Richmond completed a magnificent year of football in 1974 by winning the Championship of Australia title. The Tigers demolished SANFL premier team Sturt in the final to win the post-season series for a third time (1969 and 1973 the other years). Leading football writer for The Age newspaper, Ron Carter, reports on Richmond’s thumping triumph.
The Australian Football Championship series ended yesterday in disaster for Richmond . . . it was outscored by Sturt in the last quarter of the final.
For the first time in their two championship games the Tigers failed to score at least seven goals a quarter.
Perhaps we better add that they were 98 points ahead at three quarter time!
So, naturally some of the Richmond players couldn’t really have cared less.
The last quarter “failure” is, of course, all tongue in cheek. The championship was so one sided it was almost a joke.
If Richmond needed to prove it was the best football side in Australia it did by “killing” SA premier Sturt by 78 points at Football Park.
The Tigers won the series for the second year running and collected first prize of $12,500.
Club officials say the $12,500 – plus another $2000 – will all go to the players.
This means some players will collect between $500 and $600 for yesterday’s workout.
Despite the Tigers’ absolute supremacy over the series, getting praise for them is hard.
Sturt coach Jack Oatey, asked what he thought of Richmond, replied: “A talented side with a good blending of height and pace, but not the best side I’ve seen.
“The Sturt team of 10 or so years ago was better,” Oatey said.
That statement, I’m sure, would bring a grin even to Tom Hafey’s face.
Or would it?
For, believe it or not, Hafey was “disappointed” – his Tigers didn’t kick 30 goals.
This was his target after Richmond’s 34 goals against Tasmania on Saturday, and the reason why he kept runner – brother Peter Hafey – busy in the last quarter.
But even with a few players out of touch they still had enough stars to do almost as they liked.
The second and third quarter were almost a repetition of the Tasmanian game – the Tigers rattling on goal after goal while the opposition barely got a look in.
Eleven goals to one in the third quarter showed how superior they were.
Francis Bourke, Dick Clay and Mervyn Keane held the defence together while in attack David Thorpe and David Cloke, on the half-forward flanks, gave all the drive needed.
Some of the handball around goals was superb, and even once the anti-Victorian crowd found itself clapping.
The Tigers didn’t keep statistics, but Bartlett would have had at least 40 kicks for the game.
Bartlett was voted the best player of the championship series, winning another top football award in his year of dominance.
He took out the award by one vote from East Fremantle captain and rover Graham Melrose,
Bartlett polled 32 votes over the two-match series.
Match details
Richmond 7.2 14.5 25.8 27.11 (173)
Sturt 5.4 7.9 8.12 13.17 (95)
Goals – Richmond: Richardson 5, Balme 4, Cloke 3, Sheedy 3, Thorpe 3, Bartlett 2, Walsh 2, Hart 2, Cumming 2, Green.
Best – Richmond: Bourke, Bartlett, Thorpe, Cloke, Green, Sheedy, Balme, Keane.
Goals – Sturt: Graham 2, Klomp 2, Whelan 2, Greenslade 2, Wild, Oatey, Davies, Nunan, Barton.
Best – Sturt: Graham, Nelson, Klomp, Adcock, Bagshaw, Lloyd.
