Standing 193cm, Jack Riewoldt is hardly your hulking key forward.
Yet until Tom Lynch’s arrival last October, he was the sole big man in Richmond’s front half, with 607 goals and three Coleman Medals in 12 seasons.
In an interview with the AFL Record on the eve of his 250th game, which he plays on Thursday night at the MCG in the AFL season opener against Carlton, Riewoldt explained why a relative lack of centimetres not prevented him from forging such a spectacular career.
“I have always had a knack for footy,” Jack explained, citing his father Chris, a champion player in the old Tasmanian Football League, as his greatest influence.
“And playing senior footy at 15 gave me a great insight into the way the game was played and the challenges to overcome to become a good player.”
It is his sharp footy brain that has allowed him to flourish as the lone key forward at Tigerland for the past 10 years.
“I feel like one of my best attributes is to be able to think through different situations and work them out mentally. I’m not a great athlete, I’m not a super runner and not quick. I’m a bit more old-school,” he said.
Riewoldt is also a fearsome competitor. “My coaches and teammates have instilled in me what they want from me, which is to provide a contest, getting the ball to ground and I thrive on being in a ‘one v two’ contest.
“The contest is something I enjoy. I hate losing.”
The full interview with Jack Riewoldt is available in this weekend’s edition of the AFL Record, available at all venues for $5.
