In the lead-up to Richmond’s big qualifying final clash with Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night, Tony Greenberg takes the Tiger time machine back to 1972 for the competition’s inaugural qualifying final.
After decades of a final-four system, the VFL introduced a final five for the 1972 season, with an elimination final to be played between teams that finished fourth and fifth on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away rounds and a qualifying final between teams second and third.
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Richmond, under Tommy Hafey’s astute coaching guidance, qualified in second place following the 22 rounds, while Collingwood, under coach Neil Mann, was third.
The two teams met in the first-ever qualifying final on Saturday, September 9, 1972 at the MCG, before a huge crowd of 91,900.
In a high-standard, high-scoring contest, it was the Tigers who prevailed by 44 points, with inspirational captain and champion centre half-forward Royce Hart producing a superb, six-goal performance.
Here’s how Hart recounted Richmond’s win in his column in ‘The Age’ newspaper on the Monday following the match...
“What a great game – a pity it wasn’t a real final. Collingwood and Richmond were only fighting it out for second place. Next week we really get stuck into it.
The Tigers won’t relax and get all cocky about next Saturday’s game. We’ve beaten the Blues twice this season because we were the better side. And we’ll win again on Saturday.
There were two things I really liked about our win on Saturday – it was a really good team effort, and 22 out of our 25 goals were scored by the six forwards. That’s where we are lucky – we have six forwards who can, and do, kick goals.
That’s pretty handy on a day like Saturday when Neil Balme dropped a few marks and Ricky McLean got only three.
Because it was such a great team effort I’m a little reluctant to pick out individuals, but there were a few such tremendous efforts that I’ll just have to do so.
Start with Francis Bourke. If ever a player typified Richmond, he is it. People ask me if I’d prefer him on a wing or a half-back flank. My answer is that I wish we had two of him – one for each position . . . 22 kicks, 8 marks and a lot of hard work is a pretty good show in my book.
And what about Craig McKellar? He’s got to be the best improver ever. Single-handed he took apart the much-heralded Collingwood ruck battery, including Brownlow Medallist Len Thompson.
The statistics will show that McKellar didn’t get too many kicks. But each time that big fist of his pounded the ball away it was as good as a kick – and I lost count of how many times he spoilt Collingwood marks with the same tactics.
Graeme Bond turned on a classy performance, as did Paul Sproule, Barry Richardson, Kevin Sheedy, Wayne Walsh and . . . in fact the whole team.
It was good to see Ian Stewart coming good. People are forever on his back and if he doesn’t get 25 kicks or so a game they say he flopped. Well, I say he kept Barry Price out of the game and that means he’s done his job – and statistics be blowed.
A word or two about the Magpies. First of all I was sorry to see Ted Potter go off the way he did. We always have a good battle, and concussion is no joke.
I thought Collingwood was top heavy and, of course, it badly missed Peter McKenna. There was little purpose among its forwards and having Graeme Jenkin at centre half-forward didn’t help a great deal. That’s not his caper.”
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Match details
Richmond 6.3 13.6 20.11 25.14 (164)
Collingwood 5.2 8.9 12.10 18.12 (120)
Goals – Richmond: Hart 6, Balme 4, B. Richardson 4, Sproule 4, McLean 3, Cumming 2, Bartlett, Hollick.
Best – Richmond: Bourke, Hart, Bartlett, B. Richardson, McKellar, Bond, Sproule.
Leading possession-winners – Richmond: Bourke 27, Bartlett 24, Bond 22, Hart 21, B. Richardson 18, Cumming 17.
