Toby Nankervis’ appointment as Richmond co-captain came as no surprise to Jack Riewoldt.
Nankervis and Dylan Grimes will lead the Tigers in 2022, replacing the club’s longest-serving skipper, Trent Cotchin, in the role.
Riewoldt, who was a captaincy candidate before Monday’s announcement, says Nankervis’ “ferocious attitude” will hold the first-time captain in good stead.
“It probably sums up AFL football in general,” the veteran Tiger told SEN’s The Maccas Run.
“A lot of people judge people and players and clubs solely on what they see on the weekend or what they read on social media or what they read in the papers.
“There’s so much that goes on inside the four walls of an organisation like an AFL club, the nitty gritty which you never get to see unless you’re lucky enough to be a part of the organisation.
“What Toby brings is a ferocious attitude on-field and in terms of off-field he’s an extremely caring young man, well balanced, very thoughtful, and he’s had to do it the hard way a little bit in terms of plying his trade in Sydney, being an emergency for a Grand Final, then being traded and coming to Richmond at the start of 2017 where there was a lot of uncertainty.
“A lot of our guys attach themselves to Toby as a person and what he symbolises.”
Riewoldt is looking forward to seeing the triple-premiership ruckman assert his physical dominance when Richmond meet Carlton in Round 1.
“I think it’s a little bit nostalgic, the fact that the guy that gets to compete in the first contest of every game is now one of the captains of our football club,” Riewoldt said.
“That’s pretty important I reckon, to have a big ferocious beast … I just can’t wait to see Toby lead the group out for the first time on the AFL calendar against Carlton.
“He will get that first opportunity to set the scene for the group.”
Richmond will have co-captains for the first time in the club’s history.