In the football stuff, like saying bye to players, it’s time for a big thing again. Jack Riewoldt, he’s like a star player for Richmond, is stopping playing, just like his teammate Trent Cotchin who left not long ago.
After doing footy for seventeen seasons, Riewoldt is saying bye. He scored 786 goals, and that’s third best for Richmond. He was the top goal scorer eleven times.
Like in 2007, Riewoldt started his footy journey, and now he’s like, “I’m done.” He’s 34 years old. He was thinking about playing more next year, ’cause he kicked like 31 goals this year, even when things were a bit up and down.
Riewoldt says he’s ready for the next part, and he thinks the club is ready too. He’s happy about the journey and everyone who was there. He didn’t think things would go this far, to be honest.
First, Riewoldt was going to play with Tom Lynch this year. But Lynch got hurt in the fourth round and hasn’t played after that.
Riewoldt did pretty good stuff. He got the Coleman Medal three times, and he played 346 games, which is second best for Richmond. Some guy named Kevin Bartlett played more, like 403 games.
In 2017, after Richmond won for the first time in ages, Riewoldt sang with The Killers. He had on his grand final shirt and sang “Mr. Brightside.”
Riewoldt and Cotchin will get cheered at Richmond’s last game this season. It’s against North Melbourne at the MCG place. Cotchin missed two games ’cause his calf was sore, but he’s coming back.
Richmond maybe won’t get to the finals unless some crazy things happen. They’re ending the season against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval place.
Some other players are stopping too. Nic Naitanui hurt his Achilles all year, and now he’s saying bye. Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn, they’re like legends of the club, are also saying bye.
Paddy McCartin, a top pick in the draft, is also stopping. He got hurt in the fourth round playing against Port Adelaide, and now he’s not playing anymore.
So, lots of players are saying bye, and their stories are like part of the history of footy.
