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. Richmond’s big clash with arch-rival Collingwood at Victoria Park in Round 20 of the ’74 season is today’s focus. Here is Melbourne great Ian Ridley’s review of the match in the Sunday Observer newspaper . . .
Victoria Park, home of the Magpies, yesterday provided thrills and spills galore – on the field and off.
Richmond easily beat a disjointed Collingwood in a game that had more than its share of vicious incidents.
The Tigers, who led all day, had all the answers. They were too big, too strong, too fast and too accurate.
I thought I was at Festival Hall.
Off the field, the police easily had their busiest day yet, at the football.
Time and again, fights broke out in the crowd and I believe the cells at Collingwood were full by 5 o’clock.
On the field, it wasn’t much different as both sides strove to win the coveted top position.
Big Mal Brown showed his frustration in a most unusual way after umpire John Sutcliffe disallowed what I thought was a mark.
Mal obviously thought too, so when the umpire called for the ball to bounce, Mal threw it at him.
Then Doug Gott became the centre of attraction.
Several Tiger players sucked him in and he was reported by three umpires as having struck Paul Sproule and Cameron Clayton.
Officials of both sides were confused about this report after the game.
Now back to the game.
Collingwood won more marks than Richmond but many were easy.
Richmond, with Michael Green, Robert McGhie and Dick Clay prominent took the “big” marks that make the difference between winning and losing.
The Tigers’ first quarter was great.
Kicking into the breeze they scored five goals to Collingwood’s one.
The Magpies had many opportunities but their forwards could not push home the advantage as at least seven shots for goal went out of bounds.
Len Thompson and Ross Dunne were the chief offenders, the latter finishing again with a personal tally of 2 goals 7 behinds.
Richmond lost champion Royce Hart at half-time with a knee injury but it did not upset the Tigers’ balance.
Collingwood wisely threw Len Thompson into the ruck, put Dunne to full forward and stationed Bob Heard in the forward pocket.
These moves were successful. Thompson dominated the first 10 minutes of the third quarter and Heard marked strongly up forward.
The Magpies got within 14 points of Richmond but the Tigers again showed their class and why they are entitled to premiership favoritism.
In five devastating minutes they shot away to a 27-point advantage and certain victory.
Kevin Bartlett again copped plenty of attention and several times had the staggers from knocks received.
But the champion rover kept plugging away, finishing with four goals and 30 kicks to earn himself the Observer Footballer of the Year Award.
Collingwood’s forward line were unable to break away at any stage.
Richmond’s back line, on yesterday’s display, is the meanest I have seen for years.
Robert McGhie, Francis Bourke, Kevin Morris, Dick Clay, Gareth Andrews and Mervyn Keane had their opponents’ measure all day.
They played close yet were full of attack.
Wayne Walsh and David Thorpe dominated the centre line duels.
Their direct play and long kicking delighted their supporters.
Match details
Richmond 5.1 9.4 14.7 16.11 (107)
Collingwood 1.4 4.8 8.13 10.20 (80)
Goals – Richmond: Bartlett 4, Green 3, Brown 2, Sheedy 2, Balme, Clayton, Morris, Thorpe, Walsh.
Leading disposal-winners – Richmond: Bartlett 34, Thorpe 23, Sheedy 18, Walsh 18, Balme 17, Bourke 17, Keane 17, McGhie 17.
Best players – Richmond: Bartlett, Walsh, Clay, McGhie, Green, Morris.
Goals – Collingwood: Dunne 2, Heard 2, Manassa 2, Clifford, Gott, Kink, W. Richardson.
Leading disposal-winners – Collingwood: Williams 25, W. Richardson 24, Price 22, M. Richardson 20, R. Shaw 20.
Best players – Collingwood: M. Richardson, Gott, Williams, R. Shaw, W. Richardson, Holmes.
Attendance: 36,729.
