Jack Riewoldt is not retiring any time soon and plans to have a lot of fun along the way
Just saying yes has given Jack Riewoldt some amazing experiences. And co-owning a motor sport venture with Fox Footy colleagues and a V8 superstar could be the craziest adventure yet.
Jon Ralph
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The power of saying yes has put Jack Riewoldt in some weird and wonderful places.
On stage rocking it out with The Killers after Richmond’s 2017 premiership triumph.
On track for football’s Hall of Fame.
And on a pedestal as one of football’s greatest star forwards combining a diverse multimedia career, a leadership business and advocacy for a Tasmanian football team.
In 2023 it could reward him with the 34-year-old’s own version of the Triple Crown.
His decision to play on for Richmond opens the door for a remarkable fourth premiership and his small ownership stake in 2023 Melbourne Cup favourite Soulcombe sets up 12 months of feverish anticipation.
November’s schedule includes trips to Mount Buffalo and Uluru as part of his leadership business Authentic Leaders Group, and last week’s Flemington Group 3 victory that set up Soulcombe’s Melbourne Cup bid.
This week he still found time to confirm the third and quirkiest leg of that possible trio of sporting victories when he became a part-owner in Hodges Motorsport’s bid for the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway.
The self-confessed motorsport nuffy has joined up with his podcast partners – IndyCar star Scott McLaughlin and Fox Footy’s AFL360 producer Tim Hodges – as well as AFL360 host Gerard Whateley.
A passion project for Hodges given his Warrnambool roots, the sprint car event is a high-risk investment for the 50th anniversary of the race that guarantees little financial reward but a heck of a lot of fun.
For Riewoldt it is all part of embracing the extraordinary opportunities that life can present if you are prepared to answer in the affirmative.
“It is just what you make of it. You could easily say no to a lot of things but I try to say yes to as many things as possible and sometimes they turn into really fun things like the horse and the motorsport team,” he said.
“Hodgey had a lifelong dream to own a race team and myself and Scott and Hodgey did a podcast and made some sponsorship money off supporters of the podcast and we had it sitting there. And Hodgey says, ‘I want to run a sprint car team’.
“It’s so left of centre that it’s really, really appealing. More than likely we won’t get our money back but it will be so much fun. It’s a big year as the 50th anniversary and James McFadden is driving for us. He’s a two-time champion and he’s one of the best drivers down there, so we are really looking forward to it.
“Sprint cars are on dirt and are the cars with huge wings on top of the roof. The power is unbelievable and things can come a cropper pretty easily, so it’s not a sport you would normally invest money in, but we are doing this more as a passion project than anything else.”
Riewoldt will take his daughters Poppy and Hazel down to the ’Bool to witness the spectacle, with Poppy turning four in March when round 1 of the AFL season rolls around next year.
She is just old enough to understand what dad does for a living, which was one of the many reasons he played on next year.
“A quote I have heard a lot recently is you are a long time retired. So enjoy it while it’s here. My eldest is starting to show a lot of interest in footy, she loves it,” he said.
“I have no idea, to be honest (if it’s my last year). Probably more than likely but you just don’t know. When I started this year I was thinking it would be my last year but I surprised myself a bit. I have got a young family and so many other things to do but I am putting my sole focus into being the best footballer I can be so it gives me a chance to play my best football and the club can go as far as it hopes to go.”
He is thrilled Jacob Hopper chose Richmond over Geelong and Tim Taranto jumped on board, believing they are both “bona fide stars of the competition. We have been very lucky to add to that group”.
For Riewoldt, Hopper’s decision franks the club’s own belief it is still a “powerhouse” like Geelong and Melbourne firmly in the premiership race.
But he says the emergence of first-year draftees Josh Gibcus, Noah Cumberland and Tyler Sonsie – with untried members of that draft class Sam Banks and Tom Brown likely to debut next year – gives the club a perfect balance of old and new.
Riewoldt has heard the noise about Richmond’s decision to host its final this weekend at the 2000-capacity Punt Road and believes there is a silver lining in the debate.
“We are so excited for the AFLW team who are going fantastically well. I have been to watch games and watched a few on TV when they have played away. It’s a whole generation that have been inspired, not just Richmond. The whole competition is inspiring people.
“Did we ever think we would be having this conversation about where an AFLW final would be played. People are crying out for tickets. For a nation that loves sport we are getting constant access to world-class sport. That’s the most exciting thing. The standard I have watched our girls go to is next level. The girls coming in to play AFLW now are scary good.
“And in ten more years it will look nothing like it does now as it evolves again.”
He will head to Uluru next week for another course with Authentic Leaders Group with a syllabus based around many of the lessons from Richmond, helping workgroups reconnect after the dislocation of Covid.
“We take people into regional spaces and use it as a classroom to do a whole bunch of stuff. A bit of theory, a bit of fun, a bit of play and push people into growth areas we think can improve facets of workplaces,” Riewoldt said.
Then next month he will be back into the slog of a Punt Road pre-season, having filled his life with so many challenges he cannot get to but aware of the magnetic lure of the fourth premiership.
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