AFL Hall of Famer Nick Riewoldt says the insistence to neutralise winners and losers for junior sport in Australia has gone a step too far.

The St Kilda champion, who played the last of his 336 AFL games in 2017, became a prominent member of the footy media post his playing days, until moving to Texas in January 2023 to be closer to his wife’s family.

Riewoldt stepped away from all media commitments to live in Houston with American wife Cath and the couple’s three boys, who were all under 10 at the time.

James, Will and Teddy were mad St Kilda supporters before they left the country — and remain massive Saints fans now — but discovered a love for American sports as well when they were away.

The boys took a particular liking to baseball and American football, even joining local clubs to play both sports competitively.

Since being back on Aussie soil since late 2024, Riewoldt has joined Channel 7 and resumed his status as one of the game’s best analysts, while his boys have started playing junior footy in Melbourne.

“We’ve loved being back,” Riewoldt told 7NEWS.com.au.

“Missed the footy while we were gone, so to be back and immersed in it, have my boys playing footy and being able to take them to St Kilda games — which is something I’ve never really been able to do in the past — we loved it last year and looking forward to more of it this year.”

But the 43-year-old admits it’s still slightly bittersweet for the boys.

“They miss it (the American sport), for sure,” Riewoldt said.

“They loved playing American football, they loved playing baseball.

“And kids’ sport over there — I’m happy to say it — I felt like it was a better experience. It felt like real sport.

“The over-emphasis here on participation, and everyone gets a trophy… over there, they keep score, they have ring ceremonies, and the kids love that stuff.

“We had some of the most incredible sporting experiences over there where all the parents were all in.

“I don’t know, I just felt like coming back here, playing under-10s footy and we don’t keep score, I don’t know. At least my kids, they don’t resonate with that as much as they did with the sports in the US.”

Riewoldt thinks junior sport in Australia has been so focused on not hurting kids’ feelings, it has lost sight of what can make it so great.

“I think kids that age should be treated with a bit more maturity,” he added.

“We don’t want to lose the element of fun and make them get too serious too quickly, but at the same time, kids know the score, kids keep score.

“They know exactly at the end of the game whether they’ve won or lost, so why do we pretend like that’s not a thing?”

Riewoldt was a marquee recruit for Seven at the end of 2024, slipping seamlessly back into the footy landscape as an industry-leading expert commentator on Thursday nights and hard-hitting panelist on the Monday night edition of The Agenda Setters.

He remains a massive part of the 7AFL team heading into 2026 and says he can’t wait.

“I just love being a part of Thursday night footy, the big games, big crowds,” the former Saints captain said.

“Despite being out of the game for close to a decade, it’s still a rush to be out there, feel the energy when teams run through the banner and you’re standing there with a microphone in your hand. I do really look forward to that.”

Source: https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/nick-riewoldt-opens-up-on-frustrations-in-junior-sport-since-moving-back-to-australia-from-the-us-c-21699462