Footy star Jack Riewoldt opens up about the ‘brutal’ death of beloved family member who died of a rare blood disease – and what he REALLY thinks about AFL fans
- Jack Riewoldt’s cousin died of aplastic anemia in 2015
- Is a rare bone marrow failure syndrome, she was only 26
- Her death shocked the Riewoldt family and also brought them closer together
AFL great Jack Riewoldt has revealed how his cousin’s death from a rare blood disorder shook him to his core before offering life perspective – and what he really thinks about rival football fans.
Riewoldt, 35, retired last season after a decorated career that included three premierships with Richmond.
The key forward made his debut for the Tigers in 2007 and has scored 787 goals in 347 appearances.
He was well aware he was living a blessed life as an AFL star, but the death of his cousin Maddie in 2015, when she lost a five-year battle with the rare bone marrow failure syndrome, aplastic anemia, gave him immediate perspective.
‘It was without a doubt the biggest life-changing experience of my life. The overall shift has been significant and very powerful,” he shared Richmond Media a few years after her death.
AFL great Jack Riewoldt has revealed how his cousin’s death from a rare blood disorder has shaken him to his core – and what he really thinks about football fans
Jack Riewoldt’s cousin Maddie died in 2015 aged just 26 from aplastic anemia, a rare bone marrow failure syndrome (he is pictured with another cousin, fellow AFL star Nick Riewoldt)
The key striker spent his entire career at Richmond and won three premierships (pictured, in 2019)
“I changed a lot of things about myself after Maddie passed away. I had no great desire in myself to do it; it just happened naturally.”
Riewoldt recently said this Sarah Grynberg on her Life of Greatness podcast Maddie’s death at the age of 26 was a brutal time for his family, who grew closer after the tragedy.
It follows that Riewoldt becomes a platelet donor as a personal tribute to his cousin.
“(In Richmond) in 2017 we did this exercise called ‘hero, hardship and culmination,’” he recalled.
“It was one of the catalysts for the revolution in Richmond and the success we enjoyed.
“We talked about heroes in our lives, we talked about hardships…mine was Madeleine’s passing…eventually. I also hoped that my highlight (prime ministership) would still come.
‘(In terms of being a donor) you’re sitting there and it’s four o’clock… in the grand scheme of things it’s not long, but to sit there and be in a really clinical place, like a hospital you’re thinking about a lot of things and you see many things that change your thinking patterns.
“It was a thought-provoking time, just sitting there and just going (for myself). Am i doing it right?’
After retiring last season, Hobart-born Riewoldt is backing the Tasmanian Devils franchise, which will compete in the AFL competition in 2028
The Tigers legend – who is in charge of the Tasmanian AFL franchise after growing up in Hobart – then expressed his bewilderment at some overzealous footy fans.
‘I really struggled (in the beginning) with people not liking me… but not knowing you (at the same time). That was the hardest thing for me,” he told Grynberg.
‘To this day there are probably people who hate me and other players just for the fact that they wear different (club) colours, which is mind-boggling.
‘I have also done things that were probably divisive among people. I can be quite outspoken about certain things, but some people don’t like me because I show passion and I showed passion on the football field.
“(Over the years) I’ve matured and learned to control myself… and also not to overreact to little things.
“Life experiences have helped… and emotion isn’t just anger, it can be a lot of things.”