After playing in an AFL grand final on the MCG in front of nearly a hundred thousand people, most wouldn’t expect your next game to be in front of maybe a hundred. But this is the reality for former Sydney Swan young gun Xavier Richards.
The younger brother of Swans great Ted Richards, Xavier came to the Swans through the 2013 draft as a developing key defender.
He made his debut in Round 14 as the sub against Carlton, then waited two years until his next game, in Round 17, 2015.
In 2016 he switched to the forward line and eventually broke into the side in Round 18, playing ten games and kicking 13 goals through the end of the season and final series.
It was after the Swans’ 2016 grand final loss to the Western Bulldogs when his career changed dramatically.
Sydney offered him a two-year contract extension, but Richards requested a trade back to Victoria during the trade period and was delisted. He trained with Essendon for two weeks leading up to the draft, however no club picked him.
Richards eventually signed with NEAFL side Sydney University for the 2017 season, where he could also continue his studies while playing football.
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Heading into the second half of the NEAFL season, Richards really needs to stand up, lead his club to the grand final, and show he’s worthy of a spot on an AFL list again.
Most people would think a former AFL player would be performing a lot better than Richards is for Sydney University. My view is he’s being played out of position.
In the AFL, Richards was playing as the third tall-forward, behind Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett, and never had to deal with a team’s best defender. Coming into a lower level competition, a lot more has been expected, and he has played key forward, taking the best defender every week.
As a result, he’s getting the touches he needs but not kicking big bags of goals – he is fourth on the team’s goalkicking list, with his biggest game coming against the NT Thunder, kicking four goals.
He might have the size, at 196cm, but Richards is not a key forward. He plays as third tall to perfection, because he has the size, speed and the tank to do it – similar to Jack Gunston and Nick Riewoldt.
Richards is versatile, with the ability to play as the third tall either up front or down back, and he’s getting the marks and disposals for a forward to show he is a level above most others. If he can help Sydney Uni to their first ever NEAFL grand final, he will have done what he was brought to the club to do.
It’s an interesting path he’s taken, but Richards has the ability to play on the biggest stage and he should be drafted back into the AFL at the end of this season.
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