Matthew Richardson (Australian rules footballer)

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**Matthew Richardson**
Personal Info
Birth	19 March 1975,
Recruited from	Devonport
Height/Weight	196cm / 105kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 7, 8 May 1993, Richmond vs. St Kilda, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Team(s)	Richmond 1993- 233 Games, 688 Goals
¹ Statistics to end of R21, 2006 season
Career Highlights
All Australian 1996, 1999 Richmond Tigers Leading Goalkicker 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 International Rules 1999 Alex Jesaulenko Medal 1996 AFL Rising Star nominee 1993 Richmond Tigers Team Of the Century

Matthew "Richo" Richardson (born March 19, 1975), is a professional Australian rules football player for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League. He has been the club's key forward through the late 1990's and the 2000's, and the club's leading goalscorer seven times. He has been selected in the all-Australian team in 1996 and 2001. He has kicked the most goals at the MCG.

Richardson was the fourth pick (a father-son selection) in the 1992 AFL Draft, recruited from Devonport, Tasmania. Combining a 196-centimetre frame with exceptional speed and athletic capacity for a large man, on his day he has been a dominant presence for the Tigers. However, his form is notoriously uneven, to the frustration of the dedicated and long-suffering Tiger supporters. Through 2002 and 2003, these fans jammed talkback radio suggesting that Richardson should be traded to another team.

In 2004, a decision to step back involvement in the Tigers' "leadership group" (the small group of senior players who help lead the club on and off-field) and focus on additional strength training seems to have paid off, with a flurry of goals in the early part of the season after returning from injury including a career best 10 against the Western Bulldogs. Richardson finished with a tally of 65 goals for the season.

In 2005 under the coaching of Terry Wallace he kicked 65 goals again, this time with much more consistency throughout the season.

Richardson is the son of former Richmond and South Melbourne player Alan "Bull" Richardson. His sister, Samantha, is married to Jade Rawlings.