Former Richmond champion Matthew Richardson has lashed out at keyboard warriors abusing under-fire Hawthorn recruit Ty Vickery.

Richardson said the memes having a go at the maligned forward were “too harsh” and hoped his former Tigers teammate had thick skin to put up with it.

“I reckon they’re just going a little bit too far with the Ty Vickery ones at the moment,” Richardson told Sportsday.

“I know Ty quite well so I’ve got to put that out there and I’ve known his dad for years, but he’s being smashed on social media with all these memes.

“They’re pretty harsh to the person that’s involved in them and Ty Vickery is copping them at the moment.”

The pair’s AFL careers crossed paths at Richmond in 2009 - Richardson’s last in the competition and Vickery’s first.

Vickery made his debut six rounds after Richardson’s 282nd and final appearance and went on to play 119 games at Tigerland before switching to Hawthorn as a free agent last year.

The 26-year-old played in the first three rounds this season - all losses - before being a late withdrawal from Hawthorn’s 86-point Easter Monday thrashing by Geelong due to back tightness.

His former club haven’t lost a game in 2017, giving social media users plenty of ammunition.

“He would have to have a thick skin at the moment. He’s gone to a new club, he’s injured, he’d love to be out there trying to show his wares in that forward line,” Richardson said.

“Hawthorn are hardly playing great footy... Jack Gunston is struggling to get a kick in that forward line.

“I just reckon the memes about Ty Vickery at the moment are too harsh and I don’t think people realise the effect they can have on the individual.”