Ahead of Richmond's match against North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon, we look back to the highest attended home and away game between the two clubs.
Richmond were playing North Melbourne at the MCG in Round 4 of the 1995 season on April 24, Anzac Day eve, and the Tigers produced the most amazing start imaginable to a match.
The AFL had scheduled the game on a Monday night as a lead-in to the inaugural blockbuster Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day clash the following day.
Richmond, under John Northey’s coaching guidance, was unbeaten in its first three games of the ’95 season, while the star-studded Roos, with Denis Pagan at the helm, had won two of their three.
This encounter with the 1994 preliminary finalists would provide a good gauge of just how much the Tigers had improved and if they were legitimate contenders in ’95.
One minute after the opening bounce, tall Tiger left-foot forward Stuart Edwards was lucky to be awarded a mark that should have been paid to the North opponent playing in front of him, Ross Smith. Edwards, however, made the most of his good fortune, steering the set shot through the big sticks from about 45 metres out.
At the centre bounce immediately after that, Richmond ruckman Greg Dear was infringed, given a free kick, and then a 50-metre penalty. He duly kicked truly.
Shortly after, Edwards scored his second six-pointer for the night from about 25 metres out, following a well-judged mark, to make it three goals in three minutes and a dream start for the Tigers.
Richmond’s totally dominant midfield was ensuring a constant supply of leather inside 50, and the Tiger forwards were feasting on the opportunities provided to them.
Exciting, young key forward Matthew Richardson got in on the act next, receiving a free kick for being shepherded off the ball and converting from about 35 metres out.
The utterly bewildered Kangaroo defenders became more bamboozled when talented half-forward Nick Daffy snapped a clever goal – Richmond’s fifth – from 30 metres out.
Moments later, with the Tiger Army roaring in delight, Daffy streamed into an open goal.
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That made it six goals straight to North’s nothing in eight astonishingly, magic minutes of football by the pumped-up Tigers.
There was a bit of normality in the contest following that with the Roos eventually getting on the scoreboard and Richmond managing ‘only’ three more goals for the opening term – two more to ‘Richo’, including a fine, left-foot, set-shot snap from the boundary line, and one from Matty Rogers right on the quarter-time siren, after receiving a handball and slamming through a 50-metre pearler.
The Tigers had 9.2 to 3.0 on the board at quarter-time and they were given a standing ovation by the sea of Yellow and Black supporters in attendance as they went to their huddle.
Both teams booted four goals for the second term, before Richmond ran riot again in the third quarter, piling on 7.0 to 1.5 to take an incredible, insurmountable, 71-point lead into the final break.
North gained a bit of respectability on the scoreboard in the last quarter, kicking 5.2 to 1.4, but the result had been a foregone conclusion since that stunning opening by the Tigers.
Richmond had so many top contributors over the course of the four quarters. Matthew Knights racked up a game-high 32 disposals, Daffy booted a game-high six goals, while Richardson took a game-high 11 marks to go with his four goals.
It was Michael Gale, however, who picked up the three Brownlow votes for his superb display on the night – 27 disposals (17 kicks, 10 handballs) and seven marks. Richo was awarded two Brownlow votes, while, interestingly, the one vote went to the Tigers’ reliable key defender Scott Turner, who had eight kicks, two handballs, took five marks, and kept North’s star spearhead John Longmire to just one goal.
Given the fact Turner received only four Brownlow votes in his entire 144-game AFL career, that was particularly noteworthy.
Richmond’s chairman of selectors at the time, 1967 premiership player and 1980 flag coach Tony Jewell summed up the significance of the Tigers’ dazzling, dominant display that night against North.
“We were well aware that it was a real test for us and everyone was going to look at us and judge us on that performance. And we came through with flying colours,” Jewell said.
Match details
Richmond 9.2 13.4 20.4 21.8 (134)
North Melbourne 3.0 7.0 8.5 13.7 (85)
Goals – Richmond: Daffy 6, Edwards 4, Richardson 4, Broderick 2, Bond, Bourke, Campbell, Dear Rogers.
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Knights 32, Campbell 30, M. Gale 27, Broderick 25, Bourke 23, D. Kellaway 23, Daffy 19.
Goals – North Melbourne: Archer 2, Carey 2, Reynolds 2, Capuano, Longmire, McKernan, Nichols, Rock, Schwass, Scott.
Leading possession-winners – North Melbourne: Armstrong 22, Carey 20, Rock, 20, Laidley 19.
Crowd - 62,606 at the MCG.
