Jack Riewoldt has brought to light a moment in time when he thought he and his cousin Nick were set to link up at Richmond.
The recently retired forward released his autobiography The Bright Side yesterday with the book shining the light on several little-known moments across his life and 17-year AFL career.
Jack’s cousin, Nick, played the last of his 336 games for St Kilda in August of 2017, but the former Tiger got him to consider an AFL return just a few months later.
While at his wedding in November of 2017, Jack says he and then Richmond teammate Alex Rance made an early hours of the morning bid for Nick to come out of retirement and sign for the Tigers as a rookie.
After what he described as having a few too many beverages, Jack says he and Rance even got Nick to sign on unofficially, while also getting him to call Richmond list manager Blair Hartley to express his interest in coming to the club.
“The Nick one was the night of my wedding,” Riewoldt told SEN Whateley.
“There was myself, Alex Rance, Nick, and there might have been someone else there as well.
“But we rang Blair Hartley, our list manager at about 2:00 AM I think.
“It was after we'd probably all had a few too many beverages and we got Nick to sign on a napkin.
“Then (we got Nick to) verbalize it over voicemail to Blair Hartley that he'd be quite happy to come and play for the Tigers in 2018 as a rookie.”
Nick has spoken on the moment before and admitted that he was genuinely considering his cousin’s pitch at the time, but ultimately, he decided to remain retired.
Jack says there are plenty of those funny stories littered throughout his new book and he’s excited for fans to learn some of the hidden truths behind his life and career.
“They are the funny sort of stories and the little things that you pick up over the over your journey, that are great to tell people,” Riewoldt said.
“They don't just get hidden away in your own little mind somewhere.
“They actually get to see the light of day and people can enjoy them as much as I did.”
Jack Riewoldt retired at the end of the 2023 AFL season following three premierships, 787 goals and 347 games in the yellow and black.