In the 225 games played between Richmond and Carlton leading up to tonight’s 2023 blockbuster season-opener at the MCG, there have been just two drawn matches.
The first time the two teams’ scores were tied at the final siren was in the opening round clash of the 1960 season.
Carlton played host to Richmond at Princes Park on the Easter Monday that year.
The Blues, coached by Ken Hands, were coming off a preliminary final finish in 1959, while the Tigers, under the coaching guidance of Alan McDonald, had finished second last (11th of 12 teams).
It was expected the home team would easily account for the battling visitors.
Richmond, however, had other ideas.
Below, from the archives of The Age newspaper, is a review of the see-sawing Round 1 contest by Michael Meeking.
Incidentally, the other occasion the Tigers and Blues played out a draw was in the 1972 second semi-final at Waverley Park – 8.13 (61) apiece.
The determination and will-to-win of both teams featured a thrilling drawn game between Carlton and Richmond at Princes Park yesterday.
In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Richmond played the more constructive football, but Carlton won a lot of credit for its fight back in the second and last quarters.
In the first and third terms, the Tigers, using a play-on style of attacking football, looked all-the-way winners, but when they tired, Carlton came back strongly.
Richmond surprised by winning in the ruck and the honors in that division all went to a greatly improved Neville Crowe.
Given the job of minding Carlton “danger man” Graham Donaldson, Crowe did a masterly job.
Crowe out-marked, out-rucked and out-generalled Donaldson, who only came into the game when resting up forward.
The Richmond centre line, with captain Ron Branton dominating in the pivot, held sway all day, but many of the opportunities it created were broken by a stubborn Carlton defence.
Half-back flanker John James gave the Blues 100 minutes of solid football and was by far the steadiest of the backs when the pressure was really on.
In the second and final quarters, Carlton showed concerted teamwork and, sticking to position, levelled the scores and half-time and the finish.
In the second quarter, Carlton seemed to take a lesson from the intelligent use of handball which Richmond had shown in the first quarter.
The dashing work of rover Leo Brereton and recruit centre half-forward Des Lyons lifted the Blues on several occasions and, perhaps, the credit for Carlton’s two revivals lies mainly with them.
But, until late in the game, Lyons received very little support from his flankers. Full-forward Peter Barry marked well, but his kicking was astray.
Richmond started the third quarter 28 points ahead and, for the first 10 minutes of the final term, Carlton looked unlikely to break through to get to the Tigers.
But then they found form which, while not brilliant, was sound and constructive and stormed through a tiring defence to get to within a point as time-on started.
A puzzling decision by umpire Colin Mance saw Donaldson kick a point from an easy shot.
Donaldson had marked the ball near the goal square, played on and kicked a goal, but was recalled to take a deliberate kick.
In a long time-on period the ball swayed between both half-forward lines before the Blues got through for the point which levelled the scores.
Match details
Richmond 7.4 9.6 14.13 14.14 (98)
Carlton 1.5 9.6 10.9 14.14 (98)
Goals – Richmond: Langridge 4, Wilkinson 3, Swift 2, O’Toole, Morris, McDonald, Saddington, Loughran.
Best – Richmond: Crowe (best on ground), Saddington, Cuzens, Branton, Langridge, Simpson.
Goals – Carlton: Brereton 4, Barry 3, Nicholls 2, McCulloch, Burke, Benetti, Lyons, Heathcote.
Best – Carlton: Brereton, James, Crowe, Comben, Lyons, Ferry.
