Enjoying an off-season break in South America, childhood friends Ted Richards and Jobe Watson would have been on top of the world in November last year.

Richards had just become a premiership player in his 12th AFL season, while Watson had snaffled the Brownlow Medal.

Now, Richards’ Sydney Swans are gearing up for a tilt at another flag while Essendon skipper Watson has endured the toughest season of his career following shock revelations in February about the Bombers’ supplement program.

“It’s sad to see how someone like Jobe is getting booed,” Richards said on Thursday of Watson, a friend he shared plenty of fun times with at primary school, secondary school and at Essendon prior to being traded in 2005.

“I speak to them (Watson and fellow good friend David Hille) quite a bit, but I think the best thing I can do is chat to them about things other than football.

“They’re probably getting asked about it (the ASADA investigation) all the time.

“I’ve got a lot of sympathy for what the Essendon players are going through.”

Richards didn’t want to comment on speculation Watson could be stripped of the game’s highest individual honour – for fear of making another headline about it.

But the key defender commended the way Watson’s handled the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority probe, the wait for the AFL Commission’s verdict and the associated scuttlebutt.

“Total respect for what he’s doing – Monday to Friday and how he’s able to play on the weekend,” Richards said.

“I don’t think there’d be anyone that could be doing it as well as he is – handling himself.”