SWAN REVEALS BIG BRO IMPACT

XAVIER Richards was dreaming of a grand final day sendoff for big brother Ted, where the two lined up together sideby-side at the MCG.

That’s not going to happen – Ted hasn’t made the cut.

But in forced early retirement, the Sydney Swans veteran has taught Xavier the lesson that could take the 23year-old big places in his fledgling AFL career, which is just 11 games in the making.

Xavier (pictured right) has revealed how Ted’s concussion scare earlier this season rocked the Richards family and how close the 33-year-old key defender came to calling it quits right then and there.

Ted won’t be given the grand final fairytale he has hung onto since last playing in round 17, but in Xavier’s eyes he doesn’t need to.

Sticking it out to the end, even when there was no real prospect of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, is the selfless team-first example Xavier wants to build his career on after getting his big break this year as Ted bowed out.

“To be honest there’s probably been about 10,000 different conversations between us and 10,000 pieces of advice,” Xavier said.

“But the main lesson I’ve learnt from him is the power of resilience and persistence.

“AFL careers have a lot more downs than ups and the people that get the best out of their careers are the ones that are persistent and resilient.

“He’s been my No.1 mentor and steering me in the right direction on field and off field. We have a very tight relationship.”

Ten years separates the Richards siblings, enough of an age gap that Xavier in many ways thinks of Ted as a “father figure”.

There were some backyard soccer games, that went quite violently against Xavier, but by the time he was nine, Ted had already moved out of the family home.

In Xavier’s own words, he was spoilt living at home as the youngest of five children, and when he joined the Swans and moved to Sydney straight into Ted’s beachside apartment, he didn’t even know how to use the washing machine.

“He helped me with a few life skills,” says Xavier, sheepishly.

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