In the lead-up to Richmond’s Gather Round clash with Sydney at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, Tony Greenberg reflects on the Tigers’ inaugural star recruit from South Australia . . .
Jack Broadstock played only 33 games for Richmond from 1943-46, but he had an immediate, immense impact in his short space of time at Tigerland.
Recruited by Richmond from South Australian club West Adelaide, Broadstock was a member of the Tigers’ team that beat Essendon in the 1943 Grand Final in what was just his sixth game of VFL football.
Richmond ‘Immortal’ and 1943 premiership captain-coach Jack Dyer, in his book “Captain Blood”, described just how highly he rated Broadstock.
“To me, Jack Broadstock was the most talented footballer I have seen.
The first time I saw him he was 17 and he was sensational. One after the other he thrashed the greats of Victorian football: Dick Reynolds, Marcus Whelan and Footscray’s star centreman Jack Collins. He was pushing us to defeat.
It was my first game as (Victoria’s) captain and I didn’t intend to let a raw kid beat me.
As the ball was bounced I moved alongside him. I was going to knock him into the next century at the first opportunity. But even at 17 he was a football brain.
‘I know what you’re up to,’ he snapped. He flicked the ball away from me, burst from the pack, gave the ball a couple of bounces with one hand and made a rude gesture at me with the other. He made me look like a donkey.
The bell rang just in time to save us from defeat . . .
It was the best performance I have seen in any game. He almost beat Victoria off his own boot . . .
I ran over to him. ‘If you ever want to play football in Victoria don’t go to any club but Richmond.’
Minutes later every other club descended on him.
He decided to enlist in the Army instead. But eventually I won the battle and he played with the Tigers.”
The following article from the mid-week Sporting Globe newspaper of September 15, 1943 (Broadstock’s debut season with Richmond), further highlighted his playing ability and value to the Tigers . . .
“Jack Broadstock, Richmond’s adopted rover, is possibly the best South Australian we have seen in Victorian football for years.
His play is characterised by the same play-on methods that made the play of Hadyn Bunton and “Dick” Reynolds so attractive.
When Broadstock appeared with Richmond this season he fulfilled a promise made to Jack Dyer that if he ever played football in Victoria it would be with Richmond.
Dyer, when captain of Victoria’s last interstate team, was so impressed with the young South Australian that he sought this promise.
Although anxious to try his luck in another State, he never thought that the opportunity would come for him to play in Melbourne. The war was the deciding factor.
Broadstock, always keen on football, realised his ambition to play in senior company at an early age.
He was only 15 when he stripped with West Adelaide for the first time. For six years he held down the centre position until West Adelaide and Glenelg recently amalgamated. The combination team is now known as West-Glenelg.
Only 22, 6ft. and 14 st., Broadstock, after one game in the centre with the Tigers, is now being used as first rover, although he had never previously played in that position.
He represented South Australia on two occasions – in 1938 against Broken Hill, and later when only 17 against Victoria.
Richmond was unfortunate to the lose the services of Broadstock in the second half against Essendon on Saturday (semi-final clash at Princes Park). He had to retire at the interval with a badly bruised back.
Fast, elusive, and an intelligent footballer, he was just the type of player Richmond required in the closing stages of Saturday’s game.”
