In the wake of rising Richmond star Daniel Rioli’s stunning, team-lifting goal against West Coast at the MCG last Saturday, we wonder how it compares to the 10 contenders for the Tigers’ Goal of the Century, which was a feature of the Club’s league football centenary celebrations back in 2008. Here is a concise summary of each of the Goal of the Century contenders, including the eventual winner, Michael Mitchell . . .

 

JOHN RONALDSON, 1967 Grand Final

With Richmond fans on the edge of their seats during the thrilling last quarter of the 1967 Grand Final, young Tiger ruckman Ronaldson launched a monster drop kick on a tight angle from the members’ side of the MCG at the scoreboard end. The ball sailed through for an unbelievably inspirational goal from about 65 metres out.

 

BILL BARROT, 1969 Grand Final

After Barrot took a crucial mark in the final quarter of the 1969 Grand Final against Carlton, he briefly held the ball aloft in jubilation. Then came the difficult part – kicking accurately for goal from an extremely acute angle, about 60 metres out on the members’ side of the MCG. Barrot, however, was up for the challenge, sending a towering torpedo punt right through the middle.

 

MICHAEL ROACH, Round 20, 1980

The star spearhead needed nine goals going into the Round 20, 1980 match against Melbourne to become just the second Tiger to reach the 100-goal milestone in a season. Early in the last quarter, ‘Roachy’ had eight goals to his credit, when he copped a high tackle from Demon Jim Durnan. From more than 60 metres out, his booming drop punt split the sticks. 

 

KEVIN BARTLETT, 1980 Grand Final

At the 26-minute mark of the 1980 Grand Final, with Richmond set to complete a massive victory over Collingwood, the brilliant Bartlett wrong-footed his opponent, Stan Magro, took a bounce, and then threaded the ball through from an almost impossible angle to notch his seventh goal for the day and equal the then league football individual Grand Final goalkicking record.

 

JIMMY JESS, Round 11, 1986

It was a cold, wet, bleak day at the MCG in June 1986 when Richmond played host to Footscray. After trailing by nearly five goals during the second quarter, the Tigers were ahead in the final term, with Jimmy Jess looking to stretch the lead from a set shot 60 metres out. Despite the waterlogged ball, Jess roosted one of his trademark torpedo punts right through the middle.

 

MICHAEL MITCHELL, Round 22, 1990

The little Tiger excitement machine decided to take off for a bit of a trot during the team’s final home-and-away match of the 1990 season, against Sydney at the SCG. After gathering the ball deep in defence, ‘Mitch’ took a bounce, then another, and five more (seven in total), before calmly drilling home an incredibly inspirational goal.

 

MATTHEW KNIGHTS, 1995 semi-final

Knights had played a lone hand in Richmond’s cut-throat final clash with Essendon in ’95, kicking three of the team’s four goals to half-time. The second of those goals was simply breathtaking . . . Knights gathered possession in the midfield, took five bounces, seemingly in gliding motion, steadied from 40 metres out, and belted it through.

 

JOEL BOWDEN, Round 4, 2003

In this early season match against St Kilda at Telstra Dome in 2003, Bowden sent the Yellow and Black faithful into raptures with a truly memorable goal. The talented left-footer gained possession about 50 metres out from goal, then proceeded to baulk and sidestep three Saints’ opponents, before steadying and drilling a superb, team-lifting six-pointer.

 

NATHAN BROWN, Round 8, 2005

Trailing Collingwood by 10 points at three-quarter time in this Round 8, 2005 clash, it was going to take something special to spark a lethargic Tiger team to victory. Enter Nathan Brown . . . He kicked five goals in the final term, one of them an amazing soccer-style effort, where he kept kicking the ball off the ground, before slamming it through for a goal as he neared the line. 

 

CHRIS NEWMAN, Round 11, 2007 

In this mid-‘07 encounter with Fremantle at Subiaco, reliable Richmond defender Chris Newman found himself near the middle of the ground after receiving a free kick, followed by a 50-metre penalty. Newman’s intention was to send the ball into the teeth of goal, but he went better than that, his monster, 75-metre torpedo punt registering full points.