To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tigers’ 1974 premiership, Richmond Media is transporting Yellow and Black barrackers back in time throughout 2024 to follow the Punt Road path to that tremendous triumph. Today we take a look at Richmond’s Round 10 match of the ’74 season against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval through the eyes of leading Sunday Press football reporter Bruce Matthews.
With the Graeme Richmond affair still ringing in their ears, Richmond crushed South Melbourne yesterday as if they had something to prove.
But if anything was proved, it was Richmond who got the lesson.
It was that they MUST have interstate players Kevin Bartlett and Kevin Sheedy in top form if they aspire to another flag.
Both players transformed the disorganised Tiger forward line of last week into a well-trained ruthless unit.
Bartlett gathered 31 kicks and was devastating in attack with six goals straight.
Sheedy in his ruck-roving role, had only 12 kicks. But his 10 handpasses proved a nightmare for the young Swan defenders.
South had no answer to Sheedy and partner Paul Sproule as they sped downfield as loose men, handballing and passing with such accuracy that the Richmond forwards had ample time to steady before shooting for goal.
The Tigers slammed on 11 straight goals before Stephen Rae missed from 20 metres out while running int an open goal just before half-time.
The ease with which Rae was able to steady and shoot from so close in typifies the picnic that the Tiger forwards treated themselves to all day.
South centre half-back Max Robertson did a great job to hold the obviously unfit Royce Hart to two goals, and half-back flanker Reg Gleeson and back pocket Brian Woodman battled hard.
But the rest of the South defenders were completely at a loss to stem the Tigers’ goal onslaught.
Richmond ruckman Brian Roberts set up many goals with his giant hands.
He rammed the ball down Bartlett’s throat all day, took many marks around the cricket pitch area and tapped the ball to Stewart, Sheedy and co.
Fiery Richmond full-forward Ricky McLean turned on his best ever game to finish with five goals.
He was too strong for young Swan Tony Franklin, a top full-back in the making.
What really pleased the Tigers was the way in which McLean led for the ball, marked surely and then battled desperately for it when Franklin was able to spoil.
Tiger centreman Ian Stewart gave a serviceable 200th League game. He had 15 kicks and an even duel with David McLeish.
Swans little men, rover Norm Goss and wingman Stephen Hoffman, each gathered 18 kicks, but after a promising start their forwards were eclipsed by the close-knit Richmond defenders, Robert McGhie, Merv Keane, and Francis Bourke, who were always on hand to back up each other.
Match details
Richmond 8.0 13.1 15.5 23.9 (147)
South Melbourne 5.2 5.8 7.11 9.13 (67)
Goals – Richmond: Bartlett 6, McLean 5, Sproule 3, Hart 2, Sheedy 2, Cumming, Rae, Roberts, Balme, Morris.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Bartlett 32, Sheedy 23, Sproule 22, Bourke 18, Stewart 18, Keane 17.
Best players – Richmond: Bartlett, Roberts, McLean, Sproule, Sheedy, McGhie, Morris, Stewart, Clay.
Goals – South Melbourne: Wilson 2, Bedford, Quade, Cook, Thomson, Stibbard, Hoffman, McLeish.
Leading disposal-winners – South Melbourne: Hoffman 22, Lambert 21, Hodges 19, Goss 18, McLeish 18, Quade 18, Stibbard 18.
Best players – South Melbourne: Hoffman, Goss, Lambert, McLeish, Gull, Thomson, Hodges, Stibbard.
Attendance: 12,622
