Richardson to lead the Tigers

Dynamic forward Ian Richardson, a veteran of 186 league matches, has been appointed captain of Claremont for the 2018 season.

The 30-year-old left-footer is poised this season to become just the ninth man in the club’s 92-year history to chalk up 200 senior games for the club.

He takes over the captaincy from another outstanding left-footer in midfielder Jake Murphy, who has decided to stand down after four years at the helm, but will continue playing.

Richardson was chosen to lead the Tigers this year after all members of the club’s senior training squad spent the past weekend at a camp at Claremont Oval and, along with the coaching staff, voted for Richardson as captain, with Kane Mitchell back with the Tigers after a five-year absence, and another top-flight midfielder Ryan Lim as joint vice-captains.

Tom Lee, Jesse Laurie, Haydn Busher and Jared Hardisty will round out the leadership group. Murphy and another member of the 2017 leadership group, Beau Maister, removed themselves from the voting, opting to hand on the baton to others.

Richardson has donned the No. 4 jumper with rare distinction since he broke into the league side in 2008. The previous Claremont captains who wore the No. 4 jumper were Noel Morton (1984-85) and Sonny Maffina, the club’s match-day ball legend this year, who led the Tigers in 1951-52-53 and 1957.

Richardson was a 16-year-old when he broke into Claremont’s colts side in 2004. He continued with the colts in the following two years and was captain of the side in 2006 when he won the club’s fairest-and-best award and was named in the WAFL colts Team of the Year.

He graduated to the reserves side in 2007 when he finished third in the club’s fairest-and-best award. He then had a spectacular debut season in league ranks in 2008 when he won the fairest-and-best award, the E. B. Cook Medal, and was awarded the Simpson Medal as Western Australia’s best player in the interstate match against Queensland in Townsville. He was also Claremont’s leading goal-kicker, with 62 majors.

He then represented WA with distinction in the next five seasons before taking a year off in 2014 to travel the world, enjoying holidaying in Canada, the United States, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, France, Spain, Italy and Ireland.

Richardson is a dual league premiership player (2011-12) and has been an ornament to the game during his 186 league appearances, four Foxtel Cup matches and six games for WA. He has kicked 370 goals in league ranks and as a consummate team player, he has played a significant role in hundreds of other goals.

By Ken Casellas