Nick Riewoldt deserves to be rated the best centre half forward of the modern era, writes Jon Anderson

CAREY, Pavlich, Richo ... all greats of the game, but JON ANDERSON writes Nick Riewoldt deserves to be rated the best centre half forward of the modern era. HAVE YOUR SAY

Nick Riewoldt has been a star for a long time. Picture: Colleen Petch.

FOR the style of game he played, Nick Riewoldt deserves to be rated the best centre half forward of the modern era.

Not a better overall package than Wayne Carey, but Carey himself has spoken with open admiration of Riewoldt’s ability to cover ground, with Richmond’s Matthew Richardson the only obvious challenger.

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And to keep presenting, to keep crashing into packs with a fearlessness that seemed to most of us to border on insanity. He just took himself where he needed to be for his team, and team has been everything to Riewoldt.

Nick Riewoldt takes a flying mark against the Sydney Swans in 2004.

The 34-year-old went to extreme lengths to demand professionalism of both himself and his teammates in an effort to win at least one more Premiership for the Saints.

That he ultimately fell agonisingly short in two Grand Finals is one of those cruel sporting fates in a caper that doesn’t play any favourites.

His performances in those Grand Finals were adequate rather than brilliant, the latter being his game description when best afield in five other finals for the Saints.

He also gets maximum votes for longevity, playing a lot longer than most key forwards despite a knee injury that could have ended his career three years ago.

Very few in his position carry well past 300 games, Chris Grant playing key forward and back in 341 matches, while Bernie Quinlan (366) and Matthew Pavlich (353) played a variety of positions.

Riewoldt, despite some forays to a wing in his latter years, owned the St Kilda forward line and won his remarkable six best and fairests (and five times All Australian) as a forward.