With Tasmania’s rich football heritage to be celebrated at a gala function at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium tonight, Tony Greenberg has compiled a team of the best players he’s seen from Tassie to represent Richmond in VFL/AFL football throughout the past half-century.
Ever since Richmond (the Club, and Graeme, its legendary, dynamic football official) lured a Tasmanian teenager by the name of Royce Hart to Punt Road in the mid-1960s, for the ultra-bargain-basement price of six shirts and a suit, the Apple Isle has proven to be an immensely fertile recruiting ground for the Tigers.
Through the astute football judgment of Richmond’s Tasmanian-based talent scout Harry Jenkins, the Tigers were able to repeatedly reap the benefits.
The team I’ve put together, of those Tassie Tigers I’ve seen since Royce first pulled on the No. 4 Yellow and Black guernsey that he was to make so famous, is crammed with Richmond premiership players, Jack Dyer Medallists, a Brownlow Medallist, leading goalkickers and Club greats.
I seriously doubt any other AFL club could come up with a better team of players from Tasmania to have represented them on the field of battle over the years.
Here, then, is my team of Tassie Tigers . . .
B: Chris Bond, Grant Allford, Darryl Sutton
HB: Cameron Clayton, Stephen Mount, Ben Harrison
C: Michael Gale, Ian Stewart, Shane Williams
HF: Matthew Richardson, Royce Hart, Jack Riewoldt
F: Trent Nichols, Michael Roach, Toby Nankervis
R: Brendon Gale, Paul Sproule, Noel Carter
IC: Justin Plapp, Derek Peardon, Mark McQueen, Gary Davidson
To underline the vast talent within this team of Tassie Tigers, here is a rundown of the key honours and awards many of the players attained during their time at the game’s highest level with Richmond.
Richmond premiership players – Royce Hart (1967, 1969, 1973, 1974), Paul Sproule (1973, 1974), Ian Stewart (1973), Noel Carter (1973), Cameron Clayton (1974), Michael Roach (1980) and Stephen Mount (1980).
Jack Dyer Medallists – Royce Hart (1969, 1972), Ian Stewart (1971), Chris Bond (1994), Matthew Richardson (2007) and Jack Riewoldt (2010).
Richmond leading goalkicker award winners – Royce Hart (1967, 1971), Michael Roach (1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987), Matthew Richardson (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), Jack Riewoldt (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).
Brownlow Medal winners – Ian Stewart (1971).
150-game-plus Richmond players – Matthew Richardson (282), Brendon Gale (244), Michael Roach (200), Jack Riewoldt (210), Royce Hart (187).
