This week, collingwoodfc.com.au spoke to Mark Richardson, a stalwart of the Collingwood teams of the 1990s who helped keep the flame flickering while the club endured its lowest ebb on and off the field. Richardson, a true utility who made his mark at centre half back, centre half forward and in the ruck, now works for an industrial packaging business, WRS, that was originally owned by his father Wayne, who played 221 games for the Magpies between 1969-1978.
On the highlight of his career…
Obviously it would be my first game at Victoria Park against the Brisbane Bears when I kicked three goals. That’d give you superstar-like status now. They were coming off the 1990 premiership so to turn from a staunch supporter, winning the premiership and having trained with the 1990 group in the finals the year before, I’m showing my age now, but as an experience thing, to be able to play the next year was always what I wanted to do. They’re the highlights. There’s (other) bits and pieces.
On sacrificing his place as an emergency for the 2002 Grand Final…
Jason Cloke got rubbed out and I hadn’t played since round 11 or 12 over in Perth so I was a bit of a long shot but Mick Malthouse was pumping me up as a bit of an option. I hurt my leg at training during the week so I would never have known if it would be or Jarrod Molloy who played in the Grand Final. I’ll never know to this day if I’d have played or not but I would have doubted it. Jarrod had played only four to five weeks before that too.
On playing in a premiership for Williamstown against Box Hill in his final game as a Collingwood listed player…
That was a highlight. Even though it was VFL footy, it was still a highlight. I played terribly. I was touch and go whether I was going to play. Mick wanted me to play because I had played all my career without a final. Even though it was a VFL final I got injections in my feet and ankles to play. I couldn’t really walk unless I was injected. It was a bit of a gesture from Mick and Brad Gotch. I’ve still got a lot of people from that Willy team that I can catch up with even though you’re not best of mates, but you’ve still had that success together.
Richardson regularly matched the likes of Wayne Carey and Barry Hall while playing at centre half back in the second half of his career.
On the teammates he still sees in life beyond Lulie Street…
It’s pretty hard actually with work and what have you. The main ones I speak to are probably Scott Burns, although he’s obviously involved at West Coast in another state. I speak to Shane Watson who’s a good mate of mine and is involved at the Kangaroos as an assistant coach. It’s more or less those two, but there’s also Josh Fraser, Shane O’Bree and Benny Johnson and the younger guys who I speak to from time to time.
Richardson was a dependable player who could pinch hit in the ruck or hold down a key position at either end of the ground.
Richardson's player profile as published in the Collingwood Yearbook from 1993, 'Magpies '93'.
