finger and another on his left ankle. He was also dealing with rib cartilage damage suffered after a training accident.[39]
Following an off-season of surgeries and recovery, Riewoldt started the season inaccurately, kicking five goals and nine behinds through his first three matches.[17] He was back to his best by mid-season through, kicking bags of six and eight goals in back-to-back matches in round 9 and 10 againstHawthorn andSt Kilda respectively. The round 10 victory was Riewoldt's 100th career match and Richmond's first win over St Kilda since 2003.[40] He also kicked bags of five goals in rounds 16 and 20 matches against Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs.[17]For the second time in three years Riewoldt topped the league's goal scoring race at season's end, securing the Coleman Medal for the 2012 season.[41] He entered the club's final match of the season three goals behind tied-leadersMatthew Pavlich (Fremantle) andTom Hawkins (Geelong), but booted six goals to finish with 65 on the season and two clear of the pair.[42] Riewoldt became just the second Richmond player to win multiple Coleman Medals and tiedMichael Roach's club record in doing so.[5] Through he was selected in the initial nominees, Riewoldt ultimately went unnamed in the year's All-Australian team. He was considered a controversial omission according to Warwick Green and Matt Windley of theHerald Sun.[43] He placed ninth at the club in the season's best and fairest award.[44]
The 2012–13 off-season again saw Riewoldt goingunder the knife for minor surgeries, the recovery of which forced him onto a limited training load.[45] Before the season had officially begun Riewoldt had already shown his worth, kickinga goal after the siren to win Richmond'spre-season match-up withHawthorn.[46] During that series he also captained Richmond for the first time, doing so againstEssendon in an eight-point victory.[47][48]
While he was held goal-less in round 1's win overCarlton, Riewoldt responded the following week with a seven-goal haul againstSt Kilda.[17][49] He backed up the performance the following week, kicking five more goals in a victory over theWestern Bulldogs.[50]Riewoldt attracted media criticism during round 5's one point loss toFremantle, labelled "a primma donna" byMark Maclure after he reacted angrily to teammates following the close loss.[51]
All season Riewoldt had been the subject of media speculation concerning his contract and playing future.[52] He was reported to have received offers from Fremantle, but preempted trade approaches by signing a new three-year deal with Richmond in late July.[53][54]
After 17 rounds Riewoldt was placed third on the league's goal-kicking tally, having amassed 47 to that point.[55] He finished the season with 57 goals, his lowest tally since 2009 but still managed to win a fourth straight club leading goalkicker award.[17]He played in his first career final in September, when Richmond lost toCarlton in an elimination final at theMCG.[56] Riewoldt placed equal seventh in the club's best and fairest count at season's end.[57] He placed third in the league for goal assists.[58]
In February 2014, Riewoldt was dropped from Richmond's five-player leadership group, replaced by defenderTroy Chaplin.[59] This, along with a plan by the coach to play him in a "traditional centre half forward role", saw Riewoldt approaching the season differently than he had in some time.[58] He reduced his playing weight in the off-season, increasing his fitness base while also recovering from minor off-season surgery to his knee and hip.[60]
Riewoldt's performance in the round 1 loss toGold Coast was labelled "relatively poor" by the coach, with the forward recording less than 10 disposals and only one goal for the first time since round 8, 2012.[61][17] He was reported for tripping in round 3, but escaped with only a reprimand after the AFL Match Review panel deeming the offence unworthy of suspension.[62]
He was chastised by club officials in May, when he spoke out publicly against the effectiveness of the team's new short-kicking game style. Hardwick jokingly explained to the media that the club had "moved (Riewoldt's)foot from his mouth and my foot from his arse". He publicly apologised via Twitter, and avoided the selection axe as a result.[63] His on-field response was significant, when he booted a career-high 11 goals in Richmond's 113 point win over theGWS Giants in Sydney.[64]
In July, Riewoldt was named at full-forward in AFL Tasmania's Tasmanian Team of the Decade.[65]
For the second straight season, Riewoldt and the Tigers would qualify for the AFL finals, but were again eliminated after just one match. He finished the season having kicked 61 goals and winning Richmond's goalkicking award for the fifth consecutive year. He became just the second player in the club's history to kick 50 goals in five straight seasons, followingJack Titus in 1934–1938.[66]
After an emotional off-season which included the death of hiscousin Maddie, Riewoldt endured an equally emotional round 1.[67] He kicked four goals in Richmond's win over Carlton and was seen dedicating his performance to her memory by pointing to the sky after each of his goals.[68][69] He hit a strong run of form in rounds 5 to 8, kicking 14 goals and averaging more than seven marks over the four week period.[17] In round 13 he would kick his biggest tally of the season, with six goals againstSydney at theSCG.[70] round 16's match-up with St Kilda was marked as "Maddie's match," raising funds for the Riewoldt cousins' causeMaddie's Vision.[71] He kicked two goals in Richmond's winning side.[72]
All-in-all 2015 proved an excellent year for Riewoldt, winning a sixth straight club leading goalkicker award (54) and setting then career highs for marks and disposals.[17]For the second time in his career Riewoldt earned selection to the AFL's All-Australian team, this time in the position of centre-half forward.[73] He also placed fifth in Richmond's best and fairest, securing the Kevin Bartlett medal.[74] Riewoldt also broke a Richmond record in 2015, surpassing Jack Titus to become the first Richmond player to kick more than 50 goals in six consecutive seasons.[75]
Riewoldt signed a contract extension in late June, keeping him contracted to Richmond through at least the end of the 2019 season.[76]
When Richmond captainTrent Cotchin faced calls to resign the position in late 2015, Riewoldt was named as a possible replacement. He quashed the speculation, explaining "I can't even entertain the question (of becoming captain) because in my eyes I think (Cotchin) is the best person to captain our football club."[77]
On-field, the season saw Riewoldt continue his transition to the centre-half forward position. He improved his endurance, agility and leaping ability by shedding weight and focusing on the game further from the goal line.[78] He suffered a minor ankle injury in round 5 and required an intense program of icing and rehabilitation to be ready for his club's round 6 match withPort Adelaide.[79] He played in his 200th career game in round 21's loss to Geelong at theMCG.[17] Riewoldt ultimately played in each of Richmond's 22 games in 2016, kicking a team-leading 48 goals.[17] It was the first time he went without kicking a bag of five goals in a match since his eight-game debut season.[17] He did however set a new personal best in total and average disposals, playing his new role closer to the midfield.[17] Riewoldt placed fourth at the club's best and fairest count, securing the Fred Swift medal as a result.[80]
After what was a year labelled a backward step by the club's coach, Riewoldt was surrounded by trade speculation by media outlets.[81][82] He reiterated his commitment to the club, claiming he was "yellow and black all the way" despite confirming in later years that he had begun to doubt he would ever achieve significant team success with the club.[83][84]
Riewoldt's 2017 pre-season was hampered by lingering injury concerns. He underwent what was expected to be minor ankle surgery in September 2016, before the procedure was changed to a full ankle reconstruction midway through as a result of the surgeon uncovering more severe damage.[85] In November he went under the knife again, this time to repair damage to a previously broken finger.[86] He was appointed Richmond's co-vice-captain in March 2017. He was to share the role with defenderAlex Rance, while both served under continuing captain Trent Cotchin[87]
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With the free-agency departure of full forwardTy Vickery in the off-season, Riewoldt would necessarily see more game-time in deep forward positions in 2017.[88]In round 1, 2017 he recorded a career best seven tackles in Richmond's victory overCarlton.[89] round 5'sAnzac Day eve clash with Melbourne saw Riewoldt kick six goals in wet weather play.[90] He kicked his 500th career goal in round 7, 2017 in a match against theWestern Bulldogs atEtihad Stadium. He was the fifth fastest to the milestone in the history of the club.[91] After 11 games and at the mid-season bye, Riewoldt had kicked 29 goals.[17] In round 13 he notched his 214th AFL match, passingDick Clay for the most games played by a Richmond player in the number eight guernsey.[92] His two and three goal games in rounds 13 and 14 brought his streak of consecutive games with multiple goals to 10. He was the only player in the competition to hold that streak at the time and held fifth place in the year's goalkicking tally.[93] Riewoldt was one of a number of poor performer's in Richmond's round 16 loss to St Kilda, kicking just one goal and gathering seven possessions in the 67 point loss.[94] What's more, Riewoldt's first possession did not come until the eighth minute of the game's second quarter.[95] An accidental poke in the eye from teammateMabior Chol during training caused Riewoldt to suffer a cut cornea and bleeding behind the eye.[96][97] The injury resulted in him missing Richmond's round 19 match against theGold Coast and brought to an end Riewoldt's streak of 86 consecutive games played.[17] He missed a further match in round 20 before returning in round 21 againstGeelong.[98] In round 23, Riewoldt played against his cousinNick in theSt Kilda forward's retirement match.[99] He, along with St Kilda forwardJosh Bruce, chaired Nick from the ground in a move that was controversial given a second St Kilda player was passed over for the honour.[100] Following finals victories against Geelong and GWS, Riewoldt and Richmond would qualify for theGrand Final, the club's first since 1982.[101] They would ultimately win the match against minor-premiersAdelaide by 48 points, with Riewoldt contributing two goals, six marks and seven tackles.[102] During the post-match celebrations a free concert was performed on the MCG by American rock bandthe Killers, whom Riewoldt is a fan of.[103] After raising the proposition with club and AFL media managers in the week prior, Riewoldt was famously invited to join the band on-stage to sing their 2005 single "Mr. Brightside".[104] For his performance in the 2017 season, Riewoldt received an eighth-straight club leading goal-kicker award, placed seventh in the club's best and fairest count, first in the league for marks inside 50 and became a premiership player.[105][106]
Leading into the 2018 season Riewoldt showed strong goal-kicking form, booting seven goals for Richmond's seniors in an intra-club match against the club's VFL side.[107] From there he went on to play in each of the club's two pre-season matches before kicking four goals in the opening round of the season proper.[108] Riewoldt added another four more a fortnight later, helping his side to a 13-point victory overHawthorn.[109] In round 7 Riewoldt captained Richmond in a home and away match for the first time in his career afterTrent Cotchin was a late withdrawal due to injury.[47][110] Two weeks later he kicked five goals in a match againstWest Coast atOptus Stadium.[111] In that same game he laid a bump onWest Coast'sLiam Duggan late in the third quarter, the result of which saw him coughing up blood at the next break. He had to be medically cleared to fly back to Melbourne with the team that night after concerns were expressed for his health.[112][113] To that point he ranked third in the competition for total goals kicked (24) behind onlyBen Brown (31) andJack Darling (28).[111] Though he made a full recovery to play the following week, he was unable to make any meaningful contribution after being concussed by a hit to the head during an errant spoil fromSt Kilda defenderJake Carlisle just five minutes into the first quarter of that round 10 match.[114][115] Richmond managed a victory despite his absence and Carlisle received a two-match suspension for the strike.[116]Riewoldt did not miss a full match as a result of the concussion, lining up the following week in his side'sDreamtime at the 'G victory overEssendon.[117] In the week that followed, Riewoldt was named inFox Footy's mid-year All-Australian squad.[118] He was also lauded by Fox commentatorPaul Roos for his efforts in blocking, creating space and crashing packs, with Roos labeling him "the most selfless player in the competition."[119] At the end of June he was inducted into theTasmanian Football Hall of Fame in a gala event in Hobart.[120] Following the mid-season bye, Riewoldt put in one of the performances of his career during a win overSydney atEtihad Stadium. He tallied career bests in marks (21) and contested marks (seven) as well as kicking three goals and recording 21 disposals in what was a best-on-ground performance rewarded by three Brownlow Medal votes and a perfect 10 votes in the Coaches Association award.[121][122] Riewoldt received one more vote in that award in round 16's win overAdelaide before attracting another two votes for a four-goal performance againstSt Kilda in round 18.[123][124] The following week he set a new personal best with nine inside 50s in his side's win overAdelaide.[125] At the end of July, Riewoldt signed a new three-year contract with Richmond, keeping him committed to the club until at least the end of the 2021 season.[126] Speaking in his regular panelist role on Fox Footy's AFL360, Riewoldt claimed to have taken a pay cut in what was restructuring of his existing contract formerly in place until the end of 2019.[127] In round 20 he kicked four goals, his fifth such total that year.[17] With that match, his 244 career appearance, Riewoldt set the all time VFL/AFL record for games played wearing a number eight guernsey.[128] Riewoldt followed that with his third career ten-goal haul in a round 21 win over theGold Coast in which he also gathered a career-high 26 disposals and vaulted into league-leading position for goals kicked that season.[129][130] He added another five goals to his tally in round 23, passing the 600 career goal milestone and earning his third Coleman Medal after finishing the home and away season with 65 goals.[131] He became the eighth player in league history and the first player in Richmond club history to win the award for a third time.[132][133] He was named in the forward pocket in the AFL's Player Ratings team of the year as well as being named All-Australian for the third time.[134][135] In Richmond's first final, a win overHawthorn at theMCG, Riewoldt failed to kick a goal for just the third time that year.[17] He rectified that performance with five goals in the club's preliminary final.[136] Despite his efforts, Richmond would be eliminated from the finals series in what was a shock 39-point loss toCollingwood.[137] Following the conclusion of the 2018 finals series, Riewoldt ranked first in the league for goal and marks inside 50 as well as ranking second for score involvements and fifth for contested marks.[138] He was also named byHerald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson as the league's best forward and the third best player overall, during the 2018 season.[139] Riewoldt collected a career-best 10 Brownlow Medal votes for his fantastic season and also received his second Jack Dyer Medal as Richmond's best and fairest player.[140][141]
In the months immediately following the 2018 season, Riewoldt underwent minor shoulder surgery.[142] He was restricted to running drills in the early weeks of the off-season before returning to full training in December.[143] Riewoldt was at that time labelled by AFL statistics partnerChampion Data as the second best key position forward and the 34th best player in the league overall.[144] Over the same off-season the club recruited formerGold Coast forwardTom Lynch to play alongside Riewoldt in the Richmond forward line.[145] Riewoldt' first footballing appearance of 2019 was as captain of the 'Rampage' team at the2019 AFLX tournament in February.[146] Riewoldt led Rampage to a championship at the tournament, after personally selecting his team at a televised draft earlier that month.[147][148] Riewoldt followed that with appearances in each of Richmond's two pre-season matches in late February and early March before playing his 250th AFL game in the season-opening match against Carlton at the MCG in late March.[149][150][151] He kicked one goal in the match, bringing his career total to 608 and passingMichael Roach for outright fourth place on Richmond's all-time goalkicking leaderboard.[152] In a round 2 loss toCollingwood, Riewoldt suffered an apparently minor wrist injury.[153] He played out the remainder of the match despite the injury, including stints in the ruck.[154] Scans completed the following day revealed Riewoldt had suffered a small un-displaced fracture of the radius and some wrist ligament damage.[155] In the same match Riewoldt also suffered a sprain to the medial cruciate ligament in his left knee.[156][157] After missing three matches due to those injuries, Riewoldt returned to football and kicked two goals in Richmond's round 6ANZAC Day eve win overMelbourne.[158] He would suffer another knee injury in the match however, sustaining high-grade damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.[159][160] Richmond club officials said the injury would not require surgery to repair but that Riewoldt would still miss between six and eight weeks as a result.[161] During that match he was also reported for a dangerous tackle onMelbourne'sBayley Fritsch for which he was offered a $1,000 fine.[162] Riewoldt challenged the charge at the AFL Tribinal where he was unsuccessful, with the fine ultimately increased to $1,500.[163] Riewoldt had resumed running by the first week of June, targeting an AFL return againstSt Kilda later that month in round 15.[164][165] He missed that target by two weeks, returning in a round 17 victory over theGiants in which he kicked one goal.[166][167] He added three more goals the following week in his best output of the season thus far, while coachDamien Hardwick praised his unselfish play in support of in-form teammate Lynch through the rest of July.[168][169] In round 22's win overWest Coast, Riewoldt was twice called for a free kick against, after putting his foot into the back of his opponent's back in two separate marking contests.[170][171] In the week that followed, the AFL announced the rule would be relaxed to only include more dangerous acts likely to cause harm, so that free kicks of the type paid against Riewoldt would no longer be paid.[172][173] In the final round of the home and away season, Riewoldt kicked four first quarter goals onBrisbane Lions defenderMarcus Adams but managed no further goals when later defended byDarcy Gardiner for the rest of the match.[174][175][176] After Richmond finished the season in third place, Riewoldt kicked three goals in a 47-point qualifying final victory over theBrisbane Lions.[177][178] He was considerably less impactful in the preliminary final that followed, recording just one handball as his only disposal in the first half and ultimately going goalless as his side defeatedGeelong and won through to a grand final matchup againstGreater Western Sydney.[179][180] In the grand final, Riewoldt kicked a match-high five goals as Richmond won a second premiership in three years, exploiting the lack of speed of Giants defenderPhil Davis who was almost a late withdrawal with a calf injury.[181][182] His haul included three second-quarter goals that had him be the number one statistically rated player on the ground at half time and eventually earned him fourth place in Norm Smith Medal voting for the player of the match.[183][184] Riewoldt's five goals and one behind (31 points) made him the fourth player in AFL/VFL history and the first player in 59 years to single-handedly outscore the opposition team (25 points) in a grand final.[185]
Riewoldt played his first match for 2020 in the AFL's fundraisingState of Origin for Bushfire Relief Match in February, kicking two goals while representing his home state of Tasmania as part of the allied All-Stars side.[186][187] He sat outRichmond's first pre-season match that same weekend but returned for the club's final pre-season match againstGreater Western Sydney a week later.[188][189] Despite an uninterrupted pre-season, the rapid progression of thecoronavirus pandemic into Australia by mid-March saw the future of the season in doubt, including Riewoldt andRichmond's premiership defence.[190][191] The AFL commission eventually announced the start of the season would proceed as scheduled, but without fans in attendance due to public health prohibitions on group gatherings.[192][193] With the expectation that a significant break would be necessary mid-season, the league also announced the season would be completed with a modified 17-round fixture and with quarter lengths reduced by one fifth in order to reduce the load on players who would be expected to play multiple matches with short breaks in the back half of the year.[194] Under those conditions, Riewoldt kicked an equal team-high three goals in a round 1 win overCarlton which saw him named inAFL Media's Team of the Week.[195][196] Just three days later however, the AFL commission suspended the season for an indefinite period after multiple states enforced quarantine conditions on their borders.[197][198] Riewoldt attracted media scrutiny for poor performances when the season resumed in early-June after an 11-week hiatus, following goalless matches in rounds 2 and 3.[199][200][201] He began a seven-week unbroken goalkicking run the following round, during which time he and the club were relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne.[202][17] Riewoldt served as club captain for a three-week stretch between rounds 6 and 8, in place of the injuredTrent Cotchin.[203] In round 10 he kicked a personal season-best four goals in a win over theBrisbane Lions, before adding another three while captaining the side for a one-off game in Cotchin's absence in round 11.[204][205] He was one of Richmond's best in round 12, earning one Coaches Award vote for a two-goal contribution in that win overGold Coast.[206][207] He earned another nine votes as equal best on ground in round 17's win overGeelong, kicking four goals.[208][209][210] Riewoldt finished the regular season having kicked 28 goals, ultimately securing equal-sixth place in the Coleman Medal race.[211] He kicked two goals in the opening match of the club's finals campaign, a qualifying final loss to theBrisbane Lions, before being held goalless and to a season-low four disposals in a semi-final victory overSt Kilda one week later.[212][213] Despite that poor statistical showing, Riewoldt was praised by coach Damien Hardwick for that performance during the week that followed, in particular for an ability to negate opposition intercept defenders in marking contests.[213] Likewise in a preliminary final win overPort Adelaide, Riewoldt earned Hardwick's public praise for splitting marking packs despite kicking only one goal and going without a mark for the first time since 2015.[214][215][216] Riewoldt earned more scoreboard recognition the following week, becoming a three-time premiership player while kicking two goals in a 31-point grand final victory overGeelong.[217][218][219] Riewoldt also earned a tenth club leading goalkicker award for his 33 goals that year, while placing equal-14th in the club's best and fairest count for a season in which he features in all 21 possible matches.[220][221]
On 15 August 2023, Riewoldt announced that he would retire at the end of the season.[222] He, along with fellow retireeTrent Cotchin, played his final match in round 23 againstNorth Melbourne at theMelbourne Cricket Ground.[223]
Riewoldt played as a goalkicking full forward and centre-half forward. He was undersized at the position, measuring just 193 centimetres tall.[224]Across the 2010s, he took the most marks inside 50 of any player in the league and scored more goals than any player other thanLance Franklin, while matching Franklin with three Coleman Medals over that time.[225]
In the 2019/20 off-season, Riewoldt was labelled the 13th best player overall in theHerald Sun's list of the best players of the 2010s.[226] In 2020, Riewoldt was named by theHerald Sun as Richmond's fourth best player of the AFL era.[227]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks | ||
# | Played in that season's premiership team | † | Led the league for the season |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2007 | Richmond | 8 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 34 | 19 | 53 | 25 | 12 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0 |
| 2008 | Richmond | 8 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 143 | 51 | 194 | 87 | 37 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 7.9 | 2.8 | 10.8 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 1 |
| 2009 | Richmond | 8 | 20 | 32 | 27 | 185 | 73 | 258 | 127 | 48 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 9.3 | 3.7 | 12.9 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 3 |
| 2010 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 78† | 39 | 219 | 37 | 256 | 123 | 68 | 3.5 | 1.8 | 10.0 | 1.7 | 11.6 | 5.6 | 3.1 | 7 |
| 2011 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 62 | 26 | 185 | 59 | 244 | 102 | 48 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 8.4 | 2.7 | 11.1 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 2 |
| 2012 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 65† | 48 | 211 | 80 | 291 | 114 | 57 | 3.0 | 2.2 | 9.6 | 3.6 | 13.2 | 5.2 | 2.6 | 6 |
| 2013 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 58 | 33 | 215 | 69 | 284 | 112 | 42 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 9.8 | 3.1 | 12.9 | 5.1 | 1.9 | 4 |
| 2014 | Richmond | 8 | 23 | 61 | 38 | 219 | 74 | 293 | 136 | 48 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 9.5 | 3.2 | 12.7 | 5.9 | 2.1 | 7 |
| 2015 | Richmond | 8 | 23 | 54 | 30 | 224 | 76 | 300 | 144 | 52 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 9.7 | 3.3 | 13.0 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 3 |
| 2016 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 48 | 34 | 227 | 89 | 316 | 141 | 42 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 14.4 | 6.4 | 1.9 | 2 |
| 2017# | Richmond | 8 | 23 | 54 | 37 | 221 | 84 | 305 | 138 | 57 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 9.6 | 3.7 | 13.3 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 6 |
| 2018 | Richmond | 8 | 24 | 70† | 36 | 253 | 88 | 341 | 149 | 60 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 10.5 | 3.7 | 14.2 | 6.2 | 2.5 | 10 |
| 2019# | Richmond | 8 | 13 | 24 | 14 | 115 | 26 | 141 | 55 | 22 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 8.8 | 2.0 | 10.8 | 4.2 | 1.7 | 0 |
| 2020#[a] | Richmond | 8 | 21 | 33 | 20 | 136 | 37 | 173 | 75 | 27 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 8.2 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 2 |
| 2021 | Richmond | 8 | 22 | 51 | 29 | 187 | 53 | 240 | 107 | 38 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 8.5 | 2.4 | 10.9 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 8 |
| 2022 | Richmond | 8 | 21 | 40 | 30 | 172 | 59 | 231 | 104 | 40 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 8.2 | 2.8 | 11.0 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1 |
| 2023 | Richmond | 8 | 21 | 32 | 28 | 139 | 49 | 188 | 94 | 43 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 6.6 | 2.3 | 9.0 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 0 |
| Career[17] | 347 | 787 | 480 | 3085 | 1023 | 4108 | 1833 | 741 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 8.9 | 2.9 | 11.8 | 5.3 | 2.1 | 62 | ||
Notes
Riewoldt is of German heritage with his paternal grandparents Heinz and Helga immigrated from the European nation in 1950.[228] His father Chris was a 298-game player atClarence in theTasmanian Football League, a representative player for the state as well as an inductee to theTasmanian Football Hall of Fame.[8][229] Riewoldt's two younger brothers, Harry and Charlie, both played for Tasmania at junior state level.[230] He is the first cousin of formerSt Kilda AFL footballerNick Riewoldt.[3]
Riewoldt became engaged to long-time girlfriend Carly Ziegler in 2016, and they were married at a ceremony in Riewoldt's home state of Tasmania in November 2017.[4][231][232] The pair's first child, a girl, was born in 2019.[233] In 2021, the couple announced the birth of their second daughter and in 2023 they announced the birth of their son.
Away from the football field, Riewoldt is a keengolfer, once playing off a handicap as low as 0.6.[234][235][236] He is also a fan of American rock bandthe Killers, who he performed on-stage with after Richmond's premiership victory in 2017.[103]
Riewoldt appears as a weekly guest onFox Footy'sAFL 360.[237] He appeared as a host on Australian TV show, The Great Weekend in 2019 and in 2020 he hosted his own radio hour on Monday nights on1116SEN.[238] Riewoldt also appears regularly onNova 100 Melbourne breakfast radio showChrissie, Sam & Browny.
In 2007 Riewoldt had a cancerous mole removed from his back. He had further tissue removed after the 0.9 millimetre melanoma was confirmed to be cancerous and has since undergone regular check-ups to prevent reoccurrence.[239]
In 2014 he led a campaign by theAFL Players Association and Cancer Council Victoria to "convince men to have difficult conversations about cancer."[239]
When Riewoldt's cousin Maddie (sister to Nick) died in early 2015 as a result of the blood diseaseaplastic anaemia, he and the Riewoldt family became public spokespeople for a charity set up in her honour, Maddie's Vision.[68]
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