Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Alan Richardson

Known as
Alan Richardson

Nickname
Bull

Born
19 November 1940

Died
17 March 2015 (aged 74)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 150d
Last game: 29y 136d

Height and weight
Height: 184 cm
Weight: 96 kg

Senior clubs
Richmond; South Melbourne

Jumper numbers
Richmond: 12
South Melbourne: 12, 24

Recruited from
Casterton (1959); Richmond (1969)

Family links
Rodger Richardson (Brother)Matthew Richardson (Son)

Alan Richardson

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
RichmondV/AFL1959-1969103300.2948%9.968.623.2918
South MelbourneV/AFL1969-1970791.2929%8.009.002.430
V/AFL1959-1970110390.3546%9.738.663.1918
Total1959-1970110390.3546%9.738.663.1918

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 7,002nd player to appear, 2,152nd most games played, 2,464th most goals kickedRichmond: 595th player to appear, 146th most games played, 225th most goals kickedSouth Melbourne: 966th player to appear, 945th most games played, 501st most goals kicked

There were few frills about Alan Richardson’s approach to the game but he was highly adept at winning the hard ball and using it effectively. He made his league debut in the opening round of the 1959 season but did not immediately establish himself as a first choice senior player. Indeed, in 1963 and 1964 he captained the reserves, and won consecutive best and fairest awards at that level to boot.

The 1967 season saw Richardson making a significant contribution to the Tigers’ first senior premiership for twenty-four years. In the grand final defeat of Geelong he was one of the best players on view, collecting 20 possessions as part of a formidable first ruck combination of Mike Patterson, Richardson and Kevin Bartlett. On a slightly sour note he was forced to leave the fray late on because of cramp, but this was without doubt the pinnacle of his time at Richmond, a time which saw him play 103 games and kick 30 goals between 1959 and 1969.

Midway through the 1969 season Richardson crossed to South Medlbourne but his season and a half stint with the Swans saw him add just 7 games and 9 goals to his respective career tallies. Between 1971 and 1973 he captain-coached East Devonport in the NWFU.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article; https://www.tigerlandarchive.org/tiki-index.php?page=Alan+Richardson

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.