Today marks the 50^th anniversary of Richmond’s last game for premiership points at Punt Road.

On August 22, 1964, the Tigers played host to Hawthorn, in the final home-and-away round of the season.

The winds of change had swept through Tigerland in 1964 . . .

Ray Dunn, one of Australia’s leading lawyers, had taken over the Club’s presidency, and the new coach was Len Smith – a man regarded as one of the shrewdest thinkers in the game.

Smith, the older brother of legendary Melbourne coach Norm Smith, had coached Fitzroy from 1958-62, guiding the Lions into the finals on two occasions during that time, and he had a clear vision of the style of play he wanted to teach Richmond, along with the type of team he wanted the Tigers to become.

He aimed to introduce a fast, play-on style, which was in stark contrast to the traditional mark and kick game.

Tall players, who could kick long and also be creative with the use of handball, were the order of the day for Smith.  He was striving to mould a team, whose playing style would work most effectively on the MCG, where all league finals at that time, were played.

Smith wanted a team ideally suited to the wide, open expanses of the MCG, rather than the constricted confines of Punt Road Oval.

The Punt Road thoroughfare had been scheduled for widening, to accommodate increased traffic.  As a result, Punt Road Oval, which was already lacking in size, would become an unsuitable venue for senior league football.

As reported in the book, ‘Tigerland:  A history of the Richmond Football Club’:  “Richmond, long aware that widening operations were being planned for Punt Road, had been planning for the future.  Although determined to retain the Punt Road complex, they realised it was inevitable they should seek the share the MCG with Melbourne . . . 

It was not expected to be a first-year revival.  What Smith wanted was a side of the future, a team that would develop and conquer for years to come . . .

So much effort did the great coach put into his pre-season build-up that he suffered a heart attack on the eve of his first game.  ‘Skinny’ Titus and Dick Harris quickly stepped in as support coaches.

Len Smith’s love of the game outweighed his consideration of medical advice to give up the job.  He had a plan and he wanted to see it through.  He was not fiery, ranting and raging like his equally skilled brother, but he exhorted his players to persist with his philosophy that perfection would only come through trial and error and that in time the play-on game would become second nature.  Perfection would be built on mistakes, but they would become fewer and fewer.”

Smith resumed as coach at Tigerland after spending a few weeks recuperating from his heart attack.

The Tigers had started the ’64 season with losses to Footscray (Western Oval) and Essendon (Punt Road Oval), before stringing together three wins on-the-trot, against South Melbourne (Lake Oval), Fitzroy (Punt Road Oval) and St Kilda (Punt Road Oval).

Unfortunately, that promising winning streak was followed by six successive defeats, although this did not faze Len Smith in the slightest.  He continued to preach his football philosophies, confident that eventually the message would sink in, and the Tigers would again roar.

Richmond showed some promising signs in the ensuing weeks, scoring decisive victories over Footscray (Punt Road Oval), South Melbourne (Punt Road Oval) and Fitzroy (Brunswick Street Oval), before facing up the challenge of Hawthorn in the final home-and-away round of the ’64 season.

The Hawks had finished runners-up to Geelong in 1963, but entered the Round 18 clash with the Tigers needing a win, and other results to go their way, if they were to sneak into the final four (as it was back then).

By contrast, Richmond was well out of finals contention, but keen to build further on the gains made under Len Smith’s coaching guidance, by finishing the season on a high note with a win. 

And, the fact it was to be the Tigers’ last game at Punt Road, added to their incentive.

Admittedly, at the time, there wasn’t a huge fanfare about this being Richmond’s Punt Road farewell (as a home-game venue).  It was quite a smooth transition, with the vast majority of Tiger supporters embracing the move to the neighboring MCG.

The crowd of 15,500, that turned up at Punt Road Oval on that late August Saturday in 1964, saw Richmond dominate the opening term in terms of general play.  The Tigers, however, squandered their opportunities, kicking only four goals from 13 scoring shots.  Their quarter-time lead of 24 points should have been double that, and they were left to rue their inaccuracy.

By half-time, Hawthorn had taken control of the contest, leading by 14 points, courtesy of a 7.5 to 1.3 second term.

Richmond tenaciously fought back in the third quarter, to level the scores at the last change.

In the final term, however, Tiger fans looked on dejectedly, as the Hawks piled on 7.7 to just 1.0, to run out winners by 43 points (but the other results didn’t go their way, and they finished fifth).

It was a disappointing end to the season for the Tigers, although, overall, they clearly had made significant inroads throughout the year.

And, the seeds for Richmond’s success, in what was to be the greatest era in the Club’s history, had been sown.

Last game at Punt Road match details

Richmond            4.9          5.12        8.18        9.18  (72)

Hawthorn            1.3          8.8          9.12        16.19  (115)

Goals – Richmond:  Warner 3, Dimattina 2, Davenport, Dean, Deery, Patterson.

The final Tiger team at Punt Road (in alphabetical order)

B. Brown

N. Crowe

D. Davenport

R. Dean

M. Deery

F. Dimattina

C. Dobson

G. Gahan

D. Grimmond

M. Hammond

J. Lawson

O. Madigan

T. Morrissey

J. Northey

M. Patterson

J. Robertson

R. Selleck

K. Smith

F. Swift

R. Warner