Why Nick Riewoldt is eyeing a new non-football-related career path

The rumour mill is swirling that Nick Riewoldt may be weighing up a mega offer from Channel 7 — but the former Saints star has fresh ideas of his own.

Travelling the countryside cooking his signature crayfish pasta is a chunk of the carrot Channel 7 is dangling in front of out-of-contract Fox Footy star Nick Riewoldt.

Because Riewoldt would far prefer to whip the carrot up into a sumptuous cake.

Page 13 understands Riewoldt is weighing up a mega offer from Seven which includes football commentary, but more importantly for the former St Kilda skipper, pivoting into a lifestyle career path with other programs on the network.

After his impressive appearance and win on Channel 10’s MasterChef All Stars series last year, where he showed off his passion for food and “guilty pleasure” baking prowess, Riewoldt is keen to pursue non-football related TV opportunities.

“I find the kitchen therapeutic. I actually love cooking for my family. For me, it doesn’t feel like a chore,” Riewoldt said.

There has been speculation throughout the industry that Seven is licking its lips about a big-name signing, and Nick Riewoldt is the odds-on favourite.

There has been speculation throughout the industry that Seven is licking its lips about a big-name signing, which they were keen to unveil in January, with the rumour mill placing Riewoldt as the odds-on favourite.

Rival Channel 9 is interested in Riewoldt as a replacement for Ross Lyon on its flagship football program Footy Classified. They also have plenty of lifestyle program opportunities for him similar to the role Hawthorn champion Shane Crawford filled at Nine for a number of years.

Another option raised by the Herald Sun on Thursday involved Riewoldt moving overseas with his family in 2023. His wife, Catherine, is from Texas and they married in 2012 in Waco.

His departure would be a major blow for Fox, given Riewoldt starred in multiple programs and live coverage of blockbuster matches.

He would leave a hole in flagship Monday night program On The Couch, where he analyses the weekend’s games alongside Jonathan Brown and host Garry Lyon.

The five-time All Australian also appeared on Fox Footy’s new Saturday night live entertainment show Best On Ground, where he showed great chemistry alongside host Kath Loughnan, Mark Howard, Nathan Buckley, and Brown.

Jonathan Brown, Kath Loughnan, Nathan Buckley and Nick Riewoldt. Picture: Alex Coppel

Channel 7 is looking to beef up its football coverage after the departure of Wayne Carey in September.

The former North Melbourne champion was let go by the network after he was ejected from Perth’s Crown Casino after being caught with a small baggy containing the ol’ “white substance”.

Riewoldt filled in for Carey on Triple M for a number of weeks at the end of the season.

Carey was dumped from the marque Friday night call team on Seven this season in favour of Hawthorn premiership captain Luke Hodge and AFLW star Daisy Pearce. Throwing the highly respected Riewoldt into that mix would be a dream result for the network.

The 336-game player has been a major part of the Fox Footy family since 2018, signing at the network immediately after retiring from the Saints.

In the past five seasons he has become one of the most-respected voices in the game and one of the faces of Fox Footy.