Jack Riewoldt makes a point at Richmond training. Source: Getty Images
JACK Riewoldt insists no one at Richmond has a problem with his attitude or the way he behaved during Friday's loss to Fremantle.
Riewoldt spoke yesterday of his disappointment in his own performance against the Dockers, in which he kicked one goal and collected just 10 possessions.
A story in yesterday's Herald Sun questioned Riewoldt's body language, while triple premiership forward Mark Maclure labelled the forward a "prima donna".
The 24-year-old said the fact he wore his heart on his sleeve could "definitely" be misconstrued.
"I'm an emotional person ... I play with emotion and I reckon I'd be a pretty boring person and a pretty boring player if I didn't do that," Riewoldt said at Etihad Stadium, where he was announced as an ambassador for "Mac Pack", a McDonald's program that encourages participation in junior sport.
"It's a double-edged sword (in the) AFL. There's definitely cries for players to have a bit more personality, but if you show a bit of personality, you can be shot down pretty quickly.
"I'm an easy target, I know that."
This is not the first time Riewoldt's attitude has been questioned.
Premiership coach Paul Roos said last year Riewoldt would be testing Tigers boss Damien Hardwick's patience with his on-field behaviour.
In Round 2, 2011, he argued with club officials for substituting him out of a game because of concussion and a week later he gave the "bird" to the Hawthorn bench.
That prompted Hawks legend Jason Dunstall to publicly warn Riewoldt he risked being remembered for all the wrong reasons.
"I might be being pigeon-holed a little bit like that I reckon," Riewoldt said yesterday when asked if his attitude issues remained.
"But I'm always trying to work to become a better leader. I'm in the leadership group, I try to go out there and lead the football club that I love as best as possible.
"How someone in the media portrays what I'm doing to how I'm portraying it is obviously completely different."
The two-time Coleman medallist said he had not been spoken to by Hardwick or captain Trent Cotchin about his attitude on Friday night.
And he said comments from anyone outside of the club did not resonate with him. "You've got cameras and reporters all around you and you learn to become pretty thick-skinned about what's said about you," he said. "But it can definitely affect your family and I think that's where people have got to be really careful about what they are saying."
Riewoldt, out of contract at season's end, said he hoped to sign a new deal with the Tigers soon.
He said the sudden departure of former football manager Craig Cameron before the season had put back negotiations between the club and his manager Liam Pickering.
"I think any player wants to get their contract over and done with and their future set in stone as quick as possible," Riewoldt said.
"That will happen as soon as it happens. It's definitely no distraction for us."
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