Nick Riewoldt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nick Riewoldt |
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Riewoldt playing 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 (QAFL) |
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| Draft | No. 1, 2000 national draft | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Nicholas "Nick" Fredrick Riewoldt (born 17 October 1982) is a retired Australian rules football player, famous for his career with the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was the number one pick in the 2000 AFL draft, meaning he was chosen first out of all the new players that year.
Known for his incredible athletic ability, Riewoldt was the captain of St Kilda for many years. He is a five-time All-Australian, an honour given to the best players in the league each season. He also holds the all-time record for the most marks (catching a kicked ball) in the history of the VFL/AFL.
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Early Life and Junior Football
Nick Riewoldt was born in Hobart, Tasmania. When he was nine, his family moved to the Gold Coast, Queensland. He was a talented athlete at school, playing not just Australian rules football but also cricket, soccer, and touch football. He was also a good student, especially in science.
He played his junior football for the Broadbeach Cats and later the Southport Sharks. He was so good that he was chosen to play for Queensland in the under-18 national championships. His excellent performance there helped him get noticed by AFL scouts. He is the cousin of Jack Riewoldt, another famous AFL forward who played for the Richmond Tigers.
AFL Career with St Kilda
Starting his Career
After being the top pick in the 2000 AFL Draft, Riewoldt started playing for St Kilda in 2001. In his second year, 2002, he won the AFL Rising Star Award, which is given to the best young player in the league. This showed everyone that he was going to be a special player.
Becoming a Star Player
The 2004 season was when Riewoldt became one of the biggest stars in the AFL. He took a record 256 marks and was recognised as the league's Most Valuable Player by his fellow players. He was also selected for the All-Australian Team for the first time.
In 2005, St Kilda made him the club captain. Unfortunately, he broke his collarbone in the first game of the season and missed many games. He returned to his best form in 2006, winning his third Trevor Barker Award as St Kilda's best and fairest player and earning another All-Australian selection. He became the sole captain of the team in 2008.
Grand Final Years
Riewoldt led St Kilda through one of its most successful periods. In 2009, the team had an amazing season, winning 20 out of 22 games. Riewoldt was named captain of the All-Australian team that year. St Kilda made it all the way to the 2009 AFL Grand Final but lost a very close game to Geelong.
The next year, in 2010, St Kilda and Riewoldt were back in the Grand Final, this time against Collingwood. The game ended in a draw, which was a very rare event. A week later, the teams had to play a replay, but Collingwood won the second match.
Later Career and Retirement
Riewoldt continued to be a star player for St Kilda for many more years. He was the team's leading goalkicker several times and was known for his hard work and leadership. In 2016, he decided to step down as captain.
On 31 July 2017, Riewoldt announced he would retire at the end of the season. During his final season, he officially broke the record for the most marks in VFL/AFL history. His last game was against the Richmond Tigers, the team his cousin Jack played for.
Personal Life
Riewoldt is married to Catherine Heard, and they have three sons.
In 2015, his younger sister Madeleine passed away from a rare disease called aplastic anaemia. To honour her memory, Nick and his family started a charity called Maddie Riewoldt's Vision. The charity raises money for research to help find better treatments for bone marrow failure syndromes.
Each year, the AFL match between St Kilda and Richmond is called "Maddie's Match." It is a special game that helps raise money and awareness for the charity.
After retiring from football, Riewoldt became a media commentator. He also showed off his cooking skills by winning the second season of Celebrity MasterChef Australia.
Honours and Achievements
Riewoldt had a highly decorated career. Some of his major awards include:
- Australian Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2025
- St Kilda Captain: 2005, 2007–2016
- Trevor Barker Award (St Kilda Best & Fairest): 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2014 (Club record)
- Leigh Matthews Trophy (AFL Players' MVP): 2004
- All-Australian: 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 (as captain), 2014 (as vice-captain)
- AFL Rising Star Award: 2002
