In the lead-up to the Club’s 2022 Annual General Meeting (Monday, December 19), Richmond Media is taking a look back at the Tigers’ 1972 Annual Report magazine.

Over the next few days, we will reproduce some articles and items of interest from the ’72 Annual Report. It was a year in which Richmond won 20 games, went into the Grand Final against Carlton as a red-hot favourite, kicked a big total of 22.18 (150) but, incredibly, lost by 27 points, with the Blues scoring 28.9 (177).

First-up, is an article under the heading: “ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT 1972” . . .

“To the members of the Richmond Football Club,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The 1972 Grand Final brought with it one of the most disappointing moments in the history of our great Club.

Strongly favoured to win our eighth VFL premiership, we were defeated by Carlton – a better team on the day. It was a bitter climax to what had been a most successful season.

After a thrilling second semi-final, which ended in a tie, the Club played well to win easily the replay.

But in the Grand Final, in a match classified as one of the League’s best-ever, the Carlton Football Club emerged victorious.

SUMMER SESSIONS Celebrate the festive season with an open training session in Cardinia Shire

Though the match could be played many times over with a different result, the fact remains that Carlton gained the honour of being the premier team for 1972.

That match now takes its place in the past history of VFL Football. Thoughts now turn to season 1973, and with it the ambition to return to our great days of glory in 1967 and 1969 when we celebrated Grand Final victories, and no club could beat us in the match that mattered most.

We fully realise our determined efforts to win a League premiership are becoming increasingly difficult. Endeavours to balance out the League competition by introducing stringent recruiting limitations, do not help clubs such as our own.

We have always been opposed to the country zoning scheme, and the recent resolution – carried by a majority of clubs – to extend the scheme for an additional five years, is most disappointing to our Club.

Though we believe we have a pleasant association with the leagues in our zone, we were further disappointed at the League resolution, which in addition to extending the scheme for the lengthy period of five years, provided for the Mallee League to be re-allocated to another VFL club.

We are also bitter opponents of the resolution to limit clubs to registering only two interstate players a year. This is a ridiculous rule and is denying many fine young, talented players the chance to play in Victorian senior football.

In reality, the recruiting measures introduced in recent years have not taken their full effect yet. But, in time, a strong club of today could be reduced to mediocrity tomorrow through no fault of their own. Recruiting methods have been introduced for the blatant and specific reason of preventing a club playing a dominant role as it appeared Richmond would do in pre-zoning days.

Nevertheless, despite this disappointing situation, we shall not relax in our endeavours to win the 1973 flag, and we can only reiterate the statements made in last year’s Annual Report:

‘The glorious moments associated with the winning of a League football flag are not easily forgotten. They are still fresh in the thoughts of many in our Club who dearly want to see their beloved Tigers return to the prestigious No. 1 club in the greatest football competition in this country.’”