CELEBRATING A RICHMOND CHAMPION “Yeah, I know. How is she taking it?” “Who?” Caroline gulped. “Mum.” “Richo’s retired, Tone,” Caroline wept, her breaths playing catch-up. Like every family, we’ve had our tragedies, but I’d never seen or heard Caroline cry. Not openly, honestly, unselfconsciously and especially not over someone she had never met and who, by the way, hadn’t died, but just couldn’t get his hamstring fixed. “We’ll never see him play again, Tone. Or say goodbye to him. It’s been 17 years. It’s so sad.” In the background, I heard her husband Paul laughing, begging to know if I was also crying. Paul didn’t get it. He wasn’t a true Tiger. Caroline and I first watched the Tiges together in 1977, We loved Richo and she knew I for so many understood how sad it was. In a reasons. He wasn’t way that not even vain. Nor was HOLD THAT TIGER: The many faces of Matthew Richo knew. Richardson – leaping for a mark in 2001 and he covered Before Caroline a picture of concentration in 1995. rang, I had planned in tattoos for him to be the star the Richmond “He’s a beautiful man who’s of my breathtaking Football Club.” too big for his body,” Caroline advertising campaign Cut! Brilliant! continued, before blowing her idea for the Tiges in 2010. It The club could sell Richo dolls, nose. “He kicks five points in a was inspired by the hardcore fly Richo flags from the roof of row and gets upset when no one fans’ chant “I want to be a Richo the scoreboard, and play Richo passes it to him. He was a mess. Man”, which was inspired by Man when he touched the footy. It’s just so sad.” broadcaster Rex Hunt, who was At home, you could hang Richo My sister told me how she inspired by the Village People’s in the shower, pull his cord, and even shared a birth date with his Macho Man. No. 12 and, when she sounded For my 30-second commercial, he’d sing the song. The 2010 season would be the ‘Year of the ready to bawl again, I said my production team and I would Richo Man’. And in round 22, we goodbye. I had to check her shoot people all over the country would all have had the chance story. What if he hadn’t retired singing, “Richo, Richo Man. I to say goodbye. But it will never after all? want to be a Richo Man.” From happen now. I hit the Richmond website Darwin to Deer Park, truckies, We loved Richo for so many to confirm Richo had died, I housewives, even students, reasons. He wasn’t vain. Nor was mean retired. Caroline was would sing the catchy line, while he covered in tattoos. And he right. So I rang my mate ‘Tiger dancing and waving Richmond didn’t live the self-obsessed life so Clyde’, who tracks fraud and membership tickets around. many his age seem to. From 1993 fraudsters for a living. The commercial’s finale until last season, Richo expressed “Good riddance,” he barked, would feature the MCG full of himself by regularly backing into reminding me how Richo had Tiger fans singing Richo Man, steamrolling packs of fists and frustrated Tiger fans with his complemented by slow-motion knees, not by inking Karate Kid waywardness, especially in front footage of Richo taking a speccy proverbs under his arms. of goal. “I’m rapt he’s gone.” or kicking a goal, his right boot He played like he truly loved I wanted to reach into finishing the movement near the Tiges, not himself. He loved the phone and grab him. his bowed head, his rubber the yellow and black enough Rapt he’s gone? I was annoyed arms hanging beside his body, to run into a fence at the SCG and hung up, leaving him the crowd apoplectic behind and wrench his knee. One night to hide in bushes and spy on him. Then we would cut to against the Bombers, he kicked hard-working Australians. Richo himself with a football four goals with a crushed eye Clyde had a point though, under his arm. He’d lean into socket, broken nose and other damn it. It would be dishonest the camera and say: “If you fractures we’ll never hear about. to pay homage to Richo and really want to be like me, join 80 AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au
FACT FILE
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Matthew Richardson
Born: March 19, 1975 Recruited from: Devonport Debut: Rd 7, 1993 v St K Farewell: Rd 6, 2009 v Syd Height: 197cm Weight: 103kg Games: 282 Goals: 800 Player honours: best and fairest 2007; 3rd Brownlow Medal 2008; leading goalkicker 1994, 1996-99, 2001-08; All-Australian 1996, 1999, 2008, Alex Jesaulenko Medal 1996; Richmond Team of the Century. Brownlow Medal: 140 votes
not acknowledge his football foibles. A few seasons ago, Clyde reckoned that backmen had worked Richo out. They let him lead left, right, left, right, left and, if they just did nothing except stood still and waited, eventually Richo would return. Sure, there were moments when I wondered which side he was on. But the man was transparent. When frustrated by his right boot, he shook his head, jogged off and seemed close to tears. When happy, his jaw jutted out, his big-lipped smile pushing his ears back like a big kid. But,