Dual Jack Dyer Medallist Joel Bowden and former captain Chris Newman were tonight inducted into Richmond’s Hall of Fame.
The pair had the honour bestowed upon them in a special ceremony that took place during the pre-game function at the Richmond v Western Bulldogs Round 4 MCG clash.
Joel Bowden was recruited by Richmond from West Alice Springs in the 1995 AFL national draft as a father-son selection.
His father, Mike, was one of the unsung heroes of the Tigers’ 1969 premiership triumph in a ruck-rover role.
Bowden made his senior league debut for Richmond in Round 17, 1996 against Hawthorn at Princes Park aged 18 years and 36 days.
He managed five senior appearances all-up that season, finishing off with an impressive three-goal performance against North Melbourne in the final round.
The following year, playing predominantly as a half-forward, he showed some more exciting glimpses of his considerable talent, booting 21 goals in 13 games, until suffering a broken collarbone.
A further setback with the shoulder in 1998, delayed Bowden’s progress with the Tigers. But he cemented himself as a regular member of the Richmond side in 1999, playing every game, and the year after (2000), he finished third in the Jack Dyer Medal. Consecutive fourth placings in the Club’s Best and Fairest ensued in 2001-02.
Bowden then captured back-to-back Jack Dyer Medals in 2004-05, which was fitting reward for the high level of performance he had managed to achieve on such a consistent basis. He also earned All-Australian selection in 2005 and 2006.
The classy left-footer would continue to provide the Tigers with top-class value in a variety of roles, until his retirement in 2009 after playing a total of 265 games and kicking 171 goals.
Having started his AFL career up forward, Bowden subsequently had considerable success as a midfielder, before going on to exert significant influence within the Richmond line-up as a versatile defender.
Bowden the backman earned a glowing reputation for his intercept marking, astute reading of the play, ability to launch attacks with his booming left boot, as well as successfully tackling the challenge of playing on much bigger opponents, such as Brisbane’s powerful key forward Jonathon Brown.
Across his 14 seasons at Tigerland, Bowden averaged 22 disposals and 5.8 marks per game.
He racked up an AFL career-high 44 disposals against Melbourne at the MCG in Round 4 of the 2009 season.
The previous year (Round 13), he took a career-high 23 marks against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
In Round 4 of the 2003 season, against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, Bowden booted a brilliant goal that later on was nominated as one of the top 10 goals by a Richmond player during the Club’s centenary of VFL/AFL football celebrations.
Bowden, having gained possession of the ball about 50 metres out from goal, proceeded to baulk and sidestep three Saints’ opponents, before steadying and drilling a superb, team-lifting six-pointer that send the Tiger Army into raptures.
Throughout his time at the game’s highest level, Bowden combined durability, with adaptability, football ‘smarts’, a cool temperament, and an abundance of skill, to be an integral member of the Richmond side.
Chris Newman was recruited by Richmond from under-18s team Dandenong Stingrays with its fifth pick (No. 55 overall) in the 2000 AFL national draft.
He would prove to be one of the Tigers’ best-ever ‘bargain-basement buys’ due to his strong and bold efforts in the team’s defence, along with the admirable leadership he displayed.
But Newman wasn’t a walk-up start for Richmond’s senior side from the outset of his AFL career.
The young half-back served a solid apprenticeship with the Tigers, spending his entire first season in 2001 playing for the Club’s then VFL affiliate Coburg.
It took him until Round 9 the following year to break into the Richmond line-up, but once he did, there was no looking back.
From that first game, against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium in 2002, Newman became an integral part of the Tigers team.
Over the course of the next decade, he was the glue that has held the side’s defence together, through his composure, toughness, football nous, reliability, and penetrating, precise left-foot kicks.
A key part of Newman’s backline role was the ‘kick-ins’ after an opposition behind, and it’s something he’s coped with extremely well because of his unflappable nature.
In Newman’s time at Punt Road, the Tigers frequently struggled down the bottom of the league ladder, yet he still managed to perform at a consistently high level throughout.
He finished fourth in the Jack Dyer Medal in 2008, was third in 2009 and then runner-up in 2010.
When Kane Johnson resigned as Richmond’s captain at the end of the 2008 season, Newman was appointed as his replacement and, not surprisingly, he responded extremely well to the added responsibility of the role.
Newman captained the Club for a total of four seasons and, even after standing down as skipper at the end of the 2012 season, he continued to provide the Tigers with good value in the twilight of his distinguished playing career.
Across his 268 games for Richmond, Newman averaged 15.9 disposals and 4.5 marks per match.
He had an AFL career-high 32 disposals against St Kilda in Round 22 of the 2007 season and took a career-high 15 marks v Collingwood, Round 2, 2012.
Joel Bowden profile
Date of birth: June 21, 1978
Height: 188cm
Weight: 90kg
Recruited to Richmond from: West Alice Springs, father-son selection 1995 AFL national draft
Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 11
Debut for Richmond: Round 17, 1996 v Hawthorn, Princes Park
Games at Richmond: 265
Goals at Richmond: 171
Honours at Richmond: Dual Jack Dyer Medal winner (2004, 2005), dual All-Australian representative (2005, 2006)
Chris Newman profile
Born: May 18, 1982
Height: 183cm
Weight: 83kg
Draft history: Taken by the Tigers with their fifth pick (No. 55 overall) in the 2000 AFL national draft
Guernsey number at Richmond: No. 35, No. 1 and No. 17
Debut at Richmond: Round 9, 2002 v St Kilda, Marvel Stadium
Games at Richmond (2002-2015): 268
Goals at Richmond: 56
Honours at Richmond: Club captain 2009-2012; runner-up in the 2010 Jack Dyer Medal, third in the 2009 Jack Dyer Medal
