To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1973 premiership, we are transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2023 to follow the Punt Road path to that fabulous flag triumph. Today we delve back into The Age archives for a report on Richmond’s training preparation and selection issues leading into the ‘73 first semi-final against St Kilda at the MCG by the newspaper’s chief football writer at the time, Percy Beames.

You might have thought Richmond had won on Saturday and not lost to Carlton by the smiles Richmond selectors wore at the MCG last night.

It was Francis Bourke who put the smiles back on their faces.

They had not expected Bourke to train hard but he showed up so well that they gave him an outside chance of playing against St Kilda on Saturday.

So do the club’s medical officer, physiotherapist and, most important of all, Bourke himself.

Bourke summed up his prospects last night:

“I would be kidding myself if I said I was 100 per cent fit.

“But I could be pretty right in another couple of days and I give myself a definite chance of playing.”

Bourke has not played since damaging his medial ligament against Collingwood. He has missed three games.

What made Bourke and the medical staff so happy was that the talented defender never felt any worrying knee soreness after twisting, sprinting and kicking last night.

Shin and calf soreness were his real worries. Bourke has put a lot of pressure on his calf and shin with hard training runs for a few days.

Bourke’s chances of playing will become clearer after today.

The club doctor said last night: “If the knee does not blow up, we can strap it and Bourke can go flat out in a test tomorrow night.”

Neither Kevin Morris nor Daryl Cumming moved so freely as Bourke in the training run at the MCG last night but the Richmond report was: “They will be available for selection.”

The first kick for the night saw Morris wince with pain. He failed to time the kick and the force jarred his damaged ankle ligaments. For the rest of the night Morris was proppy.

Near the end of training Morris walked to the boundary line for discussions with the physiotherapist. Then after training he had treatment in the Richmond medical room.

Selectors want Morris back (he missed last week against Carlton) and if necessary he will have a pain-killing needle before the game.

Cumming “carried” his leg when he started last night, but later moved more freely. Cumming suffered a bruised thigh early last Saturday and was nearly taken off at quarter-time.

Vice-captain and top rover Kevin Bartlett missed training, along with last week’s full-forward Ricky McLean.

Bartlett was ordered not to train because of a chest infection. On Monday Bartlett was put on a course of tablets as a precautionary measure.

The doctor does not believe the infection will worsen.

“We are not worried about Kevin, he will be all right,” Richmond secretary Mr. Alan Schwab said last night.

Captain Royce Hart was the last player in a special squad of 23 to turn out for training. During training Hart consulted the doctor and the physiotherapist about his knee – but he will play.