Richo
by Matthew Richardson & Martin Flanagan
Overview
From the Publisher
Matthew Richardson, known as Richo, retired in 2009 as the most popular player in the AFL. Why was that? The careers of other great players like Nathan Buckley and Michael Voss amount to a sort of sporting perfection. Richo's career didn't. He was fallible. His kicking was flawed and he had an inability to hide his feelings on the ground but in other respects he was extraordinarily gifted. He was one of the best marks in the competition and it is said he could have run for Australia. His father, Alan "Bull" Richardson, played in Richmond's 1967 premiership team, a pivotal result in the history of the club. On his mother's side, he is descended from a black American sailor who arrived in Sydney in 1840. The average AFL career lasts three years. Richo's lasted 17 seasons. In that time, the general public got to appreciate his great bravery and his passion for both the game and his club. They also learned that, off the field, he was a humble, polite man who was always last on to the team bus because he was signing autographs. "Richo", the book, is essentially an account of the last two years of his football life with flashbacks that trace the outline of his long career. In the process, the author, Martin Flanagan, discovers a man who is worldly and much-travelled, who has a deep love of music and who thinks and uses words in a novel way. Richo is an Australian original. The book climaxes with the 2008 season when Richo, in what was seen as a prelude to his delisting, was taken from the key forward position he had dominated for nearly two decades and put on a wing. At age 33, he responded by almost winning the Brownlow medal.
My thoughts
Biography? No. Sporting book? Yes, mostly. Worthwhile? Absolutely.
If you pick up this book expecting to read a biography about Richmond's Matthew Richardson, you better read the intro by the author. That's not what this book is about, and the author makes no apology for that. However, if you want to take a footy journey in which Richo plays a part and shares some thoughts along the way, come along for a delightful ride.
As I read this book, I wasn't always sure if it was a story about Richo or if it was a story about the author, Martin Flanagan. I finally decided it's a little of both. Flanagan muses about things that interest him, and usually ties it back to Richo. I felt like I've come away from the book with a much clearer understanding of Matthew Richardson and with an admiration for him. I am well aware that Richmond fans have a love/hate relationship with Richo, but after reading the book I can't fault Richo for any of his perceived shortcomings. Richo was true to himself throughout his playing career, and you can't really argue with that.
It's a good story, an interesting journey, a unique writing style, and a book I'm really glad I've read.
Favorite Passage
Peters admits there was a time when Richmond fans were hard on Richo. He once took a St Kilda supporter who was down on Richo to a game. 'When we got to the game, I said to my mate, "Just watch him for five minutes. Don't watch anything else." At the end of five minutes, he turned back to me and said, "I'll never criticise him again." He'd seen how hard he ran.'
