A significant moment in Richmond Football history has quietly surfaced online.

Highlights of Channel 9's broadcast of Round 20, 1968, Richmond v Melbourne at the MCG, shows a comfortable win by the Tigers, but more importantly it reveals glimpses of the debut of Richmond’s first ever Indigenous player – Derek Peardon.

Wearing the long-sleeved No. 50, the 17-year-old Peardon replaced Francis Bourke in time-on of the last quarter, and is seen below manning the mark of five-time premiership player Brian Dixon (this was his last game for Melbourne).

It took 83 years, from the club’s birth in 1885 until this moment, for a Richmond Indigenous player to take the field for the Seniors.

_{Footage of Derek Peardon (No. 50) Richmond's first Indigenous player on debut}

The 16 minutes of highlights, commentated by Jim Taylor and Geoff Leek, were uploaded early February 2022 by Youtuber “Yellow and Black”, and can be viewed here.

Peardon also makes an appearance near the end of the match as he watches Melbourne’s Brian Roet take an uncontested mark in the backline.

But look at the moments just before that. As Royce Hart begins his kick into the forward line, a “50 Derek Peardon” banner is shown hung over the MCG fence. Obviously, a supporter (or perhaps family member) had been following Peardon’s journey up through Richmond’s ranks.

_{The "50 Derek Peardon" banner draped over the MCG fence}

Peardon, a gifted teenage footballer from Tasmania played in the Tigers' U19s premiership a year earlier (and would go on to play in a Reserves flag in 1971).

His emotional story as a child of the Stolen Generation was detailed in his interview with Rhett Bartlett, which can be heard here.

Peardon finished his debut match with three kicks and one mark, from his few minutes on the field. Leading goalkicker was Billy Brown who kicked four of his five goals in the second quarter. 

Although the Tigers won the last six games of the 1968 season, the reigning premiers missed out on a finals spot by percentage.

This game was also the last for Tiger stalwart Paddy Guinane who would finish on 146 games and 216 goals. He would take one final impressive grab to see out his career.

_{Guinane takes one final classic grab, in his last game.}