Essendon has its first National AFL Rising Star nominee for almost two seasons after Ted Richards was today announced as the Round 15 nomination. Richards has been a solid contributor for the Bombers in the senior games he has played this season – the judging panel believing his three goal effort against Adelaide last Friday night was his best game for the year. Richards said he was surprised to get nominated, believing some of his teammates had been unluckily overlooked.

""I thought Joel Reynolds and Andrew Welsh were all pretty unlucky not to get a Rising Star nomination,"" Richards said. ""The nomination came as a bit of a surprise. I honestly hadn't set it as a goal. After last year I just wanted to get more senior games and try and not just make up the numbers, instead have an influence. I guess I have done that a bit this year and that is why I have got it.""

""It was a bit frustrating on Friday night because the ball didn't come down that much. (Essendon went inside 50metres a season-low 36 times). When it did come down everything seemed to fall into place. I would have liked to kick that goal in the last quarter. I was kicking into the wind and really had to belt it - in the end the wind was too strong and I couldn't make the distance.""

Richards played his Under 18 football with the Sandringham Dragons and also with Xavier College. He impressed Essendon recruiting staff with his marking ability and he was selected with Essendon’s second pick in the 2000 draft – number 27 overall. The following season his good friend Luke Ball was taken at number two in the National Draft.

""Luke Ball (St Kilda) and I went to school together and are good mates. I can remember thinking at the start of the year that he had a nomination in the bag. Now that I have got a nomination - he might have to settle for second,"" Richards laughed.

""At the start of the year my aim was to play eight games. Now that I have got that I just want to finish the year off in the senior team. Hopefully I am not too far away from starting on the field and then I can hopefully make more of an impact on the game.""

The Bombers have been patient with Richards, asking him to learn his craft in the VFL side. But the learning curve is still steep in the senior side – keeping out of Matthew Lloyd’s way was one of his initial concerns.

""I am rapt with how it has been going. I remember starting off and I got a bit worried about where I was running and if I was getting in his way. Now I am getting used to where he is leading and we are not going to affect each other's space,"" Richards said.