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 delve back into the archives of The Age newspaper for a review by leading football writer Peter McFarline of Richmond’s Round 12 match of the ’74 season against Hawthorn.

Hawthorn gave the 1974 premiership its greatest impetus at Princes Park on Saturday.

For weeks upset wins have made the competition seem wide open. But behind the surprises has been the fear that Richmond would be invincible come September.

Forget it. The Hawks stripped the Tigers of their invincibility and laid bare any amount of weaknesses on the way to a 23-point win.

The weaknesses – lack of pace around the ground, too much dependence on Kevin Bartlett and the lack of mobility of a top-heavy side – had been suspected by coach Tom Hafey for some time.

And the absence of a good knock ruckman obvious from the first bounce.

The smaller but spring-heeled Don Scott and Alan Martello made Brian Roberts look a novice and gave Hawthorn complete domination around the packs.

The Tigers sensed they were in for a bad day early in the first quarter when Scott, roaming around the forward line like a rover, booted his side’s first two goals.

Rovers Peter Crimmins and Leigh Matthews, ruck-rovers John Hendrie and Des Meagher and centreman Kelvin Matthews used sheer speed to break up the Tigers’ normally effective pattern of play.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking Bartlett’s knee injury cost the Tigers the game.

They were in trouble long before Bartlett left the field in the third quarter – although the trouble trebled in his absence.

It was a tribute to Richmond’s class that it could hit the lead early in the third quarter with so many players down.

Centre half-back Robert McGhie hadn’t had a kick to half-time; defender Mal Brown (who’ll never be a defender again) had two, so did wingman Bryan Wood and rover Paul Sproule.

But then the Hawks asserted their authority in no mean fashion. They unleashed an 8.3 burst in that third quarter to go to a six-goal lead. And that was against a strong wind.

The burst was sparked off by the irrepressible Leigh Matthews, who kicked two goals in less than a minute.

Hafey’s team rearrangement – Brown to full-forward Sproule to the centre – had no visible effect on Richmond’s performance.

The injuries to Bartlett and Stephen Rae, and the reporting of Ricky McLean merely added injury to insult.

Perhaps the Hawks only moment of real worry came in the first four minutes when Crimmins, Martello and Leigh Matthews all missed easy shots for goal.

But there was to be no repetition of last Monday’s atrocious kicking. By the end of the game, the Hawks were firmly entrenched as a finals side.

And Richmond? Well, it went home to ponder what happened to the Super-plan.

Match details

Richmond            4.7           7.10        10.15     15.18 (108)                                                               
Hawthorn             4.5           8.12        16.15     19.17 (131)                                                                                                   

Goals – Richmond: Balme 4, Bartlett 3, McLean 2, Cumming, Hart, Morris, Sheedy, Sproule, Wood.

Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Sheedy 26, Bourke 20, Walsh 20, Sproule 18, Bartlett 16, Hart 16, Keane 16.

Best players – Richmond: Bourke, Hart, Walsh, Balme, Keane, Sheedy.

Goals – Hawthorn: L. Matthews 5, Moncrieff 4, Hendrie 3, Ablett 2, Scott 2, Bevan, K. Matthews, Meagher.

Leading disposal-winners – Hawthorn: Hendrie 27, K. Matthews 26, L. Matthews 20, Meagher 20, Crimmins 19, Ablett 18.

Best players – Hawthorn: Hendrie (best on ground), L. Matthews, K. Matthews, Meagher, Knights, Scott.

Attendance: 15,648.