Australian Football

Steve Richardson is the twin brother of former Swan Districts, Collingwood, Essendon, Brisbane and West Perth player Mike Richardson, and like him commenced his football in junior ranks at Swan Districts. After joining the army he was posted to New South Wales where he commenced his senior football career before moving to Brisbane where he played for the Mayne Australian Football Club. The 1983 season found him at Essendon but he managed just one senior VFL appearance for the year. He did, however, play in the Bombers’ 1983 reserves premiership-winning team.

Richardson returned home to Swan Districts in 1984 and played as a midfielder in that year’s winning grand final against East Fremantle. Arguably less talented than his twin brother, he succeeded thanks to his immense determination and athleticism, qualities which earned him a place in the West Australian state team that lost at home to South Australia in 1985.

In 1987 he ventured to South Australia and joined Norwood, playing 55 SANFL games and kicking 30 goals over the next two and a half seasons. He then returned to Swans briefly before transferring to East Perth in 1990, where he added 41 games and 15 goals. He rounded off his playing career with one final season at Swans in 1993, taking his final tally of games played with the club to 92, and the number of goals registered to 37.

Author - John Devaney