By Dave Campbell
In the old days, when we had something riding on the season, we would have called this a “danger game”. Richmond was expected to beat cellar-dweller North Melbourne, not only because Richmond were a better side, but because the script required it. It was Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin’s last game, and they needed to have the Richmond theme song ringing in their ears as they commenced their nostalgia-lap.
At times this game had a pantomime feeling to it. The largely Richmond crowd would cheer every time Jack or “Cotch” touched the ball. Early on, Richmond tried to engineer goals to Jack Riewoldt when there were more sensible options available. Fortunately, Dustin Martin and Shai Bolton took matters into their own hands and decided that they would kick the majority of Richmond’s goals themselves.
As Dickens would have said of Jack Riewoldt’s game, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Both Jack and Cotch reminded us of their earlier brilliance, and their more recent fallibility. Cotch was busy and reliable around the midfield. For three quarters Jack was fairly ineffective, although he did score a handy crumbing goal. In the last quarter he roared to life with several strong marks, including a 2010-era screamer.
He also demonstrated why the “round the corner from 30-40m” shot at goal, which he probably invented, was never a good idea.
The scoreboard hinted at something special by instructing us to remain after the game. First Jack Ziebell, North Melbourne stalwart and former captain was farewelled. Then the Jack Riewoldt and Cotch farewell lap commenced. Judging by the sprawl of media, players and well-wishers it was clear that there had been no dress rehearsal. As in the game that had just been completed, the Richmond players weren’t quite sure where to move to. Jack and Cotch took their time moving around the boundary, partly so that they could thank crowd members individually and partly so that they didn’t drop any of their children from their shoulders.
There were three Richmond Premiership Cups displayed on stands near the Punt Road End. Jack and Cotch posed for photos with the trophies as the Richmond cheer squad roared behind them. We never did get to roar like that after the 2020 premiership. It should have been Dusty standing next to the third Premiership Cup. There were rumours he would follow Damien Hardwick to the Gold Coast - he too might have just played his last game for Richmond at the MCG. Either way he wouldn’t have wanted any fanfare.
The procession moved around to the race, where the Cotch and Jack were embraced by lines of players past and present. The loudspeakers blared out Jack’s signature song, “Mr Brightside”. Maybe the wind changed and stirred up the dust; thousands of hardened Richmond supporters started wiping something from their eyes.
Mum and I at the farewell. I still haven’t washed the jumper with Jack’s signature on it!
Jack, Chris Newman and my family in 2012