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 15 match of the ’74 season against Carlton at the MCG.
An undermanned Carlton team took it right up to the highly-fancied Richmond outfit for the first half of their Round 15 clash at the MCG, before the Tigers got their act together to run out 30-point winners.
The Blues went into the match minus the services of Alex Jesaulenko, Robert Walls, Gary Crane, Peter Jones, Barry Armstrong, Brent Crosswell and Phillip Pinnell.
But they thrived on their underdogs tag and produced a top-class opening half to lead by 12 points at the main break.
Carlton’s pressure rating was extremely high initially and its players constantly put Richmond opponents under the pump with close checking and fierce tackling.
The likes of Rod Ashman, Brian Walsh and David Dickson were well on top around the packs, while captain-coach John Nicholls and Craig Davis provided the Blues with strong targets up forward.
After half-time, however, it was a different story.
Richmond coach Tommy Hafey shifted talented youngster David Cloke to centre half-forward on Rod Austin, who had been dominant in the key defensive post for the Blues.
Cloke was able to grab a few vital marks and helped turn the tide the Tigers’ way.
Clever half-forward Robert Lamb followed up his six-goal display in the previous round against Melbourne with a superb five-goal performance.
Lamb beat three Carlton opponents on the day and filled the void created in Richmond’s line-up through the absence of captain and champion centre half-forward Royce Hart, who, along with brilliant rover Kevin Bartlett, missed the match due to selection in the Victorian side that played West Australia.
The Tigers took advantage of Carlton’s pressure drop-off in the third term and piled on 7.3 to 1.1 to take a decisive 26-point lead into the last change.
There wasn’t much between the two teams in the final quarter, but Richmond’s dominant third quarter was enough for it to secure a comfortable victory.
Classy former Footscray captain David Thorpe, playing his first senior games for the Tigers, worked his way into the contest and finished with 21 disposals and a goal.
Richmond also was well served by Paul Sproule, Kevin Morris, Wayne Walsh and South Australian recruit Glynn Hewitt.
Match details
Richmond 2.6 4.10 11.13 15.15 (105)
Carlton 3.0 7.4 8.5 11.9 (75)
Goals – Richmond: Lamb 5, Balme 2, Brown 2, Hewitt 2, Cloke, Green, Morris, Thorpe.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Sproule 29, Lamb 26, Walsh 25, Morris 22, Thorpe 21, Hewitt 20.
Best players – Richmond: Lamb, Sproule, Hewitt, Morris, Walsh, Thorpe.
Goals – Carlton: Davis 5, Nicholls 3, Ashman 2, McKay.
Leading disposal-winners – Carlton: Ashman 31, Austin 27, Walsh 25, Dickson 24, O’Halloran 19.
Best players – Carlton: Ashman, Walsh, Davis, Dickson, Austin.
Attendance: 36,416.
