Australian Football

Without doubt one of the pre-eminent Geelong footballers of the 1990s, Peter Riccardi, who joined the Cats from Geelong West-St Peter's, would almost certainly have enjoyed premiership success with the club had he counted another two or three players of similar energy, passion and skill among his team mates. As it was, he played in a losing Grand Final against West Coast at the end of his debut season of 1992, and went on to do so twice more during a career encompassing 288 games over 15 seasons.

Boasting exhilarating pace and a pounding left foot kick, Riccardi was capable of changing the course of a match with an explosion of brilliance. He slowed down as his career went on, but became more adaptable, and arguably a better player all round. Had he a touch more consistency to his game he would have been universally acclaimed as a champion. Individual career highlights included three top-three finishes in Geelong's best and fairest award, including a win in 1998. Former club great Bob 'Woofa' Davis said of Riccardi after the player announced his retirement in 2006, "I think Peter has been a magnificent player for the Geelong Football Club and I'm positive that every one of the teammates he's played with would regard him as one of the best players they played with".

Author - John Devaney