1. Richard Vandenberg was born on 14 January 1977 and is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League.
11 Facts About Richie Vandenberg
1. 2.
Richie Vandenberg served as the captain of the Hawks from 2005 to 2007, the final three years of his career.
3.
Richie Vandenberg moved to Melbourne to study at the University of Melbourne in 1995, playing with University Blues, where he attracted the attention of Hawthorn recruiters.
4.
Richie Vandenberg was selected with pick 78 in the 1997 AFL draft.
5.
Richie Vandenberg was a solidly built player with a reputation for aggressive play, fronting the AFL Tribunal on many occasions.
6.
Richie Vandenberg was made captain of Hawthorn when Shane Crawford stepped down at the end of the 2004 season.
7.
New coach Alastair Clarkson chose Richie Vandenberg because he was a man who was "very forthright, honest and has great integrity", qualities his teammates admired.
8.
Richie Vandenberg initially struggled to recapture his best form, but by 2006 had fitted into his new role more solidly.
9.
Richie Vandenberg completed his Bachelor of Business at Swinburne University of Technology.
10.
In 2016, Richie Vandenberg was appointed to the Hawthorn board to fill the casual vacancy following Andrew Newbold's resignation.
11.
Richie Vandenberg resigned from the board following the 2022 board election, when his preferred candidate was defeated by popular vote.