Jack Riewoldt ‘second-guessing’ hub life after leaving family behind

Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt has opened up on the difficulty of moving into an AFL hub and having to leave his young family behind.

Jack Riewoldt isn't sure about the AFL hub life

Richmond star Jack Riewoldt has opened up on the difficulties of AFL hub life after departing Melbourne and leaving behind his wife and one-year-old daughter.

The Tigers left Victoria on Monday and headed to Queensland where they’ll be stationed for their next five games along with five other Victorian clubs.

Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Watch every match of every round Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Fellow Tigers stars Bachar Houli and Shane Edwards opted not to join the team in the hub due to family commitments and the decision to stay with the team is one Riewoldt says he is now second guessing.

Victorian clubs got out of the state a day before the New South Wales and Victorian border was closed with Melbourne then entering stage three restrictions for six weeks after the latest spike in coronavirus cases.

“I won’t lie, I probably have second guessed a little bit coming up here,” the 31-year-old admitted.

“Leaving yesterday was really tough obviously with Poppy only being very young and Carly as well just leaving her at home and knowing what she has to go through by herself as a single parent, there’s certainly a weight on my shoulders about that.

“It’s the decision we came to together but like everything in this current climate it shifts hourly and unfortunately we find ourselves in a position where for the next six weeks in Victoria we’re going back to the lockdown.

“Unfortunately there isn’t much I can do up here at the moment bar just try and organise things as much as I can from afar.”

Riewoldt said having to say goodbye to his wife and daughter was unbelievably difficult and a moment that will continue to weigh on him.

“I cried like a baby, which unashamedly it’s the one thing I’m going to struggle with more than anything else,” he said.

“I think over the whole period here I’ll constantly ask myself ‘Why am I here? What am I actually doing leaving my young family to come up here and play a game?’

“But the club has given me so much over my career that I’m truly indebted to them and that’s why I’m here doing my bit for my football club while trying to do my bit for my family too.”