To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1973 premiership, Richmond Media is transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2023 to follow the Punt Road path to that fabulous flag triumph. Today, we delve into The Age newspaper’s archives for a report from leading football writer of the day, Peter McFarline, on Richmond’s pre-season practice match against Geelong.
Geelong gave itself a great psychological start to the season when it easily beat an unfit and disinterested collection of Richmond players at Kardinia Park on Saturday.
The win had all the marks of Polly Farmer – fast, constructive handball, creation of the loose man and superb physical fitness.
All these, plus a marked determination to win the ball, and the match, at all costs, took an ill-prepared Richmond by surprise.
Some of the Tigers’ stars obviously were overweight, and seemingly didn’t care.
One who did was coach Tom Hafey, who was bitterly disappointed at the display.
Richmond led only once in the match – early in the third quarter.
The longer the game went, the more Richmond players ran out of condition . . .
Richmond ruckmen Craig McKellar and Brian Roberts won easily, but too often the Geelong rovers, Ian Nankervis and Paul Sarah, and centreman David Clarke chipped in to send the ball forward.
Canny use of a handpass got the Cats out of plenty of trouble, and seemed to frustrate the few Richmond players with their hearts in the game.
Gareth Andrews, at centre half-back, won a mountain of kicks, and Farmer used a ruckman to drop back and contest marks with Royce Hart.
This tactic put Hart out of the game, and allowed Andrews to play almost as a loose man in defence.
Richmond wingmen Marty McMillan and Bryan Wood kept the side in the game longer than it deserved to be and with two other battlers, Laurie Fowler and Merv Keane, were Richmond’s best.
The Cats played as a team, and fully deserved victory, but the old problem – lack of strong, big ruckmen and key position players – will still be a bugbear later in the season when the grounds are heavier.
Match details
Geelong 3.2 6.4 9.6 13.10 (88)
Richmond 2.3 4.4 6.7 9.11 (65)
Goals – Geelong: Sarah 5, Donohue 3, Newland 2, Clarke, Blake, Stephens.
Goals – Richmond: Fowler 3, Balme 2, McLean, Morris, Richardson, Hart.
Best – Geelong: Andrews, Sarah, I. Nankervis, Clarke, P. Stevens, Donohue, Barkley.
Best – Richmond: McMillan, Wood, Fowler, McKellar, Roberts, Keane.
