Nick Riewoldt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nick Riewoldt |
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Riewoldt in June 2017
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Nicholas Fredrick Riewoldt | ||
| Nickname(s) | Rooey | ||
| Date of birth | 17 October 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Hobart, Tasmania | ||
| Original team | Southport (QAFL)/Broadbeach Cats | ||
| Draft | No. 1, 2000 national draft | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Nicholas Fredrick Riewoldt (born 17 October 1982), often called "Rooey," is a famous former Australian rules football player. He played his entire career for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nick was the very first player chosen in the 2000 AFL draft, which means he was considered the best young talent that year. He was also the captain of St Kilda for many years. Nick is known for being one of the best players in AFL history, especially for taking "marks" (catching the ball from a kick). He holds the record for the most marks ever in VFL/AFL games!
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Early Life and Sporting Talent
Nick Riewoldt was born in Hobart, Tasmania. When he was nine years old, his family moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland. He went to Robina State Primary School and later All Saints Anglican School.
Even though Australian rules football wasn't a big sport in many Queensland schools back then, Nick was an amazing athlete. He played many sports like athletics, cross country, cricket, soccer, and touch football. He was also very good at school, especially in science subjects like physics and chemistry.
Nick started playing junior football for the Broadbeach Cats. Later, he joined the Southport Sharks. He was a key player when Southport won their fourth straight QAFL premiership in 2000. In that big final game, he kicked two important goals.
Did you know Nick supported the Hawthorn Football Club when he was growing up? He is also the first cousin of another famous AFL player, Jack Riewoldt, who plays for the Richmond Tigers.
Nick's Amazing AFL Career
Nick Riewoldt was the top pick in the 2000 AFL Draft. He played his first game in 2001. In 2002, he won the AFL Rising Star Award, which is given to the best young player in the league.
Becoming a Star in 2004
The year 2004 was a huge one for Nick. He set an AFL record by taking 256 marks in one season! A "mark" is when a player catches a kicked ball that has traveled at least 15 metres. He also finished high in the voting for the Coleman Medal (for most goals) and the Brownlow Medal (for the league's best player).
Because of his fantastic season, Nick won the AFL Players Association Most Valuable Player Award, called the Leigh Matthews Trophy. He was also chosen for the All-Australian Team for the first time. This team features the best players from across the league.
Captain and Injuries: 2005-2007
In 2005, St Kilda made Nick their club captain. But his season started with a broken collarbone in the very first game. He worked hard to get back on the field.
In 2006, Nick showed his amazing skills again. He kicked nine goals in one game against Carlton! He also took a game-saving mark against Sydney, helping the Saints win a close match. At the end of 2006, he won his third Trevor Barker Award, which is St Kilda's award for their best and fairest player. He was also picked for the All-Australian Team again.
In 2007, Nick was named co-captain of St Kilda. Even though he had some injuries, he still had a great year and won his fourth Trevor Barker Award.
Leading the Saints: 2008-2009
In 2008, Nick became the sole captain of St Kilda. He helped the team win the 2008 NAB Cup, which is a pre-season competition. He continued to be one of the best players in the league, taking lots of marks and kicking many goals. He was chosen for the All-Australian team for the third time.
In 2009, Nick was a huge reason why St Kilda had an amazing season. They won 20 out of 22 games and finished first on the ladder. Nick took the most marks of any player in the league that year and kicked 65 goals. He was named captain of the 2009 All-Australian Team, showing how respected he was across the AFL.
St Kilda made it to the 2009 AFL Grand Final but lost a close game to Geelong. Nick won his fifth Trevor Barker Award that year, setting a new club record!
Grand Final Drama in 2010
The 2010 season was tough for Nick, as he had a serious hamstring injury. But he returned to play in the 2010 AFL Grand Final against Collingwood. This game ended in a draw, which was very rare! Nick kicked two goals in that first game.
Because it was a draw, they played a "replay" game a week later. In the replay, Nick was famously chased down by Collingwood's Heath Shaw, who tackled him just as he was about to kick a goal. St Kilda ended up losing the replay. This was the last Grand Final to be replayed, as rules changed later to include extra time instead.
Final Seasons and Records: 2016-2017
In 2016, Nick decided to step down as St Kilda's captain after many years of leading the team.
On 31 July 2017, Nick announced he would retire at the end of the season. He played his last game in Round 23 against the Richmond Tigers, which is his cousin Jack Riewoldt's team. In his final season, Nick broke the all-time record for the most marks in VFL/AFL history, taking more than 2,900 marks in his career!
Life Outside Football
Nick Riewoldt is married to Catherine Heard, and they have three sons.
In 2015, Nick's younger sister, Madeleine, sadly passed away from a rare bone marrow condition called aplastic anaemia. To honor her and help others, Nick and his family started "Maddie Riewoldt's Vision." This charity raises money for research to find new treatments for blood cancers.
Every year during the AFL season, when St Kilda (Nick's old team) plays against Richmond (his cousin Jack's team), they have a special game called "Maddie's Match." This game helps raise money and awareness for Maddie Riewoldt's Vision.
Nick also won the second season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia, showing he's not just a star on the football field!
Nick's Career Highlights
Nick Riewoldt had an incredible career. Here are some of his biggest achievements:
- He played 336 games and kicked 718 goals for St Kilda.
- He was St Kilda's captain for many years (2005, and 2007-2016).
- He won the Trevor Barker Award (St Kilda's best and fairest player) a record six times!
- He won the Leigh Matthews Trophy in 2004, which means he was voted the league's Most Valuable Player by other players.
- He was chosen for the All-Australian team five times, showing he was one of the best players in the AFL. He was even named captain of the All-Australian team in 2009.
- He won the AFL Rising Star Award in 2002 as a young player.
- He holds the all-time record for the most marks taken in VFL/AFL history.
Images for kids
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Riewoldt at training prior to the 2009 AFL Grand Final
