Christ alive it must’ve been a good summer to have been a Richmond Football Club player. And it must’ve been an even better summer to have been Jack Riewoldt.
Riewoldt, and his beloved Tigers, took home a drought-breaking AFL Premiership after trouncing Adelaide in last year’s Grand Final; a premiership win that was almost immediately immortalised after the game with Jack taking the stage with The Killers to belt out Mr. Brightside, aka the Khe Sanh of a new generation.
Turns out the song has become inextricably linked to the team’s Premiership triumph – just like Daryl Braithwaite‘s ‘Horses‘ did for Hawthorn‘s dynastic run of flags – making multiple appearances at club gatherings, functions, parties, and even weddings – including Jack’s own wedding which took place just a few short weeks after the Grand Final.
The song got played, and bawdily sung, so much that Riewoldt’s new wife has had to put the foot down, formally banning her husband from singing the cursed tune.
Speaking with the Herald Sun ahead of the 2018 AFL Men’s Season, Riewoldt joked that his wife had to put the kibosh on him belting out the tune due to sheer overuse.
I’ve been banned from singing it. My wife has banned me from singing that.
Though he assures everyone he still has his chops thanks to the occasional round of car karaoke. Windows up, of course.
Never mind, Jack. There’s always the footage.
And if the Tigers manage to pull off another flag this season (lord help us) he can probably sing whatever the bloody hell he wants, to be perfectly honest.
