TonyK
CibbuanoRichardson calls it quits
November 12th 2009 09:07
RICHMOND veteran Matthew Richardson has announced his retirement from AFL football.
The 34-year-old was restricted to just six appearances in 2009 due to a serious hamstring injury.
The Tigers great had previously planned to play on next season but after the first few weeks of pre-season training he knew his body could no longer cope with the rigours of the modern game.
"I wanted to see how I pulled up after a few weeks of training before I made a final decision, but the hamstring is just not good," Richardson said on the club's official website.
"It hasn't felt right when I've been running and the medical prognosis with it isn't positive."
"So, weighing everything up, it is definitely the right time for me to retire."
"I didn't want to spend the last couple of years of my career riddled with injury."
Richardson said it was a hard decision to pull the pin on his career.
"It's never easy walking away from something that you've loved doing for so long, but I consider myself fortunate to have played at such a great club as Richmond in front of such wonderfully, loyal, passionate supporters," he said.
"There are so many memories from my time at Tigerland that I will cherish."
Richardson, who played 282 games for Richmond after making his AFL debut in 1993, booted 800 goals to be second on the club's all-time leading goalkicking list behind Jack Titus (970).
He won the Jack Dyer Medal as the club's best-and-fairest in 2007 and finished joint third in the 2008 Brownlow Medal count, just two votes behind winner Adam Cooney.
He also earnt All-Australian honours on three occasions and was named in the club's Team of the Century.
The 34-year-old was restricted to just six appearances in 2009 due to a serious hamstring injury.
The Tigers great had previously planned to play on next season but after the first few weeks of pre-season training he knew his body could no longer cope with the rigours of the modern game.
"I wanted to see how I pulled up after a few weeks of training before I made a final decision, but the hamstring is just not good," Richardson said on the club's official website.
"It hasn't felt right when I've been running and the medical prognosis with it isn't positive."
"So, weighing everything up, it is definitely the right time for me to retire."
"I didn't want to spend the last couple of years of my career riddled with injury."
Richardson said it was a hard decision to pull the pin on his career.
"It's never easy walking away from something that you've loved doing for so long, but I consider myself fortunate to have played at such a great club as Richmond in front of such wonderfully, loyal, passionate supporters," he said.
"There are so many memories from my time at Tigerland that I will cherish."
Richardson, who played 282 games for Richmond after making his AFL debut in 1993, booted 800 goals to be second on the club's all-time leading goalkicking list behind Jack Titus (970).
He won the Jack Dyer Medal as the club's best-and-fairest in 2007 and finished joint third in the 2008 Brownlow Medal count, just two votes behind winner Adam Cooney.
He also earnt All-Australian honours on three occasions and was named in the club's Team of the Century.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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i love Richardson, one of my all time favourite players, sad to see him go