Jack Riewoldt says he would give up Richmond’s premiership glory if it would bring cousin Maddie back
JACK Riewoldt looked to the skies after he accepted his premiership medal, knowing cousin Maddie Riewoldt was watching over him. He says he would trade the medal if it would bring her back.
Richmond
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JACK Riewoldt says he confessed to Trent Cotchin he believed his premiership chances had passed him by late last year.
But as Riewoldt basked in the premiership glow he said he would give back his flag if it would bring back cousin Maddie.
The Tigers spearhead, who kicked two clutch goals in yesterday’s 48-point rout, had a moment of reflection for Maddie after receiving his medal.
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She died from a rare bone marrow disorder in 2015, with Riewoldt and his cousin Nick heading up the fight to raise money for the cause.
Amid the raucous celebrations yesterday he spared a moment both for Maddie and Nick, who had a premiership elude him despite three Grand Finals.
“I had a small reflection after getting this medal.” Riewoldt told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“The family behind you is so important and so was Maddie and I would trade everything today to get her back in a heartbeat.
“My cousin (Nick) never won a premiership and to be honest he deserves this more than I do, he battled hard and he is an amazing man.
“So he has turned me into the person I am today, I spoke to him about what this week would be like.”
The 28-year-old believes his chances had run out last year as the Tigers slumped to 13th place on the ladder.
“It’s unbelievable. Who would have thought — we finished 13th last year, beaten by 113 points in the last round and now we are f***cking premiers,” he said after the match.
“I sat down with Cotch (Trent Cotchin) at the end of last season and spoke to him about the fact I might not ever play in a premiership and I might not be a premiership player.
“But if I could leave some kind of stamp on the club and help Daniel Rioli who might play in a flag after I left the club it would be worth it.
“It’s amazing when you focus on the little things and don’t look forward to the results what you can achieve.”
Riewoldt will soon wed fiancee Carly Ziegler, capping a perfect year for one of Tiger faithful’s most beloved players.
“I don’t expect to pay for a beer in Richmond for the next month,’’ he joked.
“I am just super proud. It’s the best day of my life until five weeks time when I get married.
“I am going to have a pretty awesome time, premiership player and getting married with a lot of my teammates there so that’s really important to me.
“It’s the one thing that gets lost in footy, we live hectic lives but the backbone of every player is strong family support with wives, families, partners, brothers and sisters.
“I am so proud of all the guys, it’s a real team effort.”
Riewoldt and forwards coach Justin Leppitsch took a leadership role this year that included playing alongside five pressuring forwards.
In the process of becoming more selfless he not only changed perceptions but turned into a better leader.
“We are a unique footy side, it’s always talked about with the small forwards and myself,’’ he said.
“It has worked for us, they all played their role today, they battled out of their weight division and we have got a bunch of guys who try their arses off so it’s an awesome feeling.”
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