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 examine Richmond’s Round 2 match of the ’73 season against Geelong, which took place at the MCG on Saturday, April 14 before a crowd of 29,655. Here is a review of the match by The Age newspaper’s leading football writer at the time, Peter McFarline.
“If football teams were racehorses, Richmond and Geelong and their connections would have spent a long time before the stewards on Saturday night . . .
As they are not, just mark down the names in the little black book as “watch for improvement”.
The Cats bolted out of the stalls at a hectic pace at the MCG on Saturday and set up a commanding break – commanding enough to dim the heart of the staunchest Tiger fan.
Richmond on the other hand began slowly, straggled along a distant last for half the race, charged to the lead in the third quarter and then coasted to what wasn’t quite an easy victory.
In other words, the spectacle caused great excitement – but to the judge held a multitude of complexities.
Geelong, led by centreman David Clarke, literally ran the Tigers off their feet early and led by 6.1 to 1.4 at quarter-time.
Then Richmond rover Kevin Bartlett and ruckman Michael Green steadied their side and sent it constantly into attack.
The reverse didn’t deter the speedy Cats – it just caused them a fair bit of inaccuracy around the ground and in front of goal. But their speed had to slacken – and coach Tom Hafey craftily made sure it did.
His constant shifting of defenders into attack and onto the ball made Geelong players—particularly Clarke – wonder what had happened.
As a result, the Tigers kicked 8.5 to 4.5 in the third quarter and seemed to be coasting.
Even thought it might sound a little cruel, the Richmond forwards fired when Royce Hart was carried unconscious from the ground in the last quarter.
Dick Clay went to centre half-forward and with Ian Stewart – a first half failure in the centre – kept the side in attack.
The return to form of Green as a ruckman and forward was good news for the Tigers.”
Match details
Richmond 1.4 8.7 16.12 18.19 (127)
Geelong 6.1 9.5 13.10 16.14 (110)
Goals – Richmond: McLean 5, Green 4, Wood 3, Hart 2, Fowler 2, Roberts 2.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Bartlett 35, Bourke 24, Sheedy 24, Stewart 20, Green 17, Hart 16.
Best – Richmond: Bourke (best on ground), Green, Bartlett, McLean, McGhie, Sproule.
Goals – Geelong: Mayne 4, Clarke 3, Newland 3, Sarah 2, Andrews, Newman, Stephens, B. Nankervis, I. Nankervis.
Leading disposal-winners – Geelong: Clarke 34, I. Nankervis 26, Stevens 26, B. Nankervis 25, Closter 22, Higgins 22.
Best – Geelong: Clarke, Mayne, B. Nankervis, Stevens, Evans, Higgins.
