Richo is Back, and his name is Jack

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Hawks pound the Tigers on Saturday night, dishing out a 63 point lesson in all things football.

Buddy was at his best, aided by the class of Burgoyne, Sewell, Gibson, Hodge, Ellis, Guerra, Hale and a host of others.

The pundits are on the money in predicting a top four finish for the brown and gold.  They look as slick as they did in their premiership year of 2008 and if all goes according to plan, and predictions, a Hawthorn-Collingwood Grand Final beckons.

But what I enjoyed perhaps just as much as Hawthorn’s convincing win on Saturday night is that the Richmond tradition continues.

Not only have the Tigers started season 2011 with promise, only to be put back in their box by a more serious outfit, they’ve brought back Richo, regenerated, Doctor Who-like in the form of Jack Riewoldt.

While David Tennant was known as the tenth Doctor, from this point on, Jack Riewoldt will be referred to as ‘the second Richo’.

In the Round 2 draw against the Saints, Jack was concussed in the early stages of the match.  His subsequent ranting and raving on the sidelines, after being told he wouldn’t be take any further part in the match, was not pleasant to watch but understandable given he was ‘without his full faculties’ as they say.

But on Saturday, Jack continued to look grumpy.  Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson, who showed plenty of poise in the wet conditions at the MCG, blanketed young Jack, who struggled for a touch let alone a goal.

As a frustrated Jack was benched, he made ‘a rude finger gesture’ which was caught and replayed several times on television.  Jack looked like a silly spoilt brat.

But proof of Richo’s regeneration came with Jack’s verbal serve to teammate Dustin Martin.  The young Tiger made the mistake of favouring another option over a perfectly weighted laces-out pass to ‘Jacko’ who lashed out as a result.

Not only that, he then went on to display what Richmond coach Damien Hardwick described as “poor body language”.  Believers, Richo is definitely among us.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I don’t care much for Richmond but I do appreciate the characters of our game and Richo was certainly one of them.  What I liked about Richo was that he was a gifted player, a passionate man and ultimately, in a team not deserving of him, a tortured soul.  I would have loved to see him in the brown and gold.

But rejoice.  Richo is back, and his name is Jack.

Sasha Lennon is a Brisbane-based Knacker whose writing can be found at http://sashasoapbox.blogspot.com/