Richo laments Tassie's state
08/05/2008 6:21 PM
Richmond star Matthew Richardson admits to being disappointed at being the lone Tasmanian in the Dream Team for Saturday night's AFL Hall of Fame tribute match against Victoria at the MCG.
It says much about the decline of the island state - which only as recently as 1990 beat Victoria in its own right - that the only other Tasmanian that could consider himself unlucky not to be selected for the combined team was Hawthorn defender Grant Birchall.
Richardson hopes it is only a temporary lull for a footy-mad state that has produced some of the greatest players in the history of the game.
"It is a little bit disappointing (being the only Tasmanian in the side)," Richardson said on Thursday.
"You look back in the history of the Australian Football over the past 150 years and Tasmania has produced some of the best players of all time - guys like (Royce) Hart, (Ian) Stewart and (Darrel) Baldock."
"But of late we haven't seen as many (Tasmanians) coming through (into the AFL) and hopefully that is a trend that doesn't continue."
Richardson said he expected Tasmania's AFL representation to soon improve.
"I think you go in cycles in footy - you have years where you have plenty of guys (from one particular state) coming through and probably in the last few years there hasn't been quite as many but that won't continue in coming years."