It is 50 years since the most successful season in Richmond’s history.
In 1973, the Tigers captured premierships in all four grades – seniors, reserves, under 19s and under 17s.
For the seniors, it was sweet revenge for the previous year’s shock Grand Final loss to Carlton after going into the premiership-decider as raging-hot favourites.
Throughout 2023, we will be celebrating that triumphant Tiger season with a special series featuring articles, news items and match reviews from 1973.
We kick off today with a bombshell ’73 pre-season story by leading football writer for The Age, Peter McFarline . . .
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Richmond Football Club last night threatened to break away from the Victorian Football League.
Richmond secretary, Mr. Alan Schwab, said his club would lead the breakaway if the VFL transferred its final series from the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Collingwood has also indicated its interest in the breakaway move.
And other powerful clubs, Melbourne and Carlton, would be certain to follow Richmond’s lead.
“If the VFL votes to have the finals series at VFL Park, Waverley, Richmond would do everything possible to start a new competition,” Mr Schwab said.
“If there was a better competition than the VFL operating now, we would be the first VFL club to be in it.
“We are very strongly opposed to the VFL’s financial policies. We only play in the VFL because it is the best competition available. We owe no loyalty to it.”
Mr Schwab said Richmond officials had already made the club’s position clear to the VFL through administrative director Mr. E. O. McCutchan.
“The League has got to do something quickly, and I am hoping it will make some drastic moves in the next month or so,” Mr. Schwab said.
Mr. McCutchan hit back strongly at Mr. Schwab’s comments last night. “The clubs will no doubt get ample opportunity to display loyalty or otherwise,” he said.
“Obviously clubs which express disloyalty and desire to leave the League could hardly be the recipients of moneys from the League for ground improvements.”
It is understood that Mr. Schwab as well as Richmond’s recently appointed VFL director Mr. Ian Wilson and president Mr. Al Boord have told Mr. McCutchan their feelings.
Mr. Schwab relinquished his VFL directorship late last year after three years of service.
Richmond and several other powerful VFL clubs are most upset at the League’s handling of financial affairs, and at the huge amount of money being poured into VFL Park, Waverley.
It is understood Richmond has broached the breakaway suggestion to several other League clubs on an unofficial basis.
But Mr. Schwab said it would do so on an official basis if the VFL did not give clubs a better financial deal in the near future.
Collingwood’s general manager Mr. Peter Lucas said last night his club “would most definitely be interested if a breakaway movement was formed”.
“We would certainly consider joining such a movement,” he said.
Carlton, Collingwood and Melbourne would be certain to back Richmond in any move to gain more financial aid from the VFL and, if not, secede.
Melbourne is closely aligned to Richmond financially through the sharing of the MCG, and Carlton has long been an outspoken critic of the VFL financial dealings.
“The Melbourne Cricket Ground has got to be the ground on which finals are played,” Mr. Schwab said last night.
“We will be highly incensed if the finals are taken away from there.”
